international food standard - broker

Broker

IFS Broker

Standard for AuditingTrade Agencies, Importer and Brokers

Version 1December 2009© IFS, December 2009

Broker

IFS

®

The IFS publishes information, opinions and bulletins to its best knowledge, but cannottake any responsibility for any mistakes, omissions or possibly misleading information inits publications, especially in this document.

The standard owners of the present document are:

© HDE – Handelsverband Deutschland – Der Einzelhandel e.V. (Germany)© FCD – Fédération des entreprises du Commerce et de la Distribution (France)

The standard owners thank the Italian retail federation Federdistribuzione as well as Asso-ciazione Nazionale Cooperative Consumatori (ANCC) andAssociazione Nazionale Coopera-tive tra Dettaglianti (ANCD), who joined the IFS, for their involvement and their active coop-eration for the development.

All rights reserved. All publications are protected under international copyright laws.With-out the expressed written consent of the IFS standard owners any kind of unauthorised useis prohibited and subject to legal punishment.This also applies to the reproduction with aphotocopier, the inclusion into an electronic database, or the reproduction on CD-Rom.

No translation may be made without official permission by the IFS standard owners.

The IFS Broker can be ordered online viawww.ifs-certification.com

Or by Mail, Fax and E-mail

HDE Trade Services GmbHAmWeidendamm 1A10117 BerlinGermany

Phone: +49-(0)30-726250-74Fax: +49-(0)30-726250-79E-mail: [email protected]

On behalf of the IFS standard owners, the HDETrade Services GmbH is assigned to takeover the commercial administration of the IFS, it cooperates with the IFSWorking Group.

IFS Office BerlinHDE Trade Services GmbHAmWeidendamm 1 A10117 BerlinGermany

Phone:+49-(0)30-726250-74

Fax:+49-(0)30-726250-79

E-mail:[email protected]

IFS Office ParisFCD12, rue Euler75008 ParisFrance

Phone:+33-(0)1-44439916

Fax:+33-(0)1-47205353


IFS Office MilanFederdistribuzioneVia Albricci 820122 MilanoItaly

Phone:+39-(0)2-89075051

Fax:+39-(0)2-6551169


CONTACT DETAILS OFTHE IFS OFFICES

IFS

®

Version 1December 2009

IFS BrokerStandard for AuditingTrade Agencies, Importerand Brokers

© IFS, December 2009

IFS Broker ·Version 1 3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The IFS would like to thank to all participants who have helped withtheir input to develop the IFS Broker.The IFS is grateful to the membersof the IFS Working Group and the associated sub-working groups, aswell as the review committee who prepared the existing document.

Members of the IFSWorking Group:

Andrea Artoni CONAD, on behalf of ANCD (Associazone Nazionale Coopera-tive tra Dettaglianti), Italy

Jens Buchheim Lidl Stiftung & Co KG, GermanyRosanna Casciano CONAD, on behalf of ANCD (Associazone Nazionale Coopera-

tive tra Dettaglianti), ItalyYvan Chamielec EMC Distribution – Groupe Casino, FranceRoberta Denatale Auchan, on behalf of Federdistribuzione, ItalyGianni di Falco Federdistribuzione, ItalyAntonella Donato COOP, on behalf of ANCC (Associazione Nazionale Cooperative

Consumatori), ItalyGerald Erbach METRO Cash & Carry International GmbH, GermanyIsabelle Formaux/Luc Horemans Scamark – Groupement Leclerc, FranceCécile Gillard Kaplan Groupe Carrefour, FranceAnnegret Karsch-Keller KauflandWarenhandel GmbH & Co. KG, GermanyMarguerite Knefel Système U, FranceJan Kranghand Metro Group Buying International GmbH, GermanyLaurence Manuel Provera Alimentaire, FranceDr. Angela Moritz REWE Group, REWE-Zentral-AG, GermanyHorst Röser COOP, SwitzerlandSergio Stagni COOP, on behalf of ANCC (Associazione Nazionale Cooperative

Consumatori), ItalyBéatriceThiriet Auchan, FranceKarin Voss EDEKA Zentrale AG & Co KG, Germany

The IFS is also pleased to acknowledge the helpful contributionsprovided by the following persons

Francisco Contreras EDEKA Fruchtkontor, GermanyChristine Flöter TÜV Nord Cert GmbH, GermanyDr. Gisela Kell EDEKA Zentral AG, GermanyHeinz Langmack auditpartner GmbH, GermanyAndreas Petke tegut… Gutberlet Stiftung & Co., GermanyFlorian-Fritz Preuß Quant Qualitätssicherung GmbH, GermanyZusanaWiegand EDEKA Fruchtkontor, Germany

