Food safety is about much more than passing the sniff test. From large meat and food processing operations to pet food companies to agricultural herbicide plants, if it’s consumed by people or animals, it needs to be handled in safe conditions.

While food and beverage customers know their side of the business, they’ll expect you to know yours. They’ll need your help to get an LED lighting upgrade that’s high quality and meets all necessary safety standards. That’s where NSF rated lighting comes in.

In this article, we’ll cover what NSF rated lighting is, the types of criteria a fixture must meet to be NSF rated, where these fixtures are needed, and how you can make sure to get the right ones for your client’s needs.

What Is NSF Rated Lighting?

Food safety is so important that an entire alphabet soup of government agencies, industry standards, and certifications are involved:

• NSF International, originally the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), is a product testing, inspection, and certification organization. NSF ensures that products used in food and beverage handling areas comply with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
• American National Standards Institute, or ANSI, is a nonprofit that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products. ANSI works closely with NSF to develop and test food safety standards.
• The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) created the Ingress Protection (IP) rating scale to measure how well products hold up against the environmental factors that can occur in industrial plants.

Unsurprisingly, with this many regulatory bodies involved, strict standards must be met for a facility to be deemed safe for food production – and these standards also include lighting.

An LED fixture that is NSF/ANSI 2 listed has met the rules of both NSF International and the American National Standards Institute for food safety environments. An LED fixture that is IP69K rated meets the highest degree of protection against objects/dust and liquid intruding into the enclosure of the fixture.

Looking for NSF lighting for your project? Visit our Food Grade LED NSF High Bay product page.

What Are the Requirements for NSF Rated Lighting?

To receive an NSF/ANSI 2 rating, LED fixtures must go through an application process that generally follows seven steps:

1. Application and Information Submission: The manufacturer submits an application along with detailed information about the product, including materials, design, and intended use.
2. Product Evaluation: The submitted product undergoes an initial evaluation to assess whether it meets the basic requirements for NSF certification.
3. Product Testing in Lab: The product is tested in a laboratory setting to evaluate its performance under conditions that simulate its intended use, ensuring it meets all relevant standards.
4. Manufacturing Facility Inspection, Production Confirmation, and Product Sampling: NSF inspectors visit the manufacturing facility to confirm that the production process complies with NSF standards. This includes taking samples of the product directly from the production line for further testing.
5. Test Results Review and Acceptance: The test results are reviewed, and if the product meets all NSF requirements, it’s accepted for certification.
6. Contract Signed and Products Listed: Once the product is approved, a contract is signed, and the product is listed as NSF certified.
7. Annual Plant Inspection and Retesting: To maintain certification, the manufacturing facility must undergo annual inspections and retesting of products to ensure ongoing compliance with NSF standards.

As the fixture is evaluated and tested, it must meet specific criteria for NSF certification in food and beverage facilities:

Adequate Light Output

NSF-approved lighting products must deliver sufficient light output (measured in footcandles) to ensure that food preparation and storage areas are properly illuminated, facilitating both safety and food quality.

Shatterproof Construction

All fixtures must be constructed using shatterproof materials, such as polycarbonate or acrylic lenses, to prevent the risk of broken glass contaminating food or equipment.

Resistance to Contaminants

The fixtures must be resistant to the intrusion of dust, water, and other contaminants. This is crucial in environments where high-pressure washdowns and harsh sanitation procedures are routine.

Easy Cleaning and Sanitation

The design of the fixture must allow for easy cleaning to minimize the risk of bacterial or mold growth. This includes smooth exterior surfaces that prevent the accumulation of water or particles.

High IP Rating (IP69K)

A fixture with an IP69K rating is essential for areas requiring frequent washdowns. The “6” indicates that the fixture is dust-tight, while the “9K” signifies that it is protected against close-range, high-pressure, high-temperature spray downs. This level of protection is critical to maintaining a sanitary environment in food processing areas.

Corrosion Resistance

Materials used in the construction of the fixture must be corrosion-resistant to withstand the harsh chemicals used in cleaning and sanitization processes, ensuring long-term durability and safety.

Which Locations Require NSF Rated Lighting?

Food safety covers the entire lifecycle from processing to storage to preparation. As such, there are plenty of locations that require NSF rated lighting:

• At one end is food processing. Think converting raw materials into eating- or cooking-ready ingredients. This is largely done by large manufacturers like meat processors, food processors or pet food operations.
• There’s also food preparation, which can be done in commercial kitchens of all sizes. These can include restaurants, bakeries, or caterers, as well as cafeterias and commissaries.
• It’s also important to note that NSF-rated lighting is required in food storage areas, not just prep and processing areas. This allows for easy identification and proper handling.

Within these locations, there can be work zones that require their own specifications. The FDA lists out three specific zones of light intensity that are required under the Food Code.

Having a clear understanding of the conditions and activities in each area of a facility will allow you to make the right NSF-rated LED light recommendations.

Starting with LED lights that come with an NSF/ANSI 2 and/or IP69K rating ensures you and the customer that the lights can withstand the conditions and deliver the illumination needed.

Litetronics NSF High Bay

Litetronics designed its NSF High Bay with the needs of the nation’s food manufacturing/service industry in mind. With 130 lumens of LED illumination per watt, this fixture offers high visual acuity for areas where safety and visibility are paramount.

This powerful, durable light fixture delivers outstanding efficiency, long life, and low maintenance. Litetronics’ NSF High Bay is constructed using corrosion-resistant materials with a smooth outer shell without crevices where moisture and bacteria can accumulate and cause contamination issues.

In addition, the fixture is IP69K-rated, protecting against intrusion from dust, grease, smoke, or high-pressure water jets.

For facilities involved in the manufacture, preparation, storage, and/or service of food, the use of Litetronics’ NSF-rated lighting fixture enables them to comply with federal regulations and prevent possible issues related to physical contamination, cleaning, and sanitization.

NSF Rated Lighting: Meeting the Standards, Winning the Job

Failure of a food or beverage facility to meet any of these standards could lead to a violation, removal of the lights, or even a shutdown until the lighting is brought into compliance. As the lighting expert, the customer will appreciate that you know the ropes and can correctly advise them to keep them safe and on the right side of the law.

Go into your next project knowing the fixtures you recommend are fully NSF-tested and approved for usage in a demanding food processing, preparation, or storage environment.