ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to public health protection, held a special dedication ceremony on August 14, 2007 to showcase its new laboratories. The ceremony was held at NSF International's headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI.

Featured speakers included Honorable Debbie A. Stabenow, U.S. Senator, Michigan, and Honorable Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor, Michigan. Speeches were also given by Charles Depew, NSF Chairman of the Board; Kevan P. Lawlor, NSF President and CEO; and Lori Bestervelt, Ph.D., NSF Senior Vice President & Chief Technical Officer.

In addition to enhancing NSF's established testing and certification programs, the 80,000 square feet state-of-the-art laboratory space also provides the technical resources necessary for the development of completely new programs and services.

"With this expansion, NSF is positioned to successfully compete in the global bio-tech industry," said Lawlor. "We are at the forefront of addressing critical public health issues, including protection of food and drinking water supplies, certification of sports nutrition and dietary supplement products and the development of standards for environmentally friendly products."

For more information regarding the event, please contact Greta Houlahan, NSF International, at [email protected] or 734.913.5723.

About NSF International: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (http://www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.