Transcript for "Understanding NSF's Nonfood Compound and ISO 21469 Certification program": Good day, everyone. Welcome to today's webinar. We are right on time, so I'll just give it another minute for, more members to join, and then we can start. We already have Fabrizia, our speaker for today, who has joined us. Good morning, everybody. Good afternoon. K. Let me just give another ten seconds, and then we'll start. Okay. So let's start. Once again, a very, very warm welcome everyone to today's webinar on understanding NSF's non food compounds and ISO two one four six nine certification program. We are super excited to have, you had to learn more about NSF's non food compounds program and ISO 21,469 standards, its benefits, and, the key applicability for your businesses. I am Prateek, and I'll be your moderator for today. First of all, I want to cover some housekeeping, items to ensure optimal, broadcasting efficiency. Only the speakers would have access to the microphone during the webinar. We encourage you to use the chat feature located on the right side of your screen to share your thoughts or any questions. We will address them during the dedicated q and a session towards the end of the webinar. If you experience any technical difficulties, please try to refresh your browser or check your Internet connection. If the problem persists, please let us know in the chat, and we'll assist you the best way we can. Okay. So before we dive into our webinar, I would like to introduce our esteemed speaker for today who will provide valuable insights and expert opinions on the topic. So we have Fabrizia Lani, who is a global project manager for food contact evaluation. She's based out of Belgium and has a master's degree in international relations and European studies from the University of Florence. Fabrizia began a career coordinating complex projects in the medical sector. After joining NSF in 2022, she has focused on food safety and now leads the non food compound registration and certification program. In the last year, Fabrylia has become the European focal point for PFAS free and MOA free registrations, supporting industry partners, navigating these rapidly, evolving requirements. Okay. With that, let's take a quick look at agenda for today. So we'll start with a basic introduction about what NSF is. I understand that most of you would already be acclimatized with what, NSF stands for, what are the various business lines that we are into. And then we enter into the webinar's subject for today. That is ISO 21,469. Fabrizia will give you an overview of what the standard stands for, what are its key requirements, how is the certification process layout looks like, and then how NSF can support you and help you prepare if you want to go ahead and get this implemented for your manufacturing facility. We'll also touch upon a little bit about our non food compound certification program, and then we'll wrap it up with the q and a as I suggested, at the end of the session. So, Fabrizia, over to you. Thank you very much, Pratik. Good afternoon, everybody, and thank you for joining today's complimentary, webinar. Today's webinar also comes with a heavy Italian accent, so I hope you won't mind. So, today, we'll discuss, ISO 21,469 certification, why it matters, how it, how it differs from, a standard H1, registration, and what organizations can expect throughout the certification process, whether you're already certified, considering certification, or, simply looking, into better understanding the requirements, I hope you live with practical insights so you can apply immediately. So before we start, let's, take a look at NSF, what we do. So NSF was founded in 1944, and since then our mission has been, clear and unwavering, which is, to improve human health and planet health as well. This mission is brought to life every day by thousands of dedicated team members around the whole world, which means microbiologists, toxicologists, chemists, engineers, and many, public health professionals. We are all working together to protect and advance, public health and safety. Thank you. So, before, before we focus on our specific services, I'd like to share a few numbers that illustrate NSF's global reach and impact. Today, NSF supports more than 40,000 clients, sites worldwide and operates in 110 countries, allowing us to serve organizations across a wide range of industries and markets. Our team includes approximately, 3,000 professionals around the world, supported by more than, 1,200, Standard Development members who help drive scientific and technical excellence. Over the years, we have developed and published more than, 160 standards. I'm sorry. Sorry. Just a second. I'm still here. So over the years, we have developed, over, as I said, 160 standards and protocols, helping establish trusted benchmark for safety, quality, and performance. These efforts have resulted in over, almost over, half a million certified products and more than, almost, four, 400,000 audits completed. Demonstrated both the scale, of our operation and the confidence the companies place in NSF services. So these numbers reflect not only our global presence, but also our commit commitment to protecting public health and helping organizations bring safe, compliant, and trusted products to the market. Now, here we see, this slide highlights, the breadth of our, expertise, across the three pillars, of human health, which are food, water, and wellness. And all of these supported by our broader assurance services. At NSF, our work, is built on, independent science based, testing, risk assessment, certifications, inspections, but most of standard, standard development. But, most importantly, everything is, data driven driven. These capabilities help protect consumers, support brands, and enable the safe introduction of products into, to to the market. So in food, we support the entire journey, from farm to fork, helping manufacturers, retailers, and food services organizations, ensure product safety, quality, integrity, and sustainability, which we will see also during today's webinar. We also, as I said, support water. We have established confidence in water products, from source to tap. In wellness, we support companies throughout the development, testing, and regulatory approval of, health and wellness products. So, across as I said, all across all the three pillars, assurance services provide, additional value