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Local
IFS Local is a standalone check designed to raise awareness of food safety and compliance among small-scale local businesses. It is ideally suited for food producers such as micro-enterprises, family-owned and artisanal companies. Developed in collaboration with retailers and industry experts, the check offers a structured approach to meet customer baseline requirements while minimising bureaucracy.
With IFS Local Check, you will establish the foundations for safe food production, processing, and packing, and ensure legal and essential product compliance.
The foundation requirements support checking and monitoring good hygiene, manufacturing practices, control measures, and product rules that help prevent food safety issues and control risks. Additionally, HACCP-based and supplementary requirements can also be included in the check to further strengthen food safety and product compliance.
The check can be implemented voluntarily or at the request of your supply chain partners. To carry out the audit, IFS works with approved certification bodies (CB) or assessment service providers (ASP).
Benefits of IFS Local
IFS Local is a retailer-endorsed evaluation tool tailored to the needs of small, local businesses. It helps you:
- Identify and address potential food safety hazards and risks.
- Comply with the relevant legal requirements.
- Meet essential product compliance expectations.
- Focus on actionable, practical steps rather than extensive bureaucracy.
- Demonstrate your commitment to ensuring safe food products.
- Prepare to supply retail and other business partners.
- Benefit from an assessor’s expertise and practical insights.
Whether you are just starting on your compliance journey, protecting your brand, or aiming to meet customer expectations,
IFS Local provides the structure and guidance to support you in supplying trusted products.
Get started today and take the first step toward building trust and securing your place in the food supply chain.
IFS Local Document Hub
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How it works
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The check is based on 44 core requirements, plus 6 HACCP-based and/or 17 additional requirements, depending on customer needs.
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You determine and implement the actions needed to meet the requirements.
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An IFS-trained assessor evaluates your activities and provides advice on areas of implementation, improvement and actions during a 2-to-6-hour on-site check.
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The check report encompasses your results, the advice from the assessor and an action plan.
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By following up on the proposed actions, you will further enhance your performance, compliance level and reinforce your commitment.
Roadmap for the IFS Local Check
- Contact business partners to agree on supply criteria.
- Download the IFS Local Check Program and Guidance from the IFS Website free of charge.
- Conduct a self-check or, with expert help, a pre-check to determine the current compliance level.
- Implement the required elements independently or with expert assistance.
- Appoint an approved IFS CB or ASP to conduct the on-site check.
- Receive a report, implement an action plan, and, if approved, receive a letter of confirmation.
- Share your success and make documents available to your business partners through the Database.
Find a CB or ASP
IFS-approved certification bodies (CBs) and assessment services providers (ASPs) deliver services to companies seeking an IFS Local Check. Their assessors are responsible for performing the IFS Local Checks.
We firmly believe that strong assessor competence is a crucial prerequisite for conducting the check. Therefore, all assessors must fulfil specific requirements and undergo specific training before they can carry out the IFS Local Check. This way, companies are being checked in a consistent manner worldwide.
You can use the search function to find a CB or ASP in your country.
The CB and ASP search function will be activated soon. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please
IFS News
Introducing IFS Local, a new food safety check tailored for small-scale producers
28.01.2026Ensuring basic food safety requirements are met, building trust between producers and retailers, and supporting access to retail shelves.
IFS is pleased to introduce IFS Local, a new annual standalone check designed to evaluate food safety and compliance at small-scale local producers.
Businesses, including micro-enterprises, family-owned companies, and artisanal producers, play a crucial role in the food industry. However, limited resources and simple processes can make meeting food safety requirements challenging.
“IFS Local is a strategic initiative designed to empower small-scale food producers. It offers them a structured, hands-on framework for ensuring basic good hygiene and manufacturing practices, as well as product compliance. By adopting IFS Local, producers can build greater trust with their customers and enhance their chances of securing shelf space in retail stores,” said Stephan Tromp, Managing Director of IFS.
What the IFS Local Check covers
IFS Local provides clear guidance and practical support for establishing essential foundations for safe food production, processing, and packing, while minimising administrative effort. Developed in collaboration with retailers, certification bodies, and industry experts, it ensures practical applicability and alignment with market expectations.
The IFS Local checklist is clearly structured and contains both core requirements and additional optional requirements as needed. Trained assessors verify compliance with these requirements and can provide advice on process optimisation. Assessed businesses receive a report, an action plan, and a letter of confirmation. They can make these documents easily available to their customers through the IFS Database.
Value for small-scale food producers
IFS Local supports small-scale food producers by making it easier to identify and reduce food safety risks, comply with legal and product requirements, and implement practical, effective measures in day-to-day operations. The check helps build trust with customers and other stakeholders and can be a ticket to placing products in retail stores. This way, supply chains are strengthened, and producers, retailers and customers can buy the locally produced food products with confidence.
Tools and resources available
To support implementation, IFS provides the following tools and resources:
- IFS Local Check Program explaining the check structure and requirements
- IFS Local Guidance Document detailing how to apply the requirements
- IFS Database, enabling IFS Local checked companies to securely share reports and confirmation letters with business partners to increase transparency
- IFS auditXpress Neo, free software supporting self-checks reporting and identification of improvement areas, to help prepare for the IFS Local Check
- IFS Local webpage with access to documents, tools, and further information