Food Quality Magazine
ISSUE 01 | SUMMER 2014
IFS – A Truly Global
Food Safety and
Quality Standard
BROKER
CASH & CARRY
FOOD
PACsecure
LOGISTICS
HPC
W
ith about 15000 certificates, more than 20
languages and 1050 auditors the IFS is one of the
largest food safety and quality standards worldwide.
Nine out of ten of the largest European food retailers
have chosen IFS as their main food-safety and quality
standard and are part of the IFS Working Groups. Also
Wal-Mart and other retailers worldwide use IFS. This
illustrates the strong global acceptance of IFS.
Motivated by increasingly stringent consumer
expectations, globalized commodity flows and
elevated risks of damage claims the International
Featured Standards provide retailers and manufacturers with an internationally uniform system
of coherent quality assurance, incorporating
regulated audit procedures.
By applying IFS manufacturers do not only ensure
the production of high-quality and safe goods they
also improve existing internal processes leading
to general savings, improved customer relations
and higher competitiveness. According to a
comprehensive study by the University of Rostock
IFS certified companies even register a reduction of
food recalls by 17%.
All IFS users are granted ideal support by the
seven IFS offices (Germany, France, Italy, USA,
Brazil, Poland and China) the IFS Audit Portal, the
IFS software auditXpress® as well as by traini