Due to increasing consumer demands, heightened seller responsibility, globalization, and stricter legal obligations, it was necessary to develop a uniform standard to ensure food quality and safety. The IFS represents a quality and food safety standard developed to assess food producers' competence regarding both safety and quality using a single tool or standard, saving time and money.

 

The aim of the IFS standard is to create a consistent evaluation system for all companies supplying food to retail stores, primarily concerning the private labels of major retail chains.

The primary objectives of IFS are:

1. Establishing a general standard with a unified assessment system.
2. Working with accredited certification bodies and highly qualified, authorized auditors.
3. Ensuring comparability and transparency throughout the supply chain.
4. Reducing costs and saving time for both suppliers and retail chains.

A uniform standard and consistent assessment method for supplier quality levels reduce the need for independent inspections by retailers. For retailers, supply chain management becomes consistent and efficient, reducing process costs and increasing safety levels for customers, suppliers, and users. Implementing the IFS standard can be a ticket to becoming a supplier to major retail chains, demonstrating commitment to food safety, quality, legality, and continuous improvement.

The standard can be applied to suppliers at all food processing steps except for agricultural production. Requirements relate to quality management systems and the HACCP system, including prerequisite programs: Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), and Good Hygiene Practice (GHP). The structure of the IFS standard corresponds to the ISO 9001 structure, focusing on food safety, HACCP, hygiene, production processes, and the business environment.

Members of the German Retail Federation (HDE) and its French counterpart (FCD), as well as similar Italian organizations such as COOP, CONAD, Federdistribuzione, jointly created the IFS quality and food safety standard, primarily for their private labels, intending to assess food suppliers and quality systems in line with a common approach.

At present, most IFS certificates are issued in Europe, but due to globalization, the number of IFS certificates worldwide is continually increasing. Some of the retailers that have adopted the IFS standard include Metro Group, Edeka, Rewe Group, Aldi, Lidl, Auchan, Carrefour Group, EMC - Groupe Casino, Leclerc, Monoprix, Picard Surgelés, Provera (Cora and Supermarchés Match), Système U, COOP, CONAD, and Unes. Nine of the ten largest European food retail chains use IFS as their food safety standard and collaborate on its improvement. All participated in the development of IFS version 5.

The IFS standard is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), similar to Dutch HACCP. All producers or traders of branded food collaborating with the aforementioned retail chains must be certified according to IFS.

STRUCTURE OF THE IFS STANDARD

Each IFS standard has the same basic structure and is divided into four parts:

1. Audit protocol: This chapter covers topics such as the audit process, scoring system, audit frequency, types of audits, selection of certification bodies, and conditions for issuing certificates.
2. Checklist of requirements: This checklist, unique to each standard, includes all requirements and good practices that must be implemented by a company seeking certification according to the IFS standard. It contains approximately 250 requirements addressing five basic themes: senior management responsibility, quality management system, resource management, production process, and measurement, analysis, and improvement.
3. Requirements for accreditation bodies, IFS certification bodies, and IFS auditors: These requirements primarily concern the education, experience, and competencies of auditors.
4. Requirements related to audit reports, action plans, and certificates: This part provides document templates to ensure uniformity regardless of the country, language, or certification body conducting the audit.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IFS STANDARD

During the implementation of the IFS standard, each entity can develop a solution that best suits its needs. During audits, IFS auditors verify whether a specific solution works and guarantees product safety. IFS does not require specific procedures or machines unless necessary for safe production.

The IFS audit system allows for differences in implementation. Auditors can assess implementation using a deviation score. The IFS standard provides a realistic picture of a company, offering a good foundation for improvement. The standard allows a 12-month period to address identified deviations, providing time to develop solutions tailored to a company's processes. However, non-conformities related to food safety or legal requirements must be addressed immediately.

Companies that have adopted the IFS standard have improved customer relations and enhanced their competitive position. This is because the production process is structured differently, identifying areas for improvement.

ADVANTAGES OF THE IFS STANDARD

The main advantage of this standard is trust in IFS certification, i.e., verification. Only certification bodies that have signed contracts with IFS have the right to issue certificates of compliance with this standard. IFS is the only standard that requires certificate renewal and re-audits every two years.

The protected database of certified organizations provides insight into the status of each company, its certificate, and audit reports. IFS-authorized certification bodies are required to enter all audit data, including audit reports and action plans, into this database.

Several key advantages of implementing the IFS standard can be systematized:

• Demonstrating a commitment to delivering safe, quality food.
• Facilitating compliance with legal obligations and regulations.
• Certification according to IFS reduces internal and external audit costs using a single standard.
• Enhancing a company's reputation, brand strength, and corporate image.
• The certification process supports continuous improvement through monitoring and corrective measures.

IFS CERTIFICATION BODIES

IFS represents a well-controlled system. In addition to signing a contract with each certification body authorized to audit according to the IFS standard, auditors' expertise is reassessed every two years. The list of authorized IFS certification bodies can be found on the website www.ifs-online.eu.

IFS certification bodies must be accredited according to the EN 45011 standard for certification according to the IFS standard. Once these requirements are met, certification bodies can be entered into the database and made available to interested parties. After accreditation, certification bodies must sign a cooperation agreement with the owners of IFS.

Basic requirements for auditors according to the IFS standard are:

• Experience in audits (at least 10 audits in the previous 2 years).
• Effective knowledge of HACCP principles.
• Qualification in quality management.
• Auditors can only conduct audits in their area of expertise (at least two years of professional experience in that area or at least 10 audits in that area).
• Auditors must pass a written and oral exam.

Finally, auditors who meet these requirements can conduct audits according to the IFS standard only for one IFS certification body. IFS is the only food safety standard that authorizes auditors through exams. Each auditor must take an exam every two or four years, depending on recent results. Through the examination system, IFS ensures that only qualified auditors conduct audits according to the IFS standard. For more information, visit the official IFS website here.