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IFS

With IFS Global Markets PACsecure, you lay the foundation for further growth and scalability. It increases the trust your customers have in your company.
IFS Global Markets PACsecure offers you, as a supplier of packaging materials, an easy entry into adequate product safety and quality processes. It also helps you meet legal and customer requirements. You can set the path towards IFS Certification with your customers, including the pace and milestones.

Industry experts representing the packaging products supply chain develop the program, ensuring it is realistic and relevant to the market's needs. Highly recognised assessors evaluate your product safety and quality management, good manufacturing and hygiene practices, product hazards and risks, and compliance with legal and customer requirements. The assessor’s expertise, the graded scoring system, detailed reports, and IFS Tools help you continuously develop your processes further and reach your goals.

Benefits

IFS Global Markets PACSecure helps you:

  • meet legal requirements
  • comply with existing and future business partner expectations
  • implement product safety and quality process prerequisites
  • address hazard identification and control
  • understand and minimise risks
  • strengthen traceability systems
Download the fact sheet for more details

Roadmap to your assessment

Train

For industry training, IFS cooperates with approved training providers. Also, we offer e-learning courses in English in our webshop.

Approved IFS Training Providers offer official training for IFS Standards and Programs, internal auditing, hazard analysis, risk assessments or specific technical topics.

IFS exclusively provides the training material for these courses. This way, you can be sure that only these providers will teach you how to implement IFS requirements according to their original intention. Only our approved training providers may use the IFS Academy Logo.

The training takes place online as group and individual courses or in person and on-site.

Click here to find an IFS Training Provider in your country.

Implement

You can implement the IFS Requirements on your own or tap into the expertise, knowledge, and experience of a recognised IFS Consultant.

IFS supports you with a unique package of various tools and guiding documents (see below). Also, you can contact an IFS Representative in your region or country for advice.

Recognised IFS Consultants are industry professionals offering training, standard knowledge, internal auditing, and industry experience to guide the implementation of the IFS Requirements. IFS has trained these consultants and regularly informs them about updates and other relevant developments regarding the standards and programs. You can be sure that you will work with an excellently trained, up to date and experienced professional when choosing a recognised IFS Consultant.

Search for the most suitable consultant for your company in your region in our consultant search.

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Assess

Approved certification bodies (CBs) and assessment services providers (ASPs) deliver assessment services to companies seeking assessment to an IFS Global Markets program. Their IFS Auditors or Assessors perform the assessments.

We firmly believe that solid auditor and assessor competence is the basis for the IFS Standards’ and Programs’ credibility and reliability. All IFS Auditors and Assessors must meet specific requirements. This way, we ensure that they assess companies in a consistent manner worldwide.

Use the search function to find a CB or ASP in your country. 

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Support for IFS certified sites

Database

Connect with the IFS Network to grow your business. As a assessed business, you can log in to the IFS Database to follow suppliers and search for new ones. Also, your company is visible to potential new customers and business partners.

Software

Simplify your internal auditing with the IFS Software. Use the same software as the IFS Auditor to evaluate your product safety and quality management system efficiently. Get score results to assess areas for improvement and create internal audit reports. You can download the software from your IFS Database login area.

Supporting Documents

IFS Guidelines and Checklists help you with practical advice on specific technical topics. Prepare for the audit/assessment with guidance documents explaining the intention of the requirements and giving examples of auditor questions. Go to the document hub and search for guidelines to get an overview. 

Pathway

Strengthen your product safety and quality management skills, improve processes, and meet implementation goals. The IFS Pathway leads you towards IFS Certification by providing appropriate resources for each step and specific topics

IFS News

IAF and IFS Sign Scheme Endorsement Agreement

The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and IFS Management GmbH have signed a Scheme Endorsement Agreement to endorse the IFS Food scheme as a sub-scope of the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA). The agreement was signed April 2023.

IFS Food aims to ensure the safety and quality of food products and processes, and is applicable to food processing companies and businesses that pack loose food products. The scheme covers senior management responsibility, quality and food safety management systems, resource management, planning and production processes, measurements, analysis, improvements, and food defense. It can provide several benefits to companies, including improved business reputation, compliance with regulations, higher flexibility, more effective use of resources, and the ability to trade with customers requiring third-party audits.

