IFS and NVWA celebrate five years of collaboration

"The acceptance of the IFS Food standard for Ketenborging.nl in 2016 was the moment for the NVWA to seek cooperation with IFS and explore the added value of IFS certification for our supervision and food safety in the Netherlands together. We have started a monitoring program in consultation with IFS and have made agreements within the scope of privacy legislation to exchange relevant information with each other.

We are now five years later, and we believe that the collaboration has proved very successful. The results from the monitoring program show that the IFS Food standard certification certainly has added value to our supervision. Companies themselves are responsible for producing and marketing safe food. It appears that companies that are certified to a quality system accepted for Ketenborging.nl comply better than non-certified companies. Therefore, the NVWA supports this form of self-regulation and, where possible, takes a company's certification status into account when setting up its risk-oriented supervision.

The relationship we have built up with the IFS team is very cordial and constructive. We have regular consultations and an annual evaluation moment in which we discuss improvement actions to increase the added value of the collaboration. In addition, we have short and direct lines to contact each other if there are current issues that affect our cooperation. In particular, the collaboration with the employees of the team who manage the integrity program is enjoyable and valuable. We see that the IFS team responds adequately and effectively to our signals.

"I am looking forward to continuing the constructive partnership with the NVWA. To me, it is a role model for a public-private partnership that enhances food safety and integrity and really makes a difference. Being the first country in the European Union to implement a policy that includes private quality schemes, the Netherlands have done pioneering work and paved the way for other countries. For example, IFS has gained acceptance by Belgian and French food safety authorities even if the design of their policies may differ.

IFS stands for high-level and reliable certification to enhance food and product safety. For us, it is a confirmation that NVWA sees that sites certified to a standard accepted by Ketenborging.nl seem to perform better than others. For IFS Food certified businesses, it means that they can profit from reduced supervision, fewer supervision costs and a better image.

It is in the mutual interest of NVWA and IFS that consumers can trust the products they buy in supermarkets and other retail stores. That's what both organisations work for every day. The regular information exchange, consultations, and evaluation meetings between our organisations always bring new insights and impulses for further development and continuous improvement. I am convinced that, in many ways, we are on the right track with this unique cooperation. Let's continue our journey!"