IFS Management

Steffi Becker IFS Project Manager, HDEJanina Glasner IFS Quality Assurance Manager, HDEStéphanie Lemaitre IFS Project Manager, FCDSabine Podewski IFS Auditors compliance, HDEAlexander Rogge IFS Managing Director, FCDStephanTromp IFS Managing Director, HDESerenaVenturi IFS Contact person, IFS Office Italy


4 IFS Broker ·Version 1

As part of the review process of the Standard, test auditshave also been performed.We would like to thank the followingcompanies for their involvement:

Bioss Rohstoffe GmbH, Germany–

Anton Dürbeck GmbH, Germany–

Frulana GmbH, Italy–

Jin-Jin Europe B.V., Netherlands–

Ulmer GmbH & Co. KG, Germany–

RiegelWeinimport GmbH, Germany–



Table of contents

Part 1: Audit Protocol

1 The History of the IFS Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2.1 Purpose and contents of the audit protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2.2 General requirements for the quality managementsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3 Types of Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3.1 Initial audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3.2 Follow-up audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3.3 Renewal audit (after expiry of the previous audit) . . . . . . . . . 13

4 Scope of the Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

5 The Certification Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

5.1 Preparation of an audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

5.2 Certification body selection – contractual arrangements . . . . 15

5.3 Duration of an audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

5.4 Drawing up an audit plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

5.5 Evaluation of requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.5.1 Scoring a requirement as a deviation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.5.2 Scoring a requirement as a non-conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.5.2.1 Major . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.5.2.2 KO (Knock out) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195.5.3 Scoring a requirement with N/A (not applicable) . . . . . . . . . . 20

5.6 Determination of the audit frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

5.7 Audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205.7.1 Structure of the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205.7.2 The different steps for audit report completion . . . . . . . . . . . 215.7.2.1 Drawing up the pre-report of the audit and

the outline of the action plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215.7.2.2 Company’s completion of the corrective action plan . . . . . . 225.7.2.3 Auditor validation of the action plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225.7.3 Further rules about the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23



5.7.3.1 Link between two consecutive audit reports(initial and renewal audits) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

5.7.3.2 Translation of the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

5.8 Scoring, conditions of issuing audit report and certificate . 24

6 Awarding the Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

6.1 Deadlines for awarding certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

6.2 The different steps of the certification process . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

6.3 The different steps of the certification processif a Major has been issued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

7 Distribution and Storage of the Audit Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

8 Supplementary Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

9 Appeal Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

10 Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

11 Ownership and Usage of the IFS Logo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

12 Review and further development of the Standard . . . . . . . . 29

13 Assessment of the Certification Bodies by the Companies 29

ANNEX 1:Scope determination between IFS Food, IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale, IFS HPC, IFS Logistics and IFS Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

ANNEX 2:Certification Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

ANNEX 3:Scope of the IFS Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

ANNEX 4:Flow chart for KO and Major . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36



Part 2: Requirements of the IFS Broker

1 Senior Management Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

1.1 Corporate policy/Corporate principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

1.2 Corporate structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

1.3 Management review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2 Quality Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2.1 Risk Management/HACCP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2.2 Documentation requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

2.3 Record keeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

3 Resource Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

3.1 Human resources management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

3.2 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4 Services Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4.1 Contract review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4.2 Product specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

4.3 Traceability (including GMOs and allergens) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

5 Measurements, Analysis, Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

5.1 Internal audits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

5.2 Product quarantine and product release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

5.3 Management of complaints from authoritiesand customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

5.4 Management of incidents, product withdrawal,product recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

5.5 Management of non-conforming products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

5.6 Corrective actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

6 Special requirements: Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

6.1 Product development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

6.2 Purchasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

6.3 Product packaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6.4 Product analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6.5 Third-party logistic provider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

ANNEX:Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46



Part 3: Requirements for Accreditation Bodies,Certification Bodies and Auditors

IFS accreditation and certification process

0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

1 Requirements for the Accreditation Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

1.1 General requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

1.2 The training of the accreditation committee(or competent person) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

1.3 Competences of the assessor of the accreditation body . . . 52

1.4 Frequency of the assessments of certification bodies . . . . . 52

1.5 Accreditation of an internationally active certificationbody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

2 Requirements for the Certification Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

2.1 EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 IFS accreditation process . . . . . 53

2.2 Signing of contract with the proprietors of the IFS . . . . . . . . 53

2.3 Certification decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

2.4 Certification bodies’ responsibilities for IFS trainersand the IFS auditors (including freelancers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

