Huddling beneath your ceiling fan or jogging from one air-conditioned store to the next aren't the only way to get through a heat wave—after all, there's always ice cream. NSF/ANSI 6-2007, Dispensing freezers, specifies requirements for commercial dispensing equipment used to process and freeze soft-serve ice cream, frozen custard, ice milk, and other cold, sweet treats. The ANS, which applies only to dispensers containing pre-pasteurized food products, was developed by NSF International, an ANSI member and audited designator. For those who prefer their ice cream homemade, UL 60335-2-24-2006 (R2011), Standard for Safety for Household and Similar Electrical Appliances Part 2: Particular Requirements for Refrigerating Appliances, Ice-Cream Appliances and Ice-Makers, provides safety requirements for personal ice cream makers and other similar household appliances. That standard was developed by ANSI audited designator Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL).
While this heat wave may be just the first of many this summer, standards are standing by, providing essential support to the systems, technologies, and devices that help make the heat bearable.