through, management system certifications. So together, these capabilities, will position NSF as a trusted partner, helping organizations protect public health and achieve their business objectives. And now we will see. So, these logos just, represent just a sample of the well known brands that, trust NSF as a partner in, food safety, quality, and compliance. So you can see there are retailers, such as Target and Costco. There are global restaurant, chains, such as McDonald's, Pret a Manger, KFC. You can see Dunkin', Burger King, Shake Shack, Taco Bell, Chili's, and, we also support big, coffee brands such as Costa. So, what is particularly important, as as you can see, is the diversity of these organizations. Whether a company operates a single facility, you know, like, mall and pop shop or or, thousands of location across multiple countries, you know, the need for, trusted standards, independent verification, and practical expertise remains the same. The fact that so many globally, recognized brands choose, to work with NSF reflects, the the confidence that they place in our scientific expertise, our independence, and our commitment to protecting public health. So we will see also other brands with that collaborates with us, that shows us as their past partner in and on food compounds and ISO two one four six nine certification such as Shell or, Kuwait, Total Energy. Let's move forward. This is and this is the last before we actually get to the to the actual to to the actual topic of today's webinar. So, other numbers. We serve, clients in over 180 countries and operate more than 45 offices and labs, worldwide. So we are very pretty much everywhere, and we are looking into expanding our presence as well. Okay. So if you'd like to learn more about NSF, our services, standards, and, global capabilities, I encourage you to visit, our site at www.nsf.org. There, you'll find additional information of our certification programs, testing services, industry expertise, and resources designed to help organizations navigate compliance and, product safety requirements. And, of course, if you have any questions after today's webinar, please don't hesitate to reach out, to our team, but we will also have a Q and A session. So let's continue this conversation. So now now that we've now that we've introduced our, global expertise, let's turn our attention to ISO two one four six nine. So, whether you're new to this standard, already familiar with food grade lubricants, so the goal of this session is to provide a clear understanding of the certification process of ISO two one four six nine, why it matters. We will also then have a look at the noncompliance registration, which is actually, the the base, of where, ISO 21,469 then continues from. So by the end of the webinar, you should have a practical, practical understanding of how ISO 21,469 works, how it supports risk management, promotes, promotes good manufacturing practices, prevents contamination risks, you know, and, how, how it demonstrates, a company's commitment, to producing safe lubricants for use in food processing, environments. So let's begin looking at the purpose and scope of ISO two one four six nine and the challenge it was, designed to address. So, many, many organizations are familiar with the, h one, h two, and h three registration. It's important to highlight that of these categories, only h one lubricants are eligible for ISO 21,469 certification. Why? Because, ISO two one four six nine focuses on, lubricants intended for incidental, food contact. So meaning situation where a lubricant might come in contact with food incidentally. So the certification, as I said, builds upon the h one concept. So we will see the non food compounds registration, but the non food compounds registration is the base of ISO 21,469. It goes, much further by evaluating manufacturing practices, traceability, auditing, testing, and, risk management. Just, let's have a quick look at the ISO 21,469 background. So, it was first published in 2006, and NSF issued its first certificate in 2008. Although, the standard has remained relatively stable over time, its importance has, steadily increased. What does it mean? That in some markets, such as Brazil or, The Emirates, ISO 21,469 is, already either a regulatory or a market requirement. As global as global supply chains continue to evolve, more organizations are seeing ISO 21,469 as a way to demonstrate consistency and credibility, across international markets. So what you are seeing now is what you, is once a certification is achieved. So, products, they become visible on the white book. It's widely known white book, which is the NSF online listing, allowing customers and regulators to independently verify certification status. Manufacturers also receive what you see on so on, the left side, which is a direct certification documentation that demonstrates compliance with the program requirements. It's, this transparency helps build, trust throughout, the supply chain. One thing, one of the one of the most misconception about ISO two one four six nine is that it's simply an extension of, h one of of the h one registration. In reality, ISO two one four six nine goes much further. Let's see. Let's see. Let's let's go further and see what I mean. Okay. Why? So the standards evaluates the entire manufacturing process behind behind the the products, so behind the the lubricant, the food grade lubricant. So this this includes, risk assessment, raw material controls, hygiene practices, quality systems, storage handling, packaging, and ongoing verification system. When a company achieves ISO two one four six nine certification, NSF, as we have seen, issues a certificate of conformity. But so to, to better, to better explain, h one registration answers the question, is the formulation acceptable for incidental food contact? This is what h one registration is. So it's about the formulation acceptable for food for incidental food contact, while ISO two one four six nine certification answers a much broader question, which is, is this, lubricant consistently manufactured, under controls, designed to protect product integrity and minimize contamination risks? So you see, it covers the whole supply chain concept. So this added level of assurance, is why many food manufacturers and mainly food companies, so, food manufacturers and, lubricant suppliers, view ISO two one four six nine certification, as