ABSTRACT
The process of conformity assessment includes the selection of the appropriate standard followed by the gathering of data on the object of the conformity assessment, followed in turn by the determination of conformity and the attestation after a suitable review. Conformity assessment (CA) bodies in the United States have been growing in the last several decades. Some of these CA bodies are government agencies, for example, the US Department of Agriculture, which inspects meat and other products for conformity to its standards. Federal conformity assessment processes provide assurance that the products and services regulated or acquired by federal agencies meet the necessary requirements. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has observed that country-to-country variations in conformity assessment can act as nontariff barriers to international trade, and has prescribed their reduction through coordinated conformity assessment practices. This process is enhanced by the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies.