2.5 Specific requirements for IFS trainers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

2.6 “Train theTrainer” course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

3 Requirements for IFS Auditors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

3.1 Requirements before applying for the IFS examinations . . 56

3.2 General requirements for auditorswhen applying for the IFS examinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

3.3 IFS examination process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

3.4 Scope extension for IFS-approved auditors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

3.5 Scope IFS Broker for IFS-approved auditors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

3.6 Change of the certification body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

ANNEX 1:Scopes for Auditors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63



Part 4: Reporting, AuditXpress Software and the IFS Audit portal

0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

1 Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

1.1 Audit overview (Annex 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

1.2 Audit report (Annex 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

1.3 Action plan (Annex 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

1.4 Minimum requirements for IFS certificate (Annex 4) . . . . . . 66

2 AuditXpress Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

3 The IFS Audit portal and the IFS Database(www.ifs-certification.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

ANNEX 1:Cover page of the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70First page of the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Explanations regarding the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

ANNEX 2:Audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Chapter 1: Senior management responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Report of the N/A evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Detailed audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

ANNEX 3:Action plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

ANNEX 4:Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

ANNEXChecklist of the IFS Broker, Version 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79



Part 1: Audit Protocol

1 The History of the IFS Broker

Supplier audits have been a permanent feature of retailers’ systemsand procedures for many years. Until 2003 they were performed by thequality assurance departments of the individual retailers and wholesal-ers.The rising demands of consumers, the increasing liabilities of retail-ers and wholesalers, increasing legal requirements and the globalisa-tion of product supply made it essential to develop a uniform qualityassurance and food safety standard. Also, a solution had to be found toreduce the time associated with a multitude of audits, for both retailersand suppliers.

The associated members of the German retail federation – Handelsver-band Deutschland HDE der Einzelhandel e.V. –, its French counterpart– Fédération des Entreprises du Commerce et de la Distribution (FCD) –and its Italian counterparts – Associazione Nazionale Cooperative Con-sumatori (ANCC), Associazione Nazionale Cooperative tra Dettaglianti(ANCD) and Federdistribuzione – drew up a quality and food safetystandard for retailer branded food products named the IFS Food, whichis intended to allow the assessment of suppliers’ food safety and qual-ity systems in accordance with a uniform approach. This Standardapplies to all the post-farm gate stages of food processing.

In times of globalisation, sourcing products is done globally in differentways. More and more brokers and importer are becoming an importantway of bringing producers and retailers together.This kind of sourcingwas not covered by the existing standards IFS Food and IFS Logistics,nor by other standards. That is the reason why IFS Broker has beendeveloped. The main objective of IFS Broker is to check how brokersselect their suppliers, what quality requirements they have implementedand if they are able to fulfil current legal requirements like for exampletraceability.

The basic objectives of the IFS Broker, as for other IFS standards, are:

to establish a common standard with a uniform evaluation sys-–tem,

approval of– accredited and qualified certification bodies andauditors,

to ensure comparability and transparency throughout the entire–supply chain,

to reduce costs and time for both suppliers and retailers.–



2 Introduction

2.1 Purpose and contents of the audit protocol

This audit protocol describes the specific requirements made on theorganisations involved in IFS Broker audits.

The purpose of the protocol is to define the criteria to be followed by acertification body performing audits against the IFS requirements andin accordance with the accreditation norm EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65. Italso details the procedures to be observed by the companies beingaudited and clarifies the interest of auditing them.

Only those certification bodies that are accredited to EN 45011/ISO IECGuide 65 for the scope of IFS, and which have signed the IFS frameworkagreement with the standard owners, may perform audits against theIFS Broker and may issue certificates.The IFS requirements relating tocertification bodies are clearly described in Part 3 of this document.

2.2 General requirements for the quality managementsystem

In general, when auditing in accordance with the IFS, the auditorassesses if the various elements of a company’s quality system are doc-umented, implemented, maintained and continuously improved. Theauditor shall examine the following elements:

responsibility, authority, qualification and job description,–

documented procedures and the instructions concerning their–implementation,

inspection and testing: specified requirements and defined–acceptance/tolerance criteria,

the actions to be taken in case of non-conformities,–

investigation of the causes of non-conformities and the imple-–mentation of corrective actions, conformity analysis of the qual-ity data and their implementation in practice,

the handling, storage and retrieval of quality records, such as–traceability data,

document control.–

All processes and procedures shall be understandable, and the person-nel responsible shall understand the principles of the quality manage-ment system.