the next step beyond product registration. It's the natural following step after, a non food compounds registration in h one. So, now let's do let's look at the requirements, for achieving and maintaining ISO two one four six nine certification. So you will see. The first prerequisite is an established quality management system based on, ISO 9,001, as auditors call it, or ISO 9,001. So, this provides the the foundation for consistent manufacturing processes and, effective quality controls. Next, NSF, conducts an, on-site audit, both during the initial certification and annually thereafter. This provides, the foundation for consistent manufacturing processes and effective quality controls. Then you will see, a core element of ISO 21,469 is, the risk assessment. Manufacturers must identify and manage potential contamination risk throughout the product life cycle, including manufacturing, handling, storage, use, and replenishment. The standard also, requires a comprehensive, formulation and labor review, And these are steps that are in common with, with, non food compounds registration. Formulation and labor review are also, pillars of the non food compounds registration. So every product included in the certification scope is reviewed in order to ensure compliance with applicable, food grade requirements and leveling applications. So, in addition, so the last pillar is, 100 of 100% of the products are tested both initially and then, on a quadrannual scale or quadrannual basis. So with the defined retesting cycle, meant to provide, so ongoing verification that the products continue to meet established, the established requirements. So it's more about product consistency. So once all of these requirements have been successfully met, certified products are listed online and supported by an NSF certificate letter that we have just seen, providing, independent, confirmation of compliance. Customers to auditors to food processor to, regulator regulatory bodies. Now let's look at the prerequisite that we, that I have just mentioned, which is, ISO nine zero 9,001 or 9,001. So why, why is it, considered is it why is it the a prerequisite prerequisite to to start, an ISO ISO two one four six nine certification? Why? It's because it's because ISO, 9,001 provides, the quality management framework that supports the ISO two one four six nine, compliance. Meaning, it ensures that, it it ensures that organizations have, appropriate systems, for managing risks, controlling processes, maintaining documentation, monitoring performance, and driving, continual, improvement. Because ISO 21,469 focuses heavily on process consistency and traceability, a robust quality management system, is essential. Rather, you know, rather than recreating, again, those requirements in the ISO twenty one thousand four hundred and six nine standard, we have, we just so the standard just relies on ISO 9,001 as the foundation. There are common elements, as I said. So uniform requirements for a quality management system, a quality management system, compatible with other, with other standards and specifications, such as not only ISO two one four six nine, but also, one four zero zero one, which is for the sustainability and environment and so on. I won't I won't take too long, but so just take the the key takeaway is that ISO 9,000 o one is the foundation for the two one four six nine for the whole purpose of the certification. So let's now get to the to the NSF review process. The the review process is designed to evaluate every major requirement, of the standard. So, we review formulations, product labels, testing results, risk assessments, and audit findings. So, all based on the pillars, the four pillars that we have seen, earlier in the presentation. ISO 21,469 is designed to verify that requirements are being implemented in practice throughout the product, so the lubricant, the full grade lubricant, life cycle. So, for, for manufacturers, already holding H-one registrations, the certification process often starts with the formulation information already on file at NSF. Because if you have already registered your lubricant, your footprint in, the h one category code, it is already in our the formulation is already on our database. However, it is important that formulations, are remain current and are kept, up to date. One of the most, one of the most, recurrent issues, that we encounter is that, when manufacturers, introduce so what that we found out, we find out that, manufacturers have introduced, alternative suppliers or, they have updated some ingredients, and it's essential that we are, kept informed of all these changes. Everything needs to so all our records need to be, need need to, mirror what's actually done in the in the in in the facility. Another another point is that, most of, lubricants, h one, registered lubricants have pinpoint values for fit for each ingredient, meaning one values, 80% or 25%. Whereas for, for ISO two one four six nine certified products, in, each ingredient need to have, needs to have a range, meaning a minimal value and a maximum value. This is to, give, this is, this is a a point that it's meant to, give some range, some room, for interpretation, especially then when we will see how the product is tested. As I said, so, maintaining so maintaining accurate, formulation records is critical, to ensuring compliance. If the formulation, does not match our records, then there is going to be a noncompliance is going to be, eventually detected. So now let's get to the, to the labor reviews. One of the key elements of ISO 21,469, 21,469 certification is, that label compliance, so it's it's the many, many details of the label and product traceability. So NSF reviews, product labels to verify that all the required information is present, accurate and consistent with the product certification records. So this includes the company name, the product trade name as it appears on the listing, production location, and if not the production location, at least, an approved, facility identifier. The a batch, or a lot, number. So product needs to be also identified. Storage conditions, expiration, expiration, or shelf life information, meaning, depending on the cases, and any applicable limitations or restrictions. So traceability, is especially important, because it allows manufacturers, to identify where and when a product was produced and to track it, all throughout the