Why You Should Choose an NSF-Certified Food Scale

When you’re working with food, hygiene and cleanliness is a top priority. You want your washdown weighing equipment to be held at high standards, which is where NSF Certification – and NSF-certified food scales - come in. This blog looks into NSF compliance as well as the benefits of owning a washdown scale with this certification.

Washdown Scales in the Food & Beverage Industry

Whether it’s a production factory, bakery, restaurant or catering business, weighing scales are particularly helpful tools in the food & beverage industry. They guarantee that each bag of crisps is the same weight as the next, assist in ensuring that you match the recipe exactly and help with portion sizes.

While any type of weighing scale could technically do the job, we highly recommend NSF-certified food scales for their additional benefits to the food & beverage industry.

Professional washdown scales earned an ingress protection rating, or IP-rating, between IP65 and IP67. Waterproof scales boast an IP-rating of 68 or 69, meaning they’re fully protected against both dust and water ingress. Check out our blog IP Ratings Explained to learn more about the rating system.

The food and beverage industry can get quite messy – liquids and foods weighed on scales spill all the time. This only becomes an issue when those spilled liquids or foods aren’t cleaned up sufficiently, which could happen when you’re worried about the potential water damage cleaning could cause to a non-IP rated scale.

Without proper sanitation, the scale may begin to foster bacteria, which can easily spread like wildfire and lead to contamination issues. Washdown and waterproof scales allow you to clean thoroughly after each use, since there’s no concern about water or liquid damage.

What is the NSF?

NSF stands for National Sanitation Foundation. The NSF was established in 1944 in the United States and spearheaded the effort to improve sanitation and safety within the food and water industries. Due to its overwhelming success in helping to protect American citizens from sub-optimal food standards, the NSF expanded internationally in the 1980’s. Today, NSF has introduced over 13,000 public health and safety standards across the globe. The NSF inspects equipment and certifies it if they deem it safe for interaction with food products.

What Makes an NSF-Compliant Food Scale?

NSF compliant washdown scales accommodate NSF standards of sanitation. NSF certifies food scales made from appropriate materials like ABS plastic, stainless steel, or other approved materials. The material must be resistant to rust and corrosion caused by contact with water and high levels of moisture. Stainless steel is particularly resistant to bacteria and can withstand harsh chemicals and cleaning solvents.

NSF-certified food scales must be smooth and sealed as possible to prevent pesky food particles from sticking around. For example, Philip and flat-head screws may collect food particles. NSF recommeds solid hex bolts without indentations to prevent this issue. Likewise, plugs should be built-in to holes that could catch food. Holes aren’t completely avoidable, but you can see that Adam Equipment’s Aqua ABW-S Waterproof Bench Scale features a plug for the power outlet as well as plugs covering the screws leading to its load cell.

Our Top NSF-certified Food Scales

Aqua ABW-S Stainless Steel Waterproof Scale

Capacity: 4kg – 32kg

Readability: 0.1g – 2g

The Aqua ABW-S Stainless Steel Waterproof Scale has an IP68 rating, providing full protection against dust and water ingress. The ABW-S is ideal for demanding, fast-paced food environments and offers a rechargeable battery, enabling users to take it where they need it. Sleek stainless-steel pan and housing contributes to its durability and overall hygiene. This scale is built for longevity.

Aqua ABW Washdown Bench Scale

Capacity: 4kg – 32kg

Readability: 0.5g – 5g

The Aqua ABW Washdown Bench Scale is the IP67-rated sibling to the ABW-S. Constructed from ABS plastic housing with a stainless steel pan, the Aqua ABW is perfect for food & beverage purposes that don’t require such stringent cleaning procedures. As well as being fully portable, the ABW boasts a checkweighing application among others, making it multifunctional.

Gladiator Waterproof Scales

Capacity: 8kg – 300kg

Readability: 0.2g – 10g

The Gladiator Waterproof Scale series offers four platform sizes so you can choose the best fit for your purposes, all IP68-rated for total protection. Whether you’re looking for something compact or ready to do some heavy-duty weighing, the Gladiator is an excellent choice.  The Gladiator series also offers trade-approved models, perfect for commercial applications where weight determines price.

Do you have questions about NSF certification or which NSF certified washdown scale would be best for you? Contact the Inscale team, we’re happy to help.