Colombia is one of Latin America’s fastest growing agricultural, food and beverage product exporters with annual sales growing by almost 30%, according to DANE - The National Department of Administrative Statistics in Colombia.
The office in Bogotá will provide services including certification programs for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) including BRC, IFS, SQF and FSSC 22000.
It will offer international franchise audits for restaurants throughout Latin America and training and education programs on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and other food safety protocols.
Tom Chestnut, SVP, global food division at NSF International, said it has provided food safety certification and auditing services in Colombia since 2012 through offices in Costa Rica.
“The Latin American region’s rapidly growing export market, coupled with the goal to produce safe, quality products for local consumption, has increased the local demand for these services,” he said.
“Through this office in Colombia, NSF International will continue to help companies in the country ensure the quality of their products and materials by demonstrating compliance with international and regional standards.”
NSF International operates in more than 170 countries with offices in Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil and Mexico and laboratories in Lima, Peru and Porto Alegre, Brazil.