the the supply chain. Compared with a standard h one registration, ISO 21,469 places a stronger emphasis on traceability as an additional layer of, confidence for customers, regulators, and end users, of course. The label must also clearly communicate the product's intended use. And it's and as I said, also storage, requirements to maintain the product integrity and safe application. Last but not least, finally, so the certified products, need must display the NSF mark correctly, along along with the statement ISO two one four six nine certified. So the mark provides immediate recognition that the product has been independently evaluated and meets the requirements of, ISO two one four six nine certification program. So in in summary, the labor review is not just to verify regulatory compliance, but also transparency, consistency, and complete traceability, from manufacturing, through end use. So product testing. Testing is, a key differentiator between, h one registration and ISO 21,469, certification. All products, must undergo initial testing and ongoing surveillance testing, which is every forty years. And it's, and it's performed all throughout the certification cycles, meaning that once you achieve certification, certification doesn't end there. So compliance needs to be maintained. NSF recently, ex expanded the testing cap capabilities, in Europe. So now we have a new, we have a lab in Germany that's, is trained to, perform this kind of testing, FTIR testing. And this has improved this has extremely improved the logistics for many for many international manufacturers. So much easier even even for APAC to send to Europe rather than overseas. So mentioning again, the testing method used is FTIRR, FTIR, meaning, Fourier, transform infrared spectroscopy. This technique allows NSF to compare product samples, against reference samples and verify consistency over time. A passive result requires a match of greater than 97%. So the objective is not to evaluate performance. So ISO two one four six nine is not about performance. It's about food safety and product consistency. So what we will test is a master sample against a new sample. Of course, when you first certify a product, you will send two samples. And one will will be kept, in our in our lab to test again in after forty years against a new sample. And this will allow us to, to evaluate consistency of the product. Just a second because I will need to hydrate. Hydration is important. Okay. So let's move to, further explain testing. Well, as I said, FTIR, so the Fourier, trans the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, is a technique to, assess, consistency, but also to identify organic and in some cases in some cases, inorganic inorganic materials. I will I will not go too much into details, but, you know, it's, uses the the method uses infrared, light to scan test samples and observe chemical properties. And I will move further. If you have technical, questions about it, of course, do not hesitate, to to ask, and then I will go into detail. Okay. There we are. So we are at the risk assessment and the key requirements of the risk assessment. So this is one of the mess the most valuable aspects of ISO two one four six nine, as I mentioned earlier. Manufacturers must, identify potential contamination risks and implement controls to prevent them. The assessment, should consider manufacturing, storage, handling, transportation, and final use, of the lubricant. NSF reviews, both the assessment itself and the effecting effectiveness of the proposed, control measures. Let's look more into detail the risk assessment. So the assessment should, will cover, as I mentioned, the entire product life cycle. This includes manufacturing processes, handling, and transportation activities, and of course the product use in the field. The goal is to systematically evaluate where contamination may occur, contamination risks, at least, may occur, and demonstrate how those risks are controlled. Now, the audit is one of the essential parts of the ISO 21,469 certification. So the initial, initial audit is, is an announced audit, so it will be agreed. It can be a planned, a month to several months in advance. An initial audit is, is much more informational, audit, and typically takes about, six hours to complete. Findings, or corrective actions that are cited provide clear and comprehensive instruction on how to resolve the findings. An annual so the we we are talking about here the the so the initial audit, whereas the, annual audit, which is needed for to maintain compliance over time, the annual audit is not announced. So it's it is unannounced and may occur, anytime within the calendar year. The annual audit typical takes four hours to complete. For, for any initial audit, it is best practices it is best practices to have, to have a registered formulation on file, as well as completed taste data. However, it it is not required, but it no. It is best best practices. The auditor will provide findings, if there are any, explaining what would be needed to achieve certification as identified by the audit. So where corrective actions are needed. So, how how do I prepare for the, for the audit for the facility audit? This is a very common questions that, that we get. So, you know, always so the it's in either case, whether it's, you know, initial, the initial audit or the annual audit, it's, you know, it's always best practices to follow, you know, to follow good manufacturing practices, maintaining your ISO nine, 9,001 certification. This is one of the best ways to prepare. It is optimal to have and clear up to date, keep up to date maintenance and cleaning records. For an annual audit, it is best practice to have the most current formulations as we men as we mentioned, on file and access to those authorized registered formulation as well as an, a current risk assessment on file. So all the documentation that we have cited should be kept updated for a success successful audit. That is the the the, you know, this is, this is advice that we can give. During an audit, the the auditor will also verify, that only the labels of certified products actually bear the NSF certification marks. So so we are making sure that, of course, that the mark is not, used, you know, illegitimately. Let's go further. And, of course, if you have further questions on the audit, please do not hesitate. As I've mentioned, certification does not