Certification marks indicate that a product or service meets quality standards set by the mark owner after being tested by an organization. Consumers often look for these marks, and governments have varying regulations on testing and issuing them.
Certification marks are seals of approval indicating that a specific good or service conforms to the quality standards set by the mark owners. The presence of a certification mark on the packaging or even on the product itself indicates that the item has been tested and certified by the issuer of the mark and has passed tests related to that specific type of product. Products such as electronics, food, and computer equipment often carry some type of certification mark.
A certification mark is issued by an organization that conducts intensive testing on different types of products and services sold to consumers. The idea behind the tests is to ensure that the product meets the safety standards set by regulatory agencies and that the item provides all the benefits claimed by the manufacturer. If the testing organization discovers that a particular product does not meet prevailing safety and quality standards, permission to use the mark on packaging and advertising is denied. It is not uncommon for testing organizations to periodically test products that have received use of the mark in the past. This helps ensure that manufacturers using the certification mark maintain acceptable levels of quality and still comply with safety regulations.
Companies launching new products often seek to secure the use of a certification mark before placing them on the market. For example, a company that manufactures electrical products for home use might develop a new smoke alarm for home use. Before releasing the new alarm to stores, the manufacturer would send the product to a testing lab that would subject the device to intense testing. Once the smoke alarm meets that organization’s standards, the manufacturer is given permission to use the certification mark in promoting the device to consumers.
Many people actively look for a certification mark before making purchases. This happens with most types of electrical equipment, even simple devices like extension cords. In some nations, independent testing agencies also provide a certification mark for different types of packaged food, indicating to consumers that the product is fresh and contains the nutritional values claimed on the package. Government regulations concerning the activities of laboratories and testing organizations vary from country to country, with some governments actively encouraging this type of testing. Other governments prefer to focus on their own testing processes for evaluating goods and services and granting their own seals of approval or certification marks.
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