The quality management system is based on the following methodol-ogy:

to identify the processes needed for the quality management–system;

to determine the sequence and interaction of these processes;–



to determine the criteria and methods required to ensure the–effective operation and control of these processes;

to ensure the availability of information necessary to support–the operation and monitoring of these processes;

to measure, monitor and analyse these processes and imple-–ment the necessary action to achieve planned results and con-tinuous improvement.

3 Types of Audit

3.1 Initial audit

An initial audit is a company’s first audit to the IFS Broker. It is per-formed at a time and date agreed between the company and the selectedcertification body. During this audit the entire company is audited, bothin relation to its documentation and the processes themselves. Duringthe audit, all criteria of the IFS Broker requirements shall be assessed bythe auditor. In the case of a pre-audit, the auditor who performs thisaudit shall be different from the auditor who performs the initial audit.Furthermore, the auditor of the initial audit shall not know the conclu-sions of the pre-audit.

3.2 Follow-up audit

A follow-up audit is required in a specific situation when the results ofthe audit (an initial audit or a renewal audit) have been insufficient toallow the award of the certificate (see chart N° 7, 3). During the follow-upaudit, the auditor concentrates on the implementation of the actionstaken to correct the non-conformities (e.g. Major) determined duringthe previous audit.The follow-up audit shall be performed within a six-month period of the date of the previous audit.

In case of a system major the follow up audit shall take place earliestafter 6 weeks

If there is no follow-up audit performed after 6 months, then a completenew audit is necessary. In the event that the follow-up audit is failed, acomplete new audit is automatically necessary.The elimination of majornon-conformities shall always be established by an on-site visit by theauditor.

3.3 Renewal audit (after expiry of the previous audit)

Renewal audits are those which are performed after the initial auditprior to the next evaluation due date. The period in which a renewalaudit shall be performed is shown on the certificate. Renewal auditinvolves the complete auditing of a company, resulting in the issue of



an updated certification. During the audit, all criteria of the IFS Brokerrequirements catalogue shall be assessed by the auditor. Particularattention is paid to the deviations and non-conformities detected duringthe previous audit, as well as to the effectiveness and implementationof corrective actions and preventive measures laid down in the compa-ny’s corrective action plan.The date of the renewal audit shall be calcu-lated from the date of the previous audit and not from the date of issueof the certificate.

Companies are themselves responsible for maintaining their certifica-tion. All IFS certified companies will receive a reminder from the IFSon-line audit portal three months before expiry of the certification.

The certification bodiesmay also contact companies in advance in orderto set a date for a new audit. Dates which have already been set shall beannounced through the IFS audit portal.

4 Scope of the Audit

The IFS Broker is a Standard for auditing brokers who select suppliersfor retailer and wholesaler branded food or non-food products.The IFSBroker can only be used when the company which would like to under-take this kind of audit only has trading activities. If it has any kind ofproduction of its own, only IFS Food or IFS HPC (Household and Per-sonal care) is applicable. If a broker runs additional transport, storageand distribution activities, an audit against IFS Logistics Standard hasto be performed for these activities of the company in addition to theIFS Broker, which covers only the trading activities.

The scope of the audit shall be defined and validated between the com-pany and the certification body before the audit takes place.The scopeshall be clearly and unambiguously stated in the contract between thecompany and the certification body, in the audit report and on the cer-tificate.The audit is specific to the site where all the trade activities areundertaken.

Where decentralised structures exist and the audit of a certain locationis insufficient for gaining a comprehensive view of the company’s capa-bilities, then all other relevant facilities shall also be included in theaudit. This shall be documented within the audit report and in the cer-tificate.



5 The Certification Process

5.1 Preparation of an audit

Before being audited, the company shall study all requirements of theIFS Broker in detail. The company is responsible for acquiring the cur-rent version of the Standard. In order to prepare for an initial audit, acompany can complete a pre-audit, which is only intended to be usedin-house and does not include any recommendations.

The expected date for the initial or renewal audit shall be communi-cated to the IFS owners via the IFS audit portal.This shall be the respon-sibility of the certification body.

A renewal audit shall be scheduled untill 4 weeks before the certificatevalidity ends.The expected date of each audit (initial, renewal and Fol-low-up) shall be inserted in the diary in the database untill 2 weeksbefore the date. It is possible to change the date short term.

5.2 Certification body selection – contractual arrangements

In order to perform the IFS audit, the company shall appoint a certifica-tion body which is approved to perform such audits. Only those IFSapproved certification bodies – which shall be accredited EN 45011/ISOIEC Guide 65 for the scope of IFS and shall have signed a contract withIFS (see Part 3) – shall carry out IFS audits and issue certificates.The listof all IFS international approved certification bodies, by country, is avail-able on the website www.ifs-certification.com.

