National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)

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NSF-approved lighting products must deliver light output (footcandle) levels that are adequate for food preparation and food storage areas. These products must be shatterproof to ensure that no broken glass splinters over food or other equipment. Fixtures must be easily accessible, resistant to the intrusion of dust, water and other hazards, and designed for easy cleaning to minimize the breeding of bacteria or mold.


Certifiable Locations for Equipment Used in Food Processing

NSF Certification Location Description Typical Lighting Applications
Non-Food Zone
  • Areas where direct contact with food products during normal operations would not be expected.
  • Equipment is located outside the normal washdown area.
  • There is a concern that the fixture will add contamination to the protected space or food (ex. cleanability - will the finish withstand cleaning, chipping paint, deteriorating paints or finishes, lens impact resistance, lamp glass breakage, etc.)
  • Kitchens
  • Food storage
  • Dry process areas
  • Damp process areas - no drip possibility
Splash Zone
  • Areas where direct contact with food products during normal operations would not be expected; however, the fixture may be situated such that liquids used in the processing or cleaning procedures, may splash, spill, or otherwise soil - either intentionally or inadvertently - the surface of the fixture. There then is the potential for dripping or draining onto other surfaces or efven the process. Since these fixtures are often used in washdown areas, wet location listing is not sufficeint.
  • Fixture must be tested to withstand high pressure hose washdown.
  • The concerns of Non-Food Zone also apply.
  • Wet or damp process areas
  • High pressure purging and/or decontamination used in the process
  • Areas using hose washdown
Food Zone
  • Areas where direct contact with food products is normally expected and surfaces from which the food may drop, drain, or splash back onto surfaces normally in contact with food.
  • Equipment other than lighting fixtures typically require this certification (ex. work tables, cutting boards, other direct contact equipment).
  • Category not typically used for lighting

For more details, visit the NSF website.