✓Key for European retail
IFS Food is strongly preferred by German, French, Italian and Spanish retailers for their supplier listings.
FROM READING THE STANDARD TO A PASSED AUDIT
Get your site ready for IFS Food Version 8 with a roadmap your team can execute.
A practical route for food manufacturers to build, implement and verify an IFS Food system, from the standard and its Doctrine through to a scored certification audit.
✓Built around scheme requirements
✓Audit-focused
✓Designed for manufacturers
Certification readiness
Build evidence before the auditor arrives.
A certification system works best when it is implemented and tested well before the external audit, rather than assembled in the weeks before audit day.
V8
current IFS Food version
12 mo
certificate validity
234
requirements across 5 chapters
10
KO requirements
Why FSSC 22000
Why food manufacturerschoose IFS v8
IFS Food is the product and process standard of choice for suppliers to European retailers. For manufacturers selling into that market, it is often the certification that opens the door.
✓A clear, scored result
Your result is a percentage score at Foundation or Higher Level, giving buyers an at-a-glance measure of how strong your system is.
✓Product and process focused
IFS challenges your actual products and production processes, not just your paperwork, which builds real confidence in what you make.
What sets IFS apart: IFS Food is built around a product and process approach and a numerical scoring system, with unannounced audits earning a Star status shown on the certificate. It shares a HACCP foundation with other GFSI schemes, so a site certified to one can reach IFS quickly.
Implementation roadmap
A phased route toIFS V8.
The work is sequenced so that governance, the product and process system, verification and audit readiness all come together before the certification audit.
1Read the standard and the Doctrine
Obtain and read both normative documents: the IFS Food Standard Version 8 and the IFS Food Doctrine. The Doctrine contains binding rules on how the audit is conducted and scored, so skipping it is a common early mistake.
2Define your scope
IFS certification is site-specific. Define the products, production lines and processes in scope using IFS product and technology scopes, since this determines audit duration and auditor qualification.
3Gap assess against all 234 requirements
Assess your system against every requirement across the five chapters, scoring each one and flagging the ten KO requirements separately as your top priority.
4Build the product and process system
Close your gaps. Build a fully implemented HACCP plan following Codex principles, document product specifications and traceability, and put in place allergen, food fraud, food defence and foreign material controls.
5Internal audit and management review
Internal audits are themselves a KO requirement. Cover all elements of the standard over a 12-month cycle, close every finding, and complete a documented management review of objectives, results and corrective actions.
6Certification audit and action plan
An IFS-approved certification body audits your site, with at least half of audit time spent on the production floor. Complete the action plan within the required window, and the certificate follows within six to eight weeks. Valid for 12 months, with recertification annually.
Important: A D score on any of the ten KO requirements results in an automatic fail. A total score of 95% or above earns Higher Level, and 75% to under 95% earns Foundation Level. At least one in every three audits must be unannounced.
Critical focus
The KO requirements decide your audit, so verify them first.
IFS Food designates ten knock-out requirements where a failure ends the audit regardless of your overall score. Build your preparation sequence around these before anything else.
1.2.1
Governance and commitment
2.3.9.1
CCP monitoring system
3.2.2
Personal hygiene
4.1.3
Customer agreement
4.2.1.3
Raw material specifications
4.12.1
Foreign material mitigation
4.18.1
Quality control
5.1.1
Internal audits
5.9.1
Recalls and incidents
5.11.3
Corrective actions
Scheme reference points →
The requirementsbehind each step
✓IFS Food Version 8
Version 8 has been mandatory for all audits since 1 January 2024. It contains 234 requirements across five chapters with a product and process focus.
✓The IFS Food Doctrine
The Doctrine is normative alongside the standard and contains binding rules and clarifications on how requirements are interpreted and scored.
✓Scoring system
Each requirement is scored A, B, C or D. KO requirements can be scored A, B or D only, and a D on a KO requirement is an automatic fail.
✓Result thresholds
A total of 95% or above earns Higher Level, 75% to under 95% earns Foundation Level, and below 75% or more than one Major means the audit is not passed.
✓Audit conduct
Audit duration is set by the IFS Calculation Tool, with at least half of audit time spent on the production floor and a traceability test during the audit.
✓Announced and unannounced
Get started with AuditQ
Talk to an expert about your certification.
See exactly where your site stands against the standard and get a prioritised plan of what to close before your audit.
AQTalk to an expert30 min call, no strings attached✓Gap assessment against all 234 requirements
✓KO requirement verification
✓HACCP plan validation
✓Allergen, fraud and traceability review
✓Internal audit across the standard
✓CAPA and management review preparation
