Progress
Food

Since 2014, our development programs have been enabling suppliers to establish and develop appropriate processes to manage their product safety and quality. These programs are built on standardised requirements and structured in two levels. They help suppliers progress towards IFS Certification. IFS offers Progress Programs for suppliers of food products, logistics services, packaging materials and household and personal care (HPC) products. 

IFS Progress represents the active approach of the development programs

The new name, IFS Progress, fits perfectly with our understanding that our development programs, and just like our standards, help suppliers to continuously monitor, build, update and improve their products and processes to deliver safe, quality products that customers and consumers can trust. 

With this brand name, we are emphasising the active approach and aim of the programs while their content remains the same. It stands for: 

• Progressing within the current program level 
• Progressing from level to level 
• Progressing towards IFS Certification 

Suppliers assessed to IFS Progress achieve the prerequisites for operating, growing, and developing steadily in a regional, national, and international environment and be accepted as trusted business partners.

New name, new logos, same program content 

The content of the development programs remains unchanged, and they stay in their current versions: IFS Progress Food version 3, IFS Progress Logistics version 1, IFS Progress PACsecure version 1 and IFS Progress HPC version 1. We have updated the logos, the program protocols, and other relevant documents with the new brand name. 

Assessed businesses, certification bodies, assessment services providers and our other stakeholders will have sufficient time to integrate the name IFS Progress into their corporate processes and communication. Until 14 May 2024, IFS Global Markets may still be applied. We at IFS are using this transition period to update documents, IT tools, and training materials. 

You can find answers to the most frequently asked questions in our fact sheet. Download it here in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese or Turkish.

Let’s work together for product and food safety 

The IFS Progress Programs are an essential stepping stone in the gradual development of robust processes for food and product safety of assessed suppliers. The assessment helps to build trust in supply chains. IFS offers tools, guidelines, and support so suppliers can reach their goals. Achieving those goals is a joint effort of everyone involved. 

Let's work together to make food and products safer and support the continuous development and progress in this area!

For more information about the IFS Progress Programs, the roadmap to the assessment and the support IFS offers, please visit the program webpages: 

IFS Progress Food

IFS Progress HPC

IFS Progress Logistics

IFS Progress PACsecure

With the new name, we are emphasising the active approach and aim of the programs while their content remains the same. 

The rebranding still needs some time to prepare. We expect to officially introduce it in the first half of the new year. After formally launching the new brand name, the IFS Global Markets brand will be gradually faced out. 

We will inform CBs, assessed companies, and other stakeholders via newsletters about the details of the rebranding in an appropriate timeframe that allows enough time to prepare themselves. 

For 15 years, our development programs have enabled companies to establish and develop appropriate processes to manage product safety and quality. They are built on standardised requirements and structured in two levels. The programs help suppliers progress towards IFS Certification within a defined time frame. Also, companies that implement the requirements lay the foundation for further growth and scalability and benefit from their customers' increased trust in them. 

We have four IFS Global Markets Programs. Here is a brief overview:

IFS Global Markets Food is a development program that helps food suppliers gradually build comprehensive food safety and quality processes and leads them to IFS Food Certification.

IFS Global Markets Logistics is a development program that helps logistics service providers gradually build comprehensive food safety and quality processes. 

IFS Global Markets HPC is a development program that helps household and personal care product suppliers gradually build comprehensive safety and quality processes. 

IFS Global Markets PACsecure is a development program for suppliers of packaging materials. It assesses processes for product safety, quality, traceability, transparency, and compliance with regulations and customer requirements. 

In our newsletters, on LinkedIn and the IFS Website, we will update you on the rebranding of our development programs.