In response to consumer demand for improved transparency and trustworthiness in product sourcing and production practice claims, independent public health and safety organization NSF International, Ann Arbor, MI, has launched Consumer Values Verified. The new program guides food manufacturers, marketers and retailers as they navigate the often complicated path to certification and will bring increased credibility to manufacturers’ labeling claims. 
 
NSF International’s official launch of Consumer Values Verified will take place at the Food Marketing Institute’s FMI Connect 2015 in Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center, June 8-11, at booth #2954.
 
The innovative program can harmonize multiple verifications and inspections into one fluid process. This increases efficiency and can reduce costs for companies trying to reach and inform today’s increasingly health and environmentally conscious consumers.
 
Consumer Values Verified provides reassurance throughout the marketplace by substantiating claims in five core values areas important to today’s consumers: lifestyle, dietary, religious, sourcing and chemicals of concern. Current third-party verifications include:
 
·         Non-GMO Project Verified (Lifestyle Values)
·         NSF International Certified Gluten-Free  (Dietary Values)
·         True Source Honey (Sourcing Values)
·         Kosher (Religious Values)
 
NSF International will announce additional labeling claim verifications later this year.
 
According to an April 2014 study by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, environmental, safety and social concerns are crucial determinants to most U.S. consumers. More than ever, consumers are aware of misleading food labeling practices, and they want greater standardization and transparency of food labeling, the study revealed.
 
“We know today’s food manufacturers often feel challenged to keep up with consumer demands and trends with a sea of ever-changing regulations and consumer concerns.  It’s why NSF International’s Consumer Values Verified program was created –we help companies offer meaningful labeling claims that bring trust to the marketplace,” said Jaclyn Bowen, director of NSF International’s Consumer Values Verified Program. “We provide peace of mind to manufacturers who seek to verify their packaging claims with a trusted authority.”