NSF ups food safety role with CMi bid
NSF International has made a bid to acquire European food safety
and assurance company, CMi plc.
The UK-based company operates through the international food supply chain, with a focus on Europe. While NSF is a global testing and certification company committed to public health protection. The proposed deal would allow NSF to build itself a leading position in the global food safety market. The timing is key as the deal could arrive amidst contamination scandals in the international market. "By working together we will provide unmatched consulting, audit and certification services in our respective markets and to international clients," said Mike Thomas, CMi chief executive. As part of the agreement, NSF intends to operate CMi as a standalone business within NSF International Food Safety. Once the offer completes, the company would be responsible for further developing the combined entity's food safety operations in Europe. NSF has been increasing its presence in the global food safety arena. The organization recently added a new testing facility in China for the purpose of analyzing products or ingredients for the presence of melamine. It said demand for such services had shot up due to recent recalls. International attention has been drawn to Chinese imports following contamination cases involving products from pet food to toothpaste. Subsequently manufacturers are feeling the pressure to do their bit and show they are sourcing responsibly, thereby opening up further business opportunities for testing bodies such as NSF. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) gave its inspectors the power to detain all vegetable protein imports from China for use in animal or human foods if they suspected the products might contain the chemical. To counteract the potential for this to continue affecting Chinese exporters, NSF began offering its services to screen using FDA analytical methods. According to the organization, for their Chinese site, these include: melamine testing, screening and quantitative analysis using chromatographic techniques such as gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC).