end once certification the certificate is issued. Certification is, is, requires ongoing, compliance verifications as we as we have seen, risk assessments, audit testing. So ongoing compliance, ongoing compliance, includes audit, testing, formulation management, label updates, and periodic review of a of a risk assessment. So I say that NSF, NSF review for certification review it as a as a partnership. And our goal is to support manufacturers in maintaining compliance year after year. This slide highlights, the key differences between H1 registration and ISO two one four six nine, certification. So both involve formulation and labor review. But ISO, the ISO certification, two one four six nine, adds testing, facility audits, traceability requirements, risk assessments, and ongoing surveillance testing. So it is a much, much broader evaluation program and provides an additional additional level of confidence to regulators, customers, and end users. So some considerations. So as, as market ex expectations continue to evolve, ISO two one four six nine is becoming increasingly important, In some countries, as we have seen, such as Brazil and, Emirates, it is already required, while in others, it is becoming a strong customer expectation. So it's more about market access. The certification demonstrates the certification demonstrates transparency, consistency, and commit commitment to hygiene, throughout the life cycle of, of the lubricant. For many organizations, it represents a competitive advantage as well as a compliance team. So so that's, you know, when I when a lubricant a food grade lubricant is certified that it will meet specific requirements and regulatory expectations. So I hope so this ends, our so the ISO certification, process. Let's look now at the, no food compounds registration program. So it serves as a basis for ISO two one four six nine certification. So it is worth to mention it again and to highlight what the key requirements are. So, the wrong food compounds, registration program has been serving the food, the food industry for for decades. This this program originated from, from the Former U S so the from The US, Department of Agriculture, authorization system, and continues today as an independent registration and listing program administered, by NSF. So, basically, NSF took it over from the, from US, Department of Agriculture. The the purpose of the program is to help manufacturers demonstrate that their products comply with the applicable requirements for use in food processing environments where, incidental food contact may occur. A registered, product receives an NSF registration and is published, on the, NSF in the NSF, white book online, making it easy for full processors, auditors, and regulators to verify its status. And the same actually is with ISO two one four six nine certification. It will be listed online and for everybody to verify. Today, NSF registrations are recognized globally and, are widely specified by food manufacturers as part of their supply supplier approval programs. So this is why the, non food compounds registration program is so widely used even though it, it verifies compliance against FDA regulations. It's because it's the food industry itself that set it, as a as a benchmark. Now ISO two one four six nine has been developed only specifically for h one, h one lubricants, meaning, lubricants that are, meant that that may have incidental, food contact. So h one products are lubricants, food grade lubricants. But no food compounds registration, it's a program that has, many more category codes, and we are going to see them. We are going to see them. These are just a few of them. So because this is because not all products, not all compounds using food processing environments have, you know, have the same scope. They don't have all the same intended use. And this is why NSF offers several registration categories. They have, you know, there are detergents, there are sealants, there are adhesives. But what do we see here? So the most recognized category is h one, of course. And and it covers lubricants that may have incidental contact with food, as I mentioned. But, this and but other category codes, are h two lubricants, which are lubricants that are not meant to come in contact with food. You know, those are lubricants that, are, who who might perform better, but, in a way, they are not safe for the food contact. So indeed, they are, used in areas where food, where food contact is not permitted. And there are also h three soluble oils, not to be, confused, not to be mixed up with 3H. So, H3 is a soluble oil, whereas 3H, is a proprietary substance, and it's a release agent. So, it's like a food grade lubricant, but it goes a step further because it is meant to be in direct contact with food, continued continued and direct contact. So it's it's it goes a step further. Then we have h t one and, h h h t one fluids. So these are heat transfer fluids for food contact, heat transfer fluids not meant for food contact. H x one, for instance, but I don't see it here mentioned. H x one is, is for ingredients used for, food grade lubricants. Meaning that if you have a food grade lubricant that has all its ingredients that are h x one registered, for sure, your product will be compliant, and eligible for a non food compounds registration. So for many for many companies, h one registration is a starting point. ISO two one ISO two one four six nine certification then builds on the foundation by evaluating the manufacturing controls and risk management systems behind those products. So, how does a product become registered? Let's look at the process. We have seen it already with ISO two one four six nine registration, though. It it consists so the registration process consists of, three key review stages. The first is the formulation review. NSF evaluates every ingredient, including raw material, proprietary mixtures, and supplier components to verify compliance with the applicable regulatory requirements. So if you have mixtures, we will contact each supplier, and in order to verify compliance of the mixture mixture as well. Second, is a label review. We verify that the product labeling is accurate and appropriate, including product claims, instructions for use, and required information for customers. It doesn't go to the same extent as ISO two one four six nine certification, requirements, such as, you know, ISO two one four