NSF Retail Food Safety Audits Launch in Thailand with Nadimos Lebanese Restaurant as First Site to Achieve Compliance

Verified food retailers and restaurants demonstrate a strong commitment to hygiene, food safety and regulatory compliance

BANGKOK, Dec. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NSF, a leading global public health and safety organization, today announced that Nadimos Lebanese Restaurant – Silom branch in Bangkok, Thailand, has become the first restaurant in the world to meet the requirements of the NSF Retail Food Safety Essentials audit program. Nadimos may now display the official NSF Food Safety Essentials badge at its location which has met the requirements, demonstrating its dedication to meeting rigorous hygiene and food safety standards.

The NSF Retail Food Safety Audits program is a scalable, independent audit program for the food service, hospitality and retail food sectors. Food Safety Essentials provides a clear, practical framework for small to medium-sized food outlets. Designed to support continuous improvement, the guidelines help businesses meet food safety elements identified by the NSF Food Safety Checklist, intended to help reduce operational risks. Designed using decades of NSF food outlet auditing expertise, the program evaluates four core areas: food safety, cleanliness, repair and maintenance, and brand standards.

The NSF Food Essentials Audit Program is designed to support food safety compliance while delivering the following key benefits:

• Results that matter: Clients often see a measurable improvement in food safety performance within just a few months of working with NSF.           
• Data-driven improvements: Audit reports can inform outlets and help them reduce critical food safety issues after consistent auditing and training.   
• Tailored recommendations: We don't just point out what's wrong—we offer clear, actionable steps food outlets can take to address them.
• Global expertise, local understanding: Our auditors understand local regulations and cultural practices while applying global food safety best practices.
• Support beyond the audit: We offer training, gap assessments, and follow-up visits to help companies build a long-term food safety culture.

Developed for businesses with single or limited locations, the Food Safety Essentials program helps companies maintain consistent, reliable food safety practices across all sites.

Company locations which meet NSF's Food Safety Essentials criteria can opt to upgrade their service and receive an official NSF Food Safety Essentials badge for on-site display, along with a detailed audit report outlining findings, improvement opportunities and recommendations.

"We wanted to ensure our restaurant follows the best food safety practices, not just the minimum requirements. Working with NSF helped us to put our customers and employees first by complying with stringent guidelines," said Mr. Khater El Ghoul, the founder of Nadimos Lebanese Restaurant. "Independent validation from NSF strengthens our commitment to food safety. It gives our team and customers confidence that our practices meet the required standards, building trust and reinforcing our reputation for serving food safely and responsibly."

Nadimos Lebanese Restaurant offers a fresh approach to Lebanese cuisine in Bangkok, specializing in traditional dishes prepared to the highest standards.

"We are delighted that Nadimos has set a precedent as the first company in the world to undertake this program," said Sutida Ketudut, director of retail solutions, APAC at NSF. "The NSF Food Safety Essentials program offers clear guidance and practical tools that help food businesses strengthen hygiene practices, enhance compliance and build customer trust. This milestone reflects the growing commitment of Thai businesses to raising food safety standards, and we look forward to supporting many more in the future."

In addition to Food Safety Essentials, NSF offers Food Safety Plus and Food Safety Advanced as part of its Retail Food Safety Audits Program. This means as organizations grow and evolve, additional audit options are available to support their food safety journey:

NSF Food Safety Plus checks expanding brands and franchise networks are on track to drive consistent food safety across multiple sites, and provides guidance on where to improve.  The program combines tailored audits and digital insights to help companies compare results and monitor progress. Optional customer-facing badges are available for locations which meet the audit requirements.

NSF Food Safety Advanced delivers customized, globally consistent and data-driven food safety audits to help multi-site operators manage risks, ensure compliance and build customer trust.

Learn more about the NSF Retail Food Safety Audits Services Program. 

About NSF

NSF is an independent, global services organization dedicated to improving human health for more than 80 years by developing public health standards and providing world-class testing, inspection, certification, advisory services and digital solutions to the food, water and wellness products industries. NSF has 40,000 clients in 110 countries and is a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Medical Device Safety.

SOURCE NSF