Checklist

GFSI Compliance - Getting Started with International Featured Standards (IFS)

Since 2003, IFS has been one of the leading global certification standards for the food supply chain. It’s already the primary standard across much of the European Union. More than 14,000 facilities are certified to one of seven IFS standards throughout the world.

The focus of IFS is on establishing a standardized measure against which retailers and brand owners can assess their suppliers and increase transparency across the supply chain.

Like other GFSI standards, IFS streamlines the audit process. One onsite audit includes safety and quality parameters without the necessity for a preliminary desk audit. The standard requires follow-up audits every 12 months to maintain certification. IFS provides businesses 12 months to execute corrective actions (exempting those related directly to food safety or legislation), giving companies valuable time to pivot.

Businesses can earn certifications at one of two levels – Foundation and Higher Level.

IFS Standards cover much of the supply chain and are available for:

IFS Food v6 — global-leading, GFSI-benchmarked scheme.
IFS Logistics v2—most-used storage and distribution scheme around the world and fastest growing scheme in North America—applied for GFSI benchmarking.
IFS PACsecure—GFSI-benchmarked, stand-alone packaging materials scheme developed in North America by the packaging industry.
IFS Broker 2—the first and most-used broker standard in the world.
IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale—for cash and carry markets.
IFS Store—for retail and grocery.
IFS Household and Personal Care (HPC)—for production of detergents, soaps, lotions, and other household and personal care items.

GFSI Compliance - Getting Started with International Featured Standards (IFS)

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