NSF International, Ann Arbor, Mich., opened an office in Ecuador to provide services to the food processor, agriculture and aquaculture industry.

The NSF International Ecuador office was founded on a long-standing partnership between NSF International and Agroquality, which agreed to merge its business with NSF International.

Through this merger, NSF International is now strategically placed to help companies meet global and local demands to certify more products according to NSF/ANSI standards, provide experienced auditing services, develop sustainable solutions that comply with local and international requirements and create robust training programs for food safety.

NSF International’s office in Ecuador is located in Samborondón, in Guayas, Ecuador. The NSF International Ecuador team will be comprised of former Agroquality staff members.

Agroquality, now known as NSF International, will become part of NSF International’s global food division, reporting to Sonia Acuña-Rubio, Latin American managing director, NSF International. Amy Robles, the general manager of Agroquality, will now be the general manager for NSF International office in Ecuador. She has managed the Trust Control International certification department and Agroquality for 10 years.

“The addition of the Ecuador location to the NSF International global food division enables us to provide global auditing, certification, training and consulting services to the Latin American food industry for our multinational retail customers and complements our current operations in other parts of the world,” says Tom Chestnut, senior vice president, food safety and quality, NSF International. “We welcome the expertise, strong reputation and shared commitment to food safety that the Agroquality group brings to NSF International’s food safety and quality business.”

“Agroquality has already forged a strong working relationship with NSF International,” adds Robles. “The opportunity to have access to the technical expertise of NSF International’s global food services will benefit Ecuadorian businesses since it will be in the country. We are extremely excited to be part of NSF International, as its global leadership in food safety and quality will benefit our existing and new clients.”