IFS standards
IFS (International Featured Standards) focuses on food safety and hygiene in food processing and related sectors. IFS is an international standard with more than 11,000 certified companies in over 95 countries. IFS is often described as the German/French counterpart of the British BRCGS standard.
Advantages of IFS certification
- Demonstrable quality and food safety.
- Work instructions and inspections reduce the risk of errors, which helps to avoid product recalls.
- Recognition by European supermarkets such as Lidl, Aldi and Carrefour.
- IFS Food, IFS Logistics, IFS PACsecure and IFS Broker are all GFSI-recognised.
Implementation
Our Normanists support you when implementing:
- IFS Food
- IFS Global Markets Food
- IFS Logistics
- IFS Global Markets Logistics
- IFS Wholesale / Cash & Carry
- IFS Broker
- IFS PACsecure
Key elements of the implementation include HACCP, quality management, prerequisite programmes (GMP), customer focus, various design requirements, food safety culture, food defence and food fraud analysis.
Frequently asked questions about IFS certification
Which IFS standards are there?
The best known are IFS Food (food manufacturing), IFS Logistics (transport and storage), IFS Broker (trading and brokerage without physical ownership) and IFS PACsecure (packaging materials). Each standard has its own scope and audit checklist, tailored to the specific risks of that link in the chain.
What is the difference between IFS Food and IFS Logistics?
IFS Food is aimed at companies that actually process or manufacture food and assesses, among other things, HACCP, traceability and production hygiene. IFS Logistics is intended for companies that transport, store or tranship food without processing the product itself, and focuses on temperature control, storage conditions and the prevention of cross-contamination during transport.
How long is an IFS certificate valid?
One year. To remain certified, your site must undergo a full recertification audit every year. Since 1 January 2024, version 8 of IFS Food has been mandatory for all audits.
How much does IFS certification cost?
That depends largely on the size and complexity of your site, the number of product lines and the certification body you choose. In addition to the audit fee itself, allow for the time and any external support needed to get your system audit-ready. AMNorman helps you assess in advance where the greatest effort is needed, so you don’t face any surprises during the audit.
Further reading in our knowledge centre
