• New agreement expands international certification efforts
SEOUL, South Korea, May 24, 2007 -- Additional testing and certification services for drinking water and food equipment manufacturers will now be available as a result of a new cooperative agreement. The agreement brings together NSF International (NSF), a U.S. based independent, not-for-profit certification organization, and Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), a not-for-profit corporation and leading testing, certification and research organization in Korea.
Both NSF and KTR will provide manufacturers with a means to gain acceptance for their products in North America, Korea and around the world. Initially, the agreement will focus on product certifications in the areas of drinking water and food equipment.
NSF customers will have access to applicable Korean certifications, such as the KS Mark, the Q (Quality) Mark and S (Safety) Marks. KTR customers and other manufacturers seeking NSF Certifications or other international product certifications will be able to work with KTR to facilitate these product approvals.
"Ultimately, this agreement will enable both KTR and NSF to offer streamlined certification services to companies seeking recognition and acceptance in new markets throughout the world," said Bob Ferguson, Vice President of NSF's Water Programs. "We are two organizations that share a similar goal -- to protect consumers through independent testing and certification."
"KTR is very pleased to sign this agreement," said Bo-Won, Lee, President of KTR. "With this opportunity, we would like to pave the way for those who want to make inroads into the world market in the field of conformity assessment including testing, inspection and certification."
Under the terms of the agreement, KTR and NSF will also host seminars in the upcoming months in Asia to discuss additional certification opportunities.
Korea Testing and Research Institute (KTR) is a leading conformity assessment institute in Korea and a representative Korean institute for accredited testing/inspection/product certification. KTR protects the rights of consumers while enhancing competitiveness of manufacturers with outstanding manpower and specialty/technology as well as with the client-moving management complying with the international standards. KTR provides high-quality testing and assessment services of an advanced level through incessant research and development of new technologies such as biotechnology, environment technology, reliability technology and ultra-trace analysis as well as an existing testing and analysis area.
NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.
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