PIA
Product Integrity

On 16 and 17 October 2023, we welcomed over 200 participants to our Certification Body Conference in Berlin and to our live stream.

The annual IFS CB Conference brings together representatives of IFS-approved certification bodies from around the world. The 2-day conference programme consisted of a wide range of informative sessions. IFS Team Members delved into various aspects of certification, including updated standards, new programs and the latest company developments.

This year, we were happy to welcome two outstanding keynote speakers. Robert Prevendar, Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Yum! Brands, and Dr Jean-Charles Gander, Chief Quality Officer at the Migros Group, shared insights into their companies’ policies and the role IFS Certification plays in this context. 

The number of certification bodies we work with is constantly growing worldwide. If you are interested in joining our CB network, read more here.

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this event and look forward to welcoming the CBs back to Berlin next year.

Mario Schuster has started with IFS as Director of IFS Market Development. He comes to us with versatile expertise in food retail and the dynamic world of startups. He combines the best of established strategies and innovative thinking. His deep understanding of the retail landscape contributes to building strong relationships, understanding market dynamics and skilfully navigating challenges and opportunities for IFS.

Holly Hatam is the new Deputy Director of the department. Holly brings a wealth of experience from various certification bodies, where she held different key positions. She convinces with her ability to develop markets in a targeted manner and to tailor offers to customers.

Mario and Holly will be responsible for the strategic and operational development of IFS and our products and services in the global marketplace. They will work closely with all IFS Stakeholders, the IFS Team, and IFS Representatives to explore opportunities, expand our position, and set new impulses in the different markets. 

Their individual journeys give them a deep understanding of the intricacies of the respective markets and innovative mindsets that align perfectly with our goals. Their strategic thinking and ability to identify untapped opportunities will undoubtedly contribute to IFS’s continued success. 

Learn more about Holly and Mario in our IFS Faces Blog.

The applicability of version 7 ends on 31 December 2023; only in exceptional cases may they be performed after this date. These exceptions are specified in the current IFS Food Doctrines for version 7 and version 8.

The update of the IFS Software auditXpress Neo (AXP Neo) for IFS Food 8 is already available. It significantly facilitates the reporting of internal audits and is free of charge. The new software is fast, intuitive, and clearly arranged. It facilitates the collaboration between audited companies and the certification body, that uses the same software.

Businesses certified to the IFS Food Standard find AXP Neo for downloading in the login area of the IFS Database. We have also made this software available to CBs approved for IFS Food and auditors who did the version 8 conversion training. 

On our IFS YouTube channel, you can watch our video that gives you an overview of the most important changes in version 8 compared to version 7. For more details, download the IFS Food version 7 and version 8 comparison document.

The IFS Food Standard page provides all relevant information about the standard, the roadmap to certification and all relevant documents for downloading from the document hub. Be sure to visit this page to be excellently prepared for your first IFS Food 8 audit.