six nine, certification requires that also storage conditions, shelf life, or expiration date are mentioned, the facility, location, or, facility identifier. So this is not required for a simple no food compounds registration. However, we need to make sure that, that claims and, data match what has been communicated to us, meaning company name, trade name, and, of course, we have to make sure sure as well the NSF, mark is used correctly. If there are ingredients mentioned on the label, we will verify that those ingredients match the actual, formulation and so on. So these kind of claims. For for specific products such as detergents, we will require some specific, statements. Detergents will need to report that a product needs to be, rinsed with potable water. So these are this is just, these are just some examples. So the the anyhow, the registration the registration process is, anyhow, it's not just reviewing, single single ingredient list. It provides an independent assessment of the formulation. Labeling, traceability of the products before the the registration is granted. So it's it's an actual assessment. Oh, sorry. Okay. So certification, as we've seen now, is a very it's a smooth, sticker and, you know, it's a very agile process. We will, you know, our we will guide you all throughout the all throughout the the process and, you know, these are all things that we that we have mentioned. We have also mentioned that we have a better pricing practices also thanks to our, lab. The listing. But so these are all things that I have already that I have already mentioned. So, okay. So let's look now at, how the ISO two one four six nine certification is achieved in practice. So the the process begins with the application followed by the submission, of the key documentation, including product information, formulations, label, facility risk assessments. Then we perform, again, the a detailed review of, of the formulations and the labels to verify compliance, with both h one requirements and the additional ISO two one four six nine requirements. As we said, label review and, information review are both, so, both components are key to both, programs. So at the same time, for ISO certification, an NSF auditor conducts an on-site assessment of the manufacturing facility. So during this audit, we evaluate the management systems, the hygiene controls, manufacturing practices, traceability, and effecting effectiveness of the company, risk assessment processes. In parallel, product samples are tested to confirm that the products continue to meet the required specifications. Once everything has been reviewed, auditing activities has been have been completed, testing requirements have been successfully also completed, NSF grants ISO two one four six nine certification, and the products are listed and certified on the NSF white book and NSF online listing. Certification, as I mentioned, does not end there. Annual audits and, ongoing testing surveillance help ensure, compliance continued compliance and provide confidence that the same controls remain in place year after year. So, the NSF white book is, continues to be, one of the most widely recognized resources for food grade and non food compounds products. Today, it contains more than, 30,000 registered products from over 65 countries across more than 110 product category codes. This broad participation reflects the industry's commitment to independent verification and transparency, allowing food processors and auditors to quickly verify product registration and certification. At the same time, demand for food safe for food safe lubricants, cleaners, and, other non food compounds, continue to continues to grow. As shown here, the global industrial cleaning chemicals market is also expected to to reach more than $63,000,000,000 by 2030. As the market expands, manufacturers are increasingly looking for ways to differentiate themselves and demonstrate a higher level of commitment to safety and quality towards end users and, consumers. That is one reason we continue to see growing interest in ISO 21,469 certification. This is why also, companies, recognize, this companies that recognize, this certification can provide additional, you know, confidence to customers, strengthen suppliers, approval programs, and support participation in global food supply chains. Now, before we get to the q and a's, I before we get to the q and a's, there should be I'm sorry, but I don't see it here. I think it will be it will be provided to you maybe, later on. But, you know, there will be, there will be an upcoming webinar, on our latest PFAS regulatory developments and requirements. As regulations continue to evolve, worldwide, understanding the impact of formulation compliance strategies and market access is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers and suppliers. So during this webinar, our experts, will be will provide an overview on newest PFAS regulation, discuss key compliance considerations, and share practical insights to help organization prepare for upcoming, requirements. So the webinar will take place on October 8. If you're interested if you're interested in attending, simply can, you know, you will be provided with, with an invitation, and, and then you please, try to register, as early as possible to to to secure your place. Now let's get to the q and a's. Thank you, Fabrizia. Thank you so much for a lovely presentation. I think, we have had a great engagement, and thank you again for, your technical inputs and your subject matter expertise, which I think, were, brilliant, I would say. So we do have, some questions which we received as part of our registration. So I will go to those first, and then I'll get to some of the questions which are asked in the chat, and then, we'll go from there on. So meanwhile, for all the registrants who have, not shared any question or who want to, you know, clarify any doubt that they have, please feel free, to punch in the question under the q and a tab, and we'll, ensure that we answer them, in this, section. Okay. So starting with the first one. So we got a question from Aslam. He says, is this a plan of transition to a new standard, for non food compounds? So perhaps he's wanting to understand. Is ISO two one four six nine transitioning to a new standard for food food non food, compounds, or what exactly, is ISO two one four six nine standard all about? I think you have touched