IFS Food

In short

IFS Food is the International Featured Standards scheme for food manufacturers and for companies that pack loose food. It was created by German and French retail associations and later joined by Italian retailers, and it is run today by IFS Management in Berlin.

The audit is scored, and the result is shown as Higher Level or Foundation Level. Retail buyers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy ask for it often. IFS also publishes other standards, including IFS Broker for companies that trade without handling the product.

What it covers

• Senior-management responsibility and the quality and food-safety system
• Resource management, planning and production process controls
• Measurements, analysis and improvements, including food defence and food fraud
• Product specifications, traceability and supplier controls

What it does not cover

• Not an organic, fair-trade or social certification
• The Food certificate covers the site, not the traders and brokers around it; those use IFS Broker

Who asks for it

Retailers and private-label buyers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy, and manufacturers that supply them.

How to check a certificate

Use the IFS certificate database on the IFS website, and check the scope, result and validity date.

How a company gets it

1. Get the current IFS Food standard and run a gap assessment
2. Implement and document the requirements and train the team
3. Choose an approved IFS certification body and book the audit
4. Close non-conformities, receive the certificate and repeat the audit every year

Questions