Certification bodies can have a multi-skilled group of auditors and willbe able to perform audits for any type of product categories/scopes andprocesses, or may have auditors who have skills limited to individualproduct categories/scopes. Confirmation of the product scopes forwhich the certification body can perform audits shall be obtained fromthe certification body.

A contract shall exist between the company and the certification bodydetailing the scope of the audit, the duration and reporting require-ments. The audit shall preferably be carried out in the language of thecompany, and the certification body shall make every attempt to appointan auditor whose native language or main working language is the lan-guage of the company.

It is the responsibility of the company to verify that the certification bodyis accredited for IFS certification. Combined audits shall only be con-ducted under the same existing accreditation standard.



5.3 Duration of an audit

The certification bodies have an appropriate system for estimating theminimum time needed for an audit. Experience shows that the timerequired for performing an audit shall typically be 1 day. The prepara-tion of the relevant audit report requires an additional period of approx-imately 0.5 days.

A number of factors, which are detailed in the contract between thecertification body and the company, play a role in determining the timerequired for a comprehensive audit.They include:

the size of the broker–

the type of service process (only broker activities or additional–logistic activities)

the scope of the audit–

the number of personnel employed at the site–

the number of non-conformities found in the previous audit.–

The audit duration might be extended depending on the above factors.The certification body justifies deviations from these recommendationson the first page of the audit report in the“audit profile” field.The above-mentioned rules equally apply to renewal audits, which must be consid-ered as completely new audits.

5.4 Drawing up an audit plan

The certification body draws up the audit plan.The audit plan includesadequate details concerning the scope covered and the complexity ofthe audit. It is also sufficiently flexible to respond to any eventualitieswhich may arise during the on-site certification audit. The audit plantakes into consideration the audit report and action plan relating to theprevious certification audit. It also specifies which of the company’sbusiness activities are to be audited.The company can only be auditedat a time when it is actually performing the activities specified in thescope of the audit.The audit is made up of the following five elements:

the opening meeting–

the evaluation of the status of existing quality and safety sys-–tems; achieved by checking documentation

the on-site inspection– of the brokers business premises andinterviewing of the personnel

the final preparation of conclusions drawn from the audit–

the closing meeting.–

The companywill assist the auditor during the audit.As part of the audit,personnel from different levels of management are interviewed. It isadvisable that the company’s senior managers are present at the open-ing and closing meetings so that any deviations and non-conformitiescan be discussed and corrective actions initiated.



The auditor who conducts the audit will assess all the requirements ofthe IFS Broker which are relevant to the company’s structure.

During the closing meeting, the auditor presents all findings and dis-cusses all deviations and non-conformities which have been identified.As specified by the norm EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65, the auditor mayonly issue a provisional assessment of the company’s status during theclosing meeting. The certification body shall issue a provisional auditreport and outline action plan to the company, which shall be used as abasis for drawing up corrective actions for the determined deviationsand non-conformities.

The senior management of the certification body can only make thecertification decision and prepare the formal audit report after the receiptof the completed action plan.The issue of the certificate is dependent onthe audit results.

5.5 Evaluation of requirements

The audit assesses the nature and significance of any deviation or non-conformity. In order to determine whether compliance with a require-ment of the IFS has been met, the auditor has to evaluate every require-ment in the Standard.There are different ways to rank the findings.

5.5.1 Scoring a requirement as a deviation

In the IFS there are 4 scoring possibilities:

Scoring with:

A: Full compliance with the requirement mentioned in the Standard

B: Almost full compliance with the requirementmentioned in the Stand-ard, but a small deviation was found

C: Only a small part of the requirement has been implemented

D: The requirement in the Standard has not been implemented

Points are awarded for each requirement according to the followingchart:

Chart N° 1: Scoring

Result Explanation Points

A Full compliance 20 points

B (deviation) Almost full compliance 15 points

C (deviation) Small part of the requirement has been imple-mented

5 points

D (deviation) Requirement has not been implemented 0 points

The auditor shall explain all scorings with B, C and D in the auditreport.



In addition to this scoring, the auditor can decide to give the company a“KO” or a “Major” non-conformity that will subtract points from thetotal amount. These possibilities are explained within the next chap-ters.

5.5.2 Scoring a requirement as a non-conformity (ANNEX 4)

In the IFS there are also 2 kinds of non-conformities, which are “Major”and “KO”, and both will lead to a subtraction of points from the totalamount. If the company gets at least one of these non-conformities, thecertificate cannot be awarded.