upon that during the presentation. But would you want to clarify that, you know, is it a plan of transition, or how exactly does it work for other businesses? Transition. I saw I I'm not sure, I understand what, what it's meant by by transition by transition. So, I can tell you that ISO two one four six nine is, has mainly remained the same over time. It's it's meant to, it's meant to verify compliance to indeed, FDA regulation, but also, widely worldwide, approved, hygiene requirements. It is not meant to be to transition into anything else. However, there will be additional, addenda, certifications such as, as I mentioned, PFAS, free and more free, that we go to integrate, ongoing, so the current compliance of lubricants. But this is, this is something that it's going to integrate and be an addendum more than a transition. I. hope this explained you. the the. the question if this is this was it. Yep. I hope so. So, we do have another question. It comes in from Vineet. So he's asking, are there any certifications available for stainless steel Horeca product lines as well which get covered under the non food compounds or ISO two one four six nine category? Sorry. Sorry. The the communication cut, Pratik. So if there are other certification for the Horeca, industry, if I understood. correctly? So I'll I'll repeat the question. So Vineet. wants to understand, are there any certifications which are available for stainless steel Horeca product lines. So what I understand is Vineeth, he is a manufacturer of, stainless steel products, which are used in the Horeca industry. So he wants. to understand if yeah. so this is something that you might want to look into for food equipment, certification, and this is something that we do offer. Stainless steel. I guess, I think it's one of, the many parameters that is checked, but this is something that you looked, you can look into on, about the food equipment, certification, which is very so it's, But but we don't have anything under this category. Right? stainless steel? I would say no. Because, no food compounds is meant to be for compounds. So for compounds, more than, for actual. However, the our site, the www.nsf.org, gives, wide information about the food equipment, food equipment certification as well. Absolutely. Yeah. Okay. So next question comes in from Ashwini. He wants to understand, how the ISO two one four six nine will help them. They are the manufacturer of detergents and disinfectants for cleaning and hygiening, hygiene purposes for the FNB and hospitality industry. So, again, you cut. So they are, they are industry with, and they work with the cleaning products. That's right. Cleaning and disinfectants. This cleaning and disinfectors. So, if they use machines that are meant to be lubricated, they so they might want to use, food grade food grade lubricants. But, I want to stress that, ISO 21,469 certification is meant for lubricants. So, then, so they as an industry might be might have all the interest to use food grade certified lubricants, but their detergents cannot be certified with, against ISO two one four six nine standard because it again, it's meant for, lubricants that, may, come in con incidental contact with food. Okay. So perhaps that answers your question, Ashwini. We have another question from Rohit. He wants to understand the practical difference between NSM h one registration and ISO two one four six nine certification. NSF h one is more of the basis. It's the foundation of ISO. So I would, ISO so the registration, so the no food compounds registration, answers the question, is my formulation is the formulation of the my product compliant against, specific requirements? Whereas, ISO, ISO two one four six nine certification, answers to a much broader, answer, question, which is, are my manufacturing processes, compliant with the requirements? So not only the formulation, but also hygiene standards, manufacturing process, processes, and, you know, the whole supply chain transparency. So it's more about also addressability. So I would I would, I would define ISO two one four six nine as 10 steps further than, the non food compounds registration, which is, again, a foundation. So, again, this is to be mentioned that a certified lubricant will always be also h one registered. It's one of the prerequisites. A a lubricant that will be certified will also necessarily be h one registered. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for that answer, Fabrizio. The next question is, what are the potential consequences of using noncompliant lubricants in food processing equipment? I think that is a very, I I question. I'm I'm I'm sorry, but you. you continued I don't know if it's for everybody or if it's my connection, but you can you continue to cut. So one question is, the importance of What are the potential consequences of using mhmm. noncompliant lubricants in food processing equipment? Oh, yes. This is a very good question. So, often it it results in, in damages for the for a company. So meaning that it's, it ends up in product recalls, rejected shipments, not to mention, brand, brand damage, the damage on the brand reputation. So this is these are all, key aspects to take into consideration. It's not just about regulations, but also, actual, actual disadvantages and impacts on the industry. Cost, they translate into cost, not to mention also legal risks. Okay. Thank you for that. Fabrizio, the next question is, which industry stand to benefit the most from ISO two one four six nine? So perhaps that is one aspect that a lot of, attendees have, they would want to know. Yes. So it's, it's it's a common knowledge that, you know, it's it's products that, it's the food industry that will benefit mostly. But it's not only, food industry, it will, also, animal feed industry. It's also cosmetics, pharmaceutical. So there are, an ISO two thousand and forty six nine certification broadens, broadens the, the reach of your, you know, of your clients. So, broadens your clients in a much much, further than just, food, food processing, facilities, food processing industry. It's much further than that. Again, cosmetic and some pharmaceuticals is just one of, one of the comp one of the, industries that two other industries that might also be included. Yep. Surely that helps. Thank you. We have another question from Aslam. He wants to understand, is ISO two one four six nine applicable to water treatment