Short answer
NSF certified means a product was evaluated by NSF International, an independent standards organization, and found to meet a public health standard for food equipment covering materials, cleanability and construction. It is a sanitation mark, not an electrical safety mark. Many Canadian health inspectors look for NSF or an equivalent sanitation listing on food-contact equipment.
NSF standards cover different kinds of equipment, for example NSF/ANSI 2 for food equipment, NSF/ANSI 7 for commercial refrigerators and freezers, and NSF/ANSI 3 for commercial dishwashers. Other certifiers, such as UL and Intertek (ETL), also list products to sanitation standards.
Electrical and gas equipment used in Canada generally needs a separate safety certification mark from an accredited certifier, such as CSA, cUL or cETLus, which provincial electrical and gas safety authorities check for. A product can carry one kind of mark without the other, so check the listing for both.
The mark should appear on the product or its data plate, and the certifier's online listing confirms it. On smallwares such as containers and cutting boards, it is often printed on the packaging or moulded into the item.
Updated · By Norpex