The recognition of IFS Food as an IAF MLA sub-scope will allow the acceptance of accredited certification to this scheme in multiple markets with only one accreditation, reducing costs and increasing value for businesses and consumers.

“The recognition of IFS Food as an IAF MLA sub-scope underscores the importance of reliable and consistent food safety practices in the international market. This recognition will enable businesses to demonstrate their competence and enhance consumer confidence, ultimately leading to safer and higher-quality food products for all,” said Emanuele Riva, IAF Chair.

“Our global network places great emphasis on the integrity of our standards. IFS is a global pioneer in establishing an integrity program and select and training auditors, who must pass a written and oral exam with us. Accreditation plays an essential role in ensuring integrity. With the IAF and its members, an independent body verifies that our standards meet all the required criteria. The recognition of IFS Food versions 7 and 8 under the IAF MLA contributes significantly to our certificates being recognized and trusted worldwide,” said Stephan Tromp, IFS Managing Director.

About IAF:

The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is a global association of accreditation bodies, conformity assessment body associations and other organizations involved in conformity assessment in fields including validation and verification and the certification of management systems, products, processes, services and persons.

IAF promotes the worldwide acceptance of certificates of conformity and validation/verification statements issued by conformity assessment bodies accredited by IAF MLA signatories, and seeks to add value for all stakeholders through its activities and programs.

About IFS:

IFS Management GmbH, owned by the retail associations HDE and FCD, develops globally recognized product quality and safety standards and development programs for companies within the food and consumer goods supply chain companies. IFS comprises six different food and non-food standards and four development programs. These assess if private label and branded product suppliers can deliver safe, quality products in line with regulations and customer specifications. This way, IFS helps ensure that consumers can trust that the products they find on retail shelves are safe and of good quality.


IFS Food version 8 - setting new standards in food safety certification

Today, we are happy to announce the publication of IFS Food version 8. The IFS Food Standard reviews the products and production processes to evaluate a food producer’s ability to produce safe, authentic, and quality products according to legal requirements and customer specifications.

“IFS Food version 8 is the result of a remarkable, global team effort. We have taken up the feedback from our global network and updated the standard to current events and expectations in the broad field of food safety. Many renowned experts from retailers, food producers and certification bodies in our committees and working groups have contributed their expertise to further optimise the standard according to the needs of the market. I am convinced that version 8 sets a new standard and will contribute to establishing a vivid food safety culture”, says Stephan Tromp, IFS Managing Director.

 

The new version is state of the art in terms of food safety

In this new version, you will find an optimised protocol, a new definition of the B-scoring, and the introduction of a star status to highlight unannounced audits. These updates facilitate efficient working with the standard for all parties involved.

“The IFS Food Standard is designed to promote continuous improvement of the companies certified to it. Accordingly, we at IFS have the ambition to continually adapt and enhance it further. This way, our certified companies and other stakeholders can rely on us to be in tune with the latest developments”, adds Chryssa Dimitriadis, Director of Standard Management at IFS.

 

21 years of providing high-quality, widely accepted and trusted standards

We launched the first IFS Food Standard 21 years ago. Having over 20,000 IFS Food Certificates today, IFS has become a leading standard worldwide and the market leader in Europe. As a joint venture of two leading retail associations, major retail and wholesale companies trust our standards fit their specific needs. Also, key food services companies are convinced of the quality of our standards and work with us. They all know that we set the highest standards in auditor qualification and have a strong and consistent integrity program. It contributes to the high quality and reliability of our certification. Also, it ensures that consumers find safe and good quality private label products in their stores.

 

IFS-certified companies benefit from a unique support package

IFS offers guidance, like guidelines and various tools, to support suppliers in reaching IFS Food Certification and further enhancing their food safety and quality management. Approved IFS Training Providers offer training based on IFS Materials, and recognised IFS Consultants can support you with implementing the requirements and training your staff.