chemicals as well? Water treatment chemicals. There is a a specific so water treatment chemicals, are a a category code within the non food compounds registration program. So there are water treatment chemicals, and we have a wide range within the G category code, as as as anti scalants or further than that. And these, these fall within the scope of no food compounds registration, and there is a certification within the water certification, not for ISO two one four six nine. So again, water, water treatment chemicals fall within the scope of NOFO compounds registration, g category code, or water certification, water chemicals. And that is that would be within the water, program. So as I mentioned. earlier earlier on in the in the presentation. Sure. Thank you. I've got couple of questions from Ahmed Sharif. He wants to understand, does NSF store the master sample? If so, after how many years will it be changed? One is that. And then a follow-up question. Can you please explain what is the retest cycle after four years? I. think you mentioned that during the presentation. Exactly. So we will, at the, at the moment of the certification, so the initial testing, so meaning the qualification testing, we will require two samples. One of which will be kept on, will be kept in our lab until the until, so the fourth year when we when, the, surveillance testing will kick in. So after four years, we will retest a sample of the lubricant, and we will test it, so we test the consistency against the product, so the sample that we have on, in our lab. Then the one that was sent will become the new master sample. And after four years, we will we will test the next sample against the one that was so there is, there is, a continuous cycle. So there was a a set there's there's gonna be a master sample, a new sample, and the new sample will become the master sample, and that and so on. So it will be kept, for forty years. So until it it can be tested against, the the new sample. And, we will, again, what's actually been evaluated is the consistency. Some aspects, some chemical aspects, such as organic traces, inorganic traces, but most of all, the infrared, so the FTIR testing will assess consistency over time. Yeah. Okay. So, I think, we are five, six minutes above time. I hope you still have about five minutes. We do have a couple of questions, so we can take those. If there are any more, please feel free to just email those, or send them here and we'll try to answer them one on one after the webinar is done. So the last two questions for the day, Deepak, he wants to understand as we are a manufacturing h one we are manufacturing h one category products, is ISO two one four six nine certification mandatory for our products? Kindly clarify this. It is not mandatory, but you are already at a very good step to achieve a ISO two one four six nine certification. It is not mandatory. However, it will be highly beneficial to go a step further and, achieve certification. So, your products have already been assessed as compliant against specific requirements. You can go a step further and make sure that, the whole manufacturing practices and hygiene requirements are also met. So, it's, highly beneficial. York, it's, increases, entirely, but it's been highly beneficial for, the trust, between with your clients and and you so end users, but also consumers. Again, it's highly beneficial when it comes to, brand reputation, avoiding extra cost, related to product recalls, or, legal, possible, lit litigation. So, again, not mandatory, but advisable. Sure. Thank you. Last question for today is what certification do we need for packing of h one lubricants? We have so, we have come out with with a a new program, which is, safe packaging. That is something that we can also discuss further. I can, redirect you to the to the appropriate colleague. So, when however, when we test certified lubricants, we test it, as it is manufactured. So coming from a package. It's we are going to test a package lubricant and then put it into a sample. So somehow if there is the contamination, we will also be able to verify it, especially when it comes to our new, certification pro, programs such as PFAS, PFAS certification program and MOA free certification program. So both of these, programs will, will verify whether there is, contamination from packaging. Sure. I think that answers quite a lot of questions, and we are on top of the hour. So but before we go, I would request, all of the registrants and the people who are attending this webinar to just fill in this small survey. I'll give in about thirty seconds to fill in this survey. So I'm launching this survey, just to ensure that you have an understanding of, you know, how we actually did during the webinar, what are the key takeaways for us during the webinar, and how we can make the experience for you going ahead, for the webinars that are going to come in the future. So please just take, thirty seconds to forty seconds of your time and, fill in this survey, and it will help us, ensure that we deliver a better customer experience next time around. Thank you very much for your participation. Okay. So let me just close the survey. I understand that most of, us would have already completed that. And before we go, as Fabrizio was pointing out, we do have an upcoming webinar on PPWR, coming ahead in, of October, on the October 8. So please feel free to scan this and register for this specific webinar, which will be very helpful, if you are an exporter to the European Union and, you know, you want to have a understanding of what this new regulation with respect to PFAS, and exports to the EU is all about. I'll give another thirty seconds for people who are interested to scan and, register for this webinar using the QR code that is there on the screen right now. Okay. So with that, I think we have come to an end of this, webinar. And, I would want to thank all of you for being lovely participants. Thank you, Fabrizia. I know Fabrizia had to leave because she has a a flight to catch. So, thank you so much for an excellent presentation and engaging session. We thank you all for participating in the q and a session as well as being a lovely, lovely, participant, during the webinar. We truly appreciate your participation, during the webinar, and we look forward to seeing you again at our upcoming events. Have a great day ahead. Stay safe. Thank you, and goodbye.