The certificate shall be blocked in the IFS database by the certificationbody within 2 weeks after the audit.The reason for the blocking shall beinserted in English and the company shall be informed.The schedulingof the new audit depends on the audit result (ANNEX 4).

5.5.2.1 Major

A Major is defined as follows:When there is a substantial failure to meet the requirements of theStandard, which includes product safety and also the legal requirementsof the production and destination countries. A major can also be givenwhen the identified non-conformity can lead to a serious health haz-ard.

A major non-conformity can be given to any requirement which is notdefined as KO requirement.

A Major will subtract 15% of the possible total amount of points. .Thecertificate has to be blocked by the certification body in the IFS data-base (ANNEX 4).

Chart N° 2: Evaluation of a Major

Evaluation Scoring Result

Major 15% of possible total amount issubtracted

No certificate awarding ispossible

In case of a Major and ≥75% the new audit must be scheduled at thelatest 6 months after the audit where the Major was issued. In case of asystem Major the audit must be scheduled earliest 6 weeks after theaudit where the Major was issued.

In case of more than one Major and <75% a new audit must be sched-uled earliest 6 weeks after the audit where the Major was issued.



5.5.2.2 KO (Knock out)

In the IFS Broker there are specific requirements which are designed asKO requirements (KO – Knock out). If during the audit the auditor recog-nises that these requirements are not fulfilled by the company, thisresults in non-certification, withdrawal of the certification or suspen-sion.

In each case the audit shall be completed and all requirements shall beevaluated in order to give the company a complete overview about itssituation.

In cases when a KO has been identified, this will lead to a complete newaudit in which demonstrable evidence of compliance has to be shown.The new audit shall be scheduled not earlier than 6 weeks after theaudit where a KO was issued.

In the IFS the following 9 requirements are defined as KO requirements:

1.2.3 Responsibility of the senior management

2.1.1 Risk management/HACCP

4.2.2 Customer specifications

4.3.1 Traceability system

5.1.1 Internal audits

5.4.2 Procedure for withdrawal and recall

5.5.1 Management of non-conforming products

5.6.2 Corrective actions

6.4.2 Product analyses – special analyses, required by the customer

KO requirements shall be evaluated according to the following scoringrules:

Chart N° 3: Scoring for KO requirement

Result Explanation Awarded scores



C (deviation) Small part of the require-ment is implemented

No “C” scoring is possible

KO (=D) The requirement is notimplemented

50% of the possible total amount ofpoints is subtracted => No certificateawarding is possible

Important!A “C” scoring is not possible for KO requirement. With respect to therequirement the auditor can only use A, B or D (= KO).

When a KO requirement has been scored as “D”, 50% of the possibletotal amount of points is subtracted, automatically meaning that thecompany is “not approved” for IFS Broker certification.



5.5.3 Scoring a requirement with N/A (not applicable)

When the auditor decides that a requirement is not applicable the audi-tor has to use:

N/A: Not applicable with a short explanation. In case one or severalrequirements are not applicable for a company, the auditor has the pos-sibility to score them with N/A and shall explain this in the audit report.N/A requirements shall not be included in the outline action plan, butthey shall be listed in a separate table in the audit report.

As there may be some requirements which are not applicable, using atotal point score for the audit may be misleading. The scoring systemfor the IFS Broker is instead based on a percentage of the total availablescore, and it is this which is used to decide the status of the site i.e.foundation or higher level.

Is requirement No 6.4.2 scored with N/A, are the certification body andthe auditor liable that no customer specifications are existent whichrequire product analyses. A willful deceit on the part of the supplierresultes in withdrawal of the certification.

5.6 Determination of the audit frequency

In the IFS Broker, Version 1, for all kind of products and for all certifica-tion levels, the same audit frequency will apply.The audit frequency forIFS audits is 12 months, starting from the date of the audit and not thedate of issue of the certificate.

Chart N° 4: Audit frequency

Level of certificate All products

Foundation level 12 Months

Higher level 12 Months

5.7 Audit report

Following each audit, a full written report shall be prepared in the agreedformat (see Part 4).

5.7.1 Structure of the audit report

The audit report shall provide transparency and confidence to the readerand will be completed by the auditor.The audit report is subdivided intodifferent sections.

audit summary with detailed description of the scope and a–general summary in a tabular format for all chapters.The resultof the audit will specify the level and percentage



observations on KO requirements and Majors–

a summary of all established deviations and non-conformities–for each chapter (1 to 5), including a short chapter summary

a separate list, (including explanations) of all requirements–evaluated with N/A (not applicable)

a detailed audit report.–

All deviations (B, C, D) and KO requirements scored with a B, noncon-formities (Major, KO requirement scored with a D) identified during theaudit are presented in a separate action plan.