 

International recognition

IFS Food version 8 accreditation process is in progress with the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) in order to be recognised under the sub-scopes of product certification of the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA). IAF MLA signatories mutually recognise accredited certification. It helps to reduce barriers to trade and promote food safety, as accredited certificates are recognised in many markets based on a single accreditation.

IFS also has started the application procedure with GFSI and hopes to achieve recognition to the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements for IFS Food version 8 soon.

 

More information

The standard is available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish on our website. We will provide further translations at a later stage and inform you accordingly.

For more information about the IFS Food Standard, please visit our IFS Food page.
For all significant information about Food version 8, read the whole newsletter here.


IFS Website now available in French, German, Italian and Spanish!

We have recently launched our completely redesigned website. Today, we are happy to share that it is now available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. The new website will automatically appear in the language of the respective country you are in.

Following up on our news from 28 March, we would like to take this opportunity to answer some frequently asked questions about the new website.

How can I find a specific document in my language?

The easiest way to find a document is to use the document hub on the homepage. It is our central and free library from which you can download all publicly available IFS Documents relating to our current standards, programs, checks, and other relevant topics.

The best way to search is to use the dropdown menus in the search boxes. For example, to find the IFS Food Standard in Polish, choose Food from the standard menu, Standard as document type and Polish as the language.

Learn more about it in the IFS Document Hub Fact Sheet.

Can I search for documents on the standard and program pages?

We will integrate the document hub on the standard and program pages to make searching relevant documents more efficient.  The default settings will be set to the corresponding language and standard/program on the French, German, Italian and Spanish pages. On the English pages, you will be able to change the language settings.

Where can I find the directory of certification bodies, consultants, and training providers?

This information is located on the standard and program pages under the following headings:

  • “Train” directs you to the training providers page
  • “Implement” provides a search for recognised IFS Consultants
  • “Audit/Assess” contains a search for certification bodies and assessment services providers.

Each standard and program page offers a “one-stop shop” in which you can access all the relevant information and documents and locate our partners immediately.

Where do I find the audit time calculation tool?

The audit time calculation tool has moved from the website to the IFS Software. It is integrated into the IFS auditXpressX and the new auditXpress Neo software. We provide the software free of charge to certified and global markets assessed companies, consultants, and CBs. You will find it in your login area of the IFS Database.

We also provide the tool as an .exe file on the new website for a transitional period. This small downloadable program is only applicable for IFS Food version 7. It will expire with the start of Food 8. You can download it here.

How do I reach the qualification platforms?

Information and login links to our various qualification platforms have changed. You will find them at the top of the standard and program pages or in the special areas for consultants and training providers.

More is yet to come! We continue to optimise the site based on the feedback we are receiving. It will get new features as we look to expand our services further.

 


Discover the new IFS Website!

We are glad to announce that we have completely redesigned our website. It now has a clear, modern, and well-organised look. The intuitive layout and simplified navigation will help you find relevant information within two clicks.



Quickly find information about the IFS Standards and Programs

You can directly go to the standard and program pages from the homepage. Here, you will find a short description of the standard or program, its benefits, relevant downloads, a roadmap to certification, an overview of the support IFS, and specific news.




Get all documents in one place

You will discover a handy new feature on the new website – the IFS Document Hub. It is our central and free library from which you can download all documents relating to our current standards, programs, checks, and other relevant topics. You can refine your search by name, standard, type and language.



Find specific information on designated pages

We have designated areas to provide certification bodies, auditors, consultants and training providers with specific information.







Further languages will follow soon

For now, the new website is in English only. However, the documents, such as standards, programs, doctrines, factsheets, and guidelines, are available in multiple languages. Find them easily in the document hub on the homepage.

After a 4 to 6 weeks testing phase, we will upload the website in French, German, Italian and Spanish. Here, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding. Meanwhile, you may want to use the automatic translation function of your web browser to translate the web pages.

More is yet to come!

We have reached a significant milestone with the launch of the new site. Still, it remains a work in progress. In addition to the translations, which have priority, the website will get new features as we look to expand our services further.

Stay up to date!

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upcoming events and latest developments with the IFS Newsletter,
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IFS Global Markets PACsecure Blog

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