IFS Food: International Featured Standards

What is IFS Food?

IFS Food (International Featured Standards Food) is an international food safety and quality standard developed by German and French retail associations. It is intended for food manufacturers and is widely used in Europe and around the world. The current version is IFS Food 8, and the standard is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

The aim of IFS is a single assessment system for all companies supplying retail chains, above all for retailers' private-label products. Instead of each chain running its own audits, the supplier undergoes one audit that all of them recognize.

Besides IFS Food, there are other standards for the food chain: IFS Logistics, IFS Broker, IFS Wholesale / Cash & Carry, IFS HPC and IFS PACsecure.

Key requirements of the standard

• HACCP and hazard analysis — IFS Food is based on a HACCP system, which must be established and applied for all products and processes.
• Traceability — at any moment it must be possible to trace the product and raw materials through every stage of production and distribution, from supplier to customer.
• KO requirements — key (Knock-Out) requirements such as HACCP, traceability and corrective actions. If one of them is not met, the certificate cannot be issued, regardless of the other results.
• Food defense and food fraud — protecting products from deliberate tampering and preventing fraud involving raw materials and products.
• Food safety and quality culture — management must build and monitor a culture in which employees understand and apply food safety requirements.

IFS is product- and process-focused: the auditor does not look for one prescribed solution but checks whether the solution you have chosen works and guarantees product safety.

What an IFS audit looks like

Unlike ISO standards, an IFS certificate is renewed every year through a new audit. At least every third audit is unannounced, so the system has to work every day, not just before the audit. The result is expressed as a percentage, and the certificate is awarded at Foundation Level or Higher Level, depending on the score achieved.

Benefits of implementing IFS Food

• access to retail chains in Europe and beyond, especially for private-label production,
• one audit instead of separate audits by each customer, saving cost and time,
• delivery of safe food and fewer complaints and product recalls,
• easier compliance with legal obligations and regulations,
• continuous improvement of business and production processes,
• a stronger company reputation and customer trust.

What implementing IFS Food looks like

1. Gap analysis — we compare how the company currently works with the requirements of the standard, starting from the existing HACCP system.
2. Compliance plan — we determine what needs to be added to the facility, equipment, processes and documentation, with particular attention to the KO requirements.
3. Documentation and rollout — we introduce procedures, specifications, traceability, food defense and food fraud plans, and train employees to follow them.
4. Internal audit — we audit against the IFS scoring criteria, so you know before certification what result to expect.
5. Certification audit — the audit is carried out by a certification body accredited for IFS. We are with you throughout the audit and in drawing up an action plan for any deviations.
6. System maintenance — we prepare you for the annual audits, including unannounced ones.

For most manufacturers preparation takes three to six months, depending on the condition of the facility, the number of products and how well the HACCP system is already organized.

If you are interested in implementing the IFS Food standard in your company, you can request a quote or contact us by phone or by email at office@eqsint.com.