Therefore the company has to produce a corrective action plan. In thisway, the reader of the report can see the non-conformities and also thecorrective actions that the company is initiating.

If a Major has been identified and resolved and if the audit result isfinally positive, the certification body shall mention on the audit reportthe requirement that led to the Major being issued.

5.7.2 The different steps for audit report completion

5.7.2.1 Drawing up the pre-report of the auditand the outline of the action plan

The auditor shall explain all non-conformities (KO requirements scoredwith a D andMajors), all deviations (B, C, D) and KO requirements scoredwith a B, and all requirements that are found N/A.

It is appreciated that sections of the report may be shortened or length-ened to meet specific reporting needs, but the overall format of thereport shall remain unchanged and comply with this specific require-ment.

The action plan shall include all the requirements which are not evalu-ated with A or N/A.The outline action plan shall conform to the AuditX-press software (IFS audit report writer assistant) outline action plan. Itshall include the elements of the following chart.

The outline action plan drawn up by certification bodies which do notuse the AuditXpress software shall conform to the AuditXpress layout.The auditor shall complete all of Field A in chart no. 5, explaining andjustifying the deviations and non-conformities findings before sendingthe company the outline action plan and the pre-report of the audit.

The certification body shall send the company both the pre-report of theaudit and the outline action plan within two weeks of the audit date.



The action plan is structured as followed:

Chart N° 5: Outline action plan

Numberof therequire-ment

IFS requirement Evalua-tion

Explanation(by theauditor)

Correctiveaction(by thecompany)

Responsibilitydate and status ofimplementation(by the company)

Release bythe auditor

Field A Field B Field C Field D

1.2.1 An organisationchart …

B

1.2.2 Competences andresponsibilities …

C

1.2.3 KO The senior manage-ment shall ensure …

KO/D

1.2.4 The company shallhave a system …

Major

2.1.1 KO The basis of thecontrol system …

KO/B

5.7.2.2 Company’s completion of the corrective action plan

The company shall enter proposed corrective actions (Field B of chartno. 5) for all deviations (B, C, D) and KO requirements scored with a Band non-conformities (Major, KO requirements scored with a D) listedby the auditor.

For all evaluated deviations with score C and D and non-conformities,Major or KO requirements scored with a B and/or a D, the companyshall clearly state the responsibilities and implementation deadlines(chart no. 5, Field C). The company shall forward the corrective actionplan to the certification body within 2 weeks of having received the pre-report of the audit and the action plan layout. If this deadline is notrespected, the company has to undergo a complete initial or renewalaudit.

An IFS certificate shall not be awarded unless the corrective actions forrequirements scored with a C or D, KO requirements scored with Bspecify responsibilities and implementation dates in the action plan.

It is emphasised that the corrective action plan communicated by thecompany to the certification body cannot have an influence on scoring,but its relevance can have an influence on the final decision of awardingthe IFS certificate.

The company shall always submit a written corrective action plan beforereceiving the final report and the certificate.The intention of the correc-tive action plan is for the company to strive for continuous improve-ments.

Remark: When a company is found to have at least one KO requirementscored with a D and as a result will not get the IFS certification,it is recommended to complete the action plan for improve-ment purposes.



5.7.2.3 Auditor validation of the action plan

The auditor or a representative of the certification body shall validatethe relevance of the corrective actions in the last column of the actionplan before preparing the final audit report (Field D of the chart no. 5). Ifthe corrective actions are not valid and relevant, the certification bodyshall return the action plan to the company for completion in due time.

5.7.3 Further rules about the audit report

5.7.3.1 Link between two consecutive audit reports(initial and renewal audits)

When the auditor scores a requirement with C or D, corrective actionsshall be implemented before the renewal audit. If not, the auditor hasthe possibility to score the requirement with a Major.This requirementensures that the certification body shall read the audit report and theaction plan of the previous audit, even if it was not in charge of it.

5.7.3.2 Translation of the audit report

As the IFS is used internationally, it is important that the customersunderstand the audit report language – in particular deviations and non-conformities identified by the auditor. To make use of the IFS interna-tionally and to make it widely understandable, the following explana-tions for deviations and non-conformities shall always be translatedinto English in the action plan (chart no 5, Field A):

KO requirements scored with a B or a D.–

Requirements evaluated with a C or D–

Major non-conformities–

It is an obligation and the responsibility of the certification bodies totranslate these explanations. It is strongly recommended that the pro-posed corrective actions also be translated into English.The translationshall be made under each sentence of the original version and includedin the audit report, before uploading the final audit report to the auditportal.



