Water Ionizer Certifications

December 17, 2018

When shopping around for any product – you need to do your research. You need to see if the brand that you are considering buying from is backed by quality certifications that can ensure that their products are durable and safe to use.

water ionizer

In 2007, toy manufacturing giant Mattel recalled 967,000 toys that contained lead paint and loose magnets that were dangerous for children to play with. Mattel disclosed that they had hired a contracted manufacturer in China who chose to work with uncertified suppliers that ended up providing them with paint containing poisonous lead. How does Mattel’s tragic incident relate to the water ionizer industry? Keep reading, and you’ll be shocked.

After the infamous toy recall, Mattel required all of their contracted factories to be ISO 9001 certified to ensure that all Mattel products are made from high-quality materials that are safe to use, reliable, and will last a long time.

Mattel’s public relations disaster is a great example of why any brand should be backed by certifications that ensure that their products are held to safe and quality manufacturing procedures. These certifications keep the best interests of the consumer at the forefront.

Certifications become even more important when shopping around for a water ionizer – especially since these machines are manufactured overseas in Japan and Taiwan.

Since water ionizers are not manufactured in the USA – there needs to be standards and testing in place that can come in the form of a certification from a government agency or international organization.

Let’s dive into an in-depth breakdown of water ionizer certifications to look for:

Water Ionizer Certifications to Look For

When shopping around for a high-quality water ionizer, make sure you look for these international certifications:

These international certifications can separate high-quality water ionizers from low-quality machines by verifying that an ionizer can safely and reliably produce alkaline water without harming the user.

Canadian Standards Association (CSA)

CSA

Established in 1919 (during World War I) to create standards that could address the inability of military equipment and groups to work together and operate effectively.
The CSA Group
- Composed of various representatives from government, industry, and consumer groups who develop standards in 57 areas and certify products for businesses of all sizes. These areas include climate change, business management, electrical and industrial equipment, and construction materials.
- Accredited or recognized by numerous organizations (U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Standards Council of Canada (SCC))
5 types of certification
Obtaining the CSA certification is more difficult than obtaining the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) certification.
- The UL certification can only be found on products that are certified to the USA only, while the CSA mark can be found on products that have been independently tested according to Canadian and/or U.S. quality and safety standards, as well as consumer expectations.
The CSA mark can be found on billions of products used by businesses and consumers around the world, and new products are being added every day.
Fun Fact: 69% of consumers surveyed in North America are more likely to purchase products that bear the CSA mark!

European Conformity (CE)

The CE marking originated as an abbreviation of Conformité Européenne, which means European Conformity (EC)
Started as “EC Mark” then replaced with “CE Marking” in 1993
“CE Marking” is currently used in ALL EU official documents. (“CE Mark” is also used – but isn’t the official term)
The certification is applied to products sold within the European Economic Area, which consists of 30 countries.
The certification indicates that a product conforms with health, safety, and environmental protection standards.
Fun Fact: Due to the seal’s popularity, the seal is applied even to products sold outside of the EU!

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)

GMP

GMP’s guide manufacturing, testing, and quality assurance processes to ensure that a manufactured product is safe for humans to use or consume.
GMPs are designed to provide risk management during the production of pharmaceuticals that cannot be eliminated through final product testing by requiring detailed, written procedures for any process that could impact the quality of the finished product.
Many countries require manufacturers to follow GMP procedures and create their own GMP guidelines that correspond to that country’s legislation.
GMPs are enforced in the United States by the FDA.
Fun Fact: The World Health Organization (WHO) uses a version of the GMP for pharmaceutical regulations in over 100 countries.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

ISO

Established in 1947 to promote commercial, proprietary, and industrial standards worldwide.
The ISO is an independent, non-governmental body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
The ISO seal is recognized in 162 countries
The ISO has generated over 20,000 standards covering various applications such as technology, manufactured products, food safety, healthcare, and agriculture.
The ISO doesn’t provide the certifications, so companies need to go through an external certification body to be ISO certified.
The ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are the most important ISO seals to have when looking into water ionizer certifications.
- The ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 seals are management standards that certify a company’s consistency and quality in product manufacturing.
- ISO 9001 addresses quality management and is used by companies who want to implement ongoing continuous improvement in the quality of their services and products.
- ISO 14001 addresses environmental management and is used by companies who want to manage and demonstrate ongoing continuous improvement in the environmental impact of their services and goods.
Fun Fact: The UN Economic and Social Council granted the ISO as one of the first organizations with general consultative status!

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Established in 1918 as the American Engineering Standards Committee (AESC) and was reorganized under a couple of different names before becoming ANSI in 1969.
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
ANSI’s members consist of individuals, government agencies, organizations, and academic and international bodies who represent the interests of 30 million professionals and more than 270,000 companies and organizations worldwide.
ANSI’s standards ensure that certified products have consistent characteristics and performance and require that the same definitions and terms are used on the product and that products are tested in the same way every time.
Fun Fact: ANSI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) formed the Nuclear Energy Standards Coordination Collaborative (NESCC) in 2009 to identify and respond to the need for standards in the nuclear industry!

Want to Ensure That You’re Drinking High-Quality Alkaline Water?

Buy the RIGHT Water Ionizer…With the RIGHT Certifications!

By checking to see if an electric water ionizer machine has ALL the international quality certifications above, you can ensure that the machine you end up buying can consistently provide you with the top alkaline water benefits.

You will especially want to LOOK OUT for electric water ionizers that are made in China or Taiwan. Based on what happened with Mattel’s toys in the incident we mentioned above, you’re better off being safe than sorry.

We recommend that you purchase a water ionizer that’s made in reputable countries with minimum wage and employee safety laws, like South Korea and Japan…especially when it comes to a product like an alkaline water machine that produces water for consumption that’s made for better health!

If you don’t feel like you know enough about these machines yet to confidently purchase one, you can:

Download this FREE Water Ionizer Buyer’s Guide to learn more about other important factors to consider when purchasing an ionizer.
Read our water ionizer reviews to help you find the right machine for your home that can produce the best alkaline water you can drink.