IFS (International Featured Standards) Certification
International Featured Standards are uniform food, product and service standards operated by the IFS, an association of retailers and industrial companies. The purpose of the harmonized IFS standards is to inspect producers, logistics companies, brokers and agents to ensure they are able to manufacture and handle safe products.
The IFS Standards are currently compromised of eight standards developed for stakeholders involved in all stages of the food supply chain. By achieving IFS certification, you demonstrate that your company has established processes suitable for ensuring food and product safety, and implemented relevant customer specifications.
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Is IFS the Right Certification Scheme for You?
Broadly, IFS certification is available for food manufacturers, brokers, logistics providers, manufacturers of household and hygiene products as well as wholesalers and retailers. QIMA currently offers certification under the following IFS standards:
IFS Food:
For food processing and food packing companies (including private labels), covering all activities related to processing, handling and primary packing of loose food products.
What is new with IFS Food version 8?
Increased focus on the on-site evaluation, less on documentation
New wording: the audit becomes an assessment, to highlight the product and process approach of IFS in keeping with ISO/IEC 17065
Reduced number of requirements by 15 %
Improved structure, tailored to the IFS stakeholders’ needs
Checklist aligned with latest GFSI Benchmarking Requirements Version 2020.1, FSMA, and EU regulations
Improved and better defined scoring system
The assessment report more clearly structured and user-friendly
Food Safety Culture has been incorporated into the assessment checklist
Every third certification assessment is unannounced
Mandatory GLN for companies in the EEA and UK: click here for more information
IFS Progress Food:
The IFS Progress Food – HPC is a standardized non-food safety assessment program for retailers as well as manufacturers of branded HPC products. The program is meant to support “small and/or less developed businesses” in the development of their product safety management systems and making the first step towards the implementation of the IFS HPC Standard.
The program includes different levels of assessment and a protocol to drive gradually, the continuous improvement process and the implementation of a full product safety management system. The final objective may be to reach the IFS HPC certification in a defined period of time.
The Program consists out of two different level checklists, Basic and Intermediate, which requirements should be fulfilled within a timeframe.
Basic and Intermediate levels cover the following items:
Product Quality and Safety Management Systems
Specifications including Product Release, Traceability, Incident Management, Control of Non-Conforming Product, Corrective Actions, etc.
Hazard analysis and risk assessment
Good Manufacturing Practices
Personal Hygiene, Facility Environment, Cleaning and Disinfection, Product Contamination Control, Pest Control, Water Quality, etc.
IFS HPC Certification
Why Do You Need IFS Global Standards Certification?
Demonstrate compliance of your facilities with GFSI recognized food safety requirements
Introduce a quality and food safety management system to cover all aspects of quality control and assurance
Verify that your business is capable of producing safe products
Align multiple production sites according to a uniform quality and food safety management system
Create safer, more effective processes to optimize your business
Why Choose QIMA for IFS?
Seamless Communication & Service
Responsive technical support at every stage
Transparent certification process & on-time certification delivery
Exceptional service quality validated by 72 NPS score
Cost & Time Optimization
Multi-scheme audits reduce site visits and costs
Streamlined processes minimize operational disruption
Optimized local auditor deployment
Industry Leadership
30+ years pioneering food safety, organic, and sustainable standards
Comprehensive farm-to-fork certification ecosystem
Advanced technology for compliance monitoring