5.8 Scoring, conditions of issuing audit report and certificate

Chart N° 6: Scoring and awarding of certificates

Audit Result Status Action company Report form Certificate

1. At least1 KO

Not approved Actions and newinitial audit to beagreed upon

Report givesstatus

No

2. >1 Majorand/or<75% ofthe require-ments arefulfilled


Report givesstatus

No

3. Max1 Majorand ≥75%of therequire-ments arefulfilled

Not approvedunless furtheractions taken

Send action planwithin 2 weeksof receiving thepreliminarilyreport. Follow-upaudit max.6 months afterthe audit date

Report includ-ing actionplan givesstatus

Certificate,dependingupon theresults of thefollow-upaudit

4. Total scoreis ≥75%and <95%

Approved atFoundationIFS Brokerlevel afterreceipt of theaction plans

Send action planwithin 2 weeksof receiving thepreliminarilyreport.


Yes, certifi-cate atfoundationlevel,12 monthsvalidity

5. Total scoreis ≥95%

Approved athigher IFSBroker levelafter receiptof the actionplan



Yes, certifi-cate at higherlevel,12 monthsvalidity

6 Awarding the CertificateA certificate shall be issued to one specific site or specific product groupsof that site.

6.1 Deadlines for awarding certificate

The certification body is responsible for the decision to award or notaward the IFS Broker certificate. The decision is made by person(s)(qualifikation according to Part III, 2.3) other than those who have car-ried out the audit. The certification shall be valid effectively from thedate of issue stated on the certificate itself and shall end after 12months.The date for the renewal audit shall be calculated from the date of theprevious audit, not from the date of issue of the certificate. If the auditis not performed in due time, the retailers will be informed via the auditportal.



The time between the date of the audit and the awarding of the certifi-cate is determined as follows:

2 weeks to draw up the pre-report of the audit–

2 weeks for the company to respond to the deviations and non-–conformities (i.e. draw up the action plan)

2weeks for the auditor to check the proposed corrective actions,–for the certification procedure and upload of the audit report tothe audit portal.

In total: 6 weeks between the date of audit and uploading the auditreport to the audit portal and awarding the certificate:

Target time: 6 weeks,–

Maximum time: 8 weeks (Duration IA => C in the following chart–No 9).

Chart N° 7: Certificate awarding


Foundation level 12 months

Higher level 12 months

6.2 The different steps of the certification process

Chart N° 8: Certificate validity – audit frequency: example of a classicalcertification cycle

The renewal audit shall be scheduled not later than 12 months after theprevious audit. As the maximum authorised period between an auditand the award of a certificate is 8 weeks, the previous audit reportremains a further 8 weeks on the audit portal. If the time spread betweenprevious audit and renewal audit exceeds 12 months, the report of theprevious audit will be removed from the IFS audit portal.

Important!If the auditor gives a KO or a Major non-conformity assessment in therenewal audit, the previous certificate becomes invalid immediately.(see Part 1, 5.5.2)

IA: Initial AuditDate of the initial audit(e.g. 12/02/2010)

CDate of award of the certificate

Certificate validity = 12 months

C + 12 months

IA + 12 monthsDate of the renewal audit, not later than(e.g. 11/02/2011)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3

Duration inmonths



6.3 The different steps of the certification processif a Major has been issued

When the auditor gives a major non-conformity assessment and 75%or more of the requirements have been met, a follow-up audit shall bescheduled within 6 months of the first audit.The certification process isas follows:

Chart N° 10: Certificate validity – audit frequency: follow up audit situa-tion

For the validity of the previous audit the same rules apply as describedin section 6.2.

7 Distribution and Storageof the Audit Report

Audit reports shall remain the property of the company and shall not bereleased, in whole or part, to a third party without the company’s priorconsent (except where required by law).This consent for distribution ofthe audit report must be in writing and can be granted by the companyvis-à-vis the certification body and/or vis-à-vis the retailer.The certifica-tion body will keep a copy of the audit report.The audit report shall bestored safely and securely for a period of five years.

8 Supplementary Action

The decision on the level of supplementary actions required on thebasis of the certificate shall be made at the discretion of the individualbuying organisation.

IA: Initial auditDate of the initial audit(e.g. 12/02/2010)

CDate of award of the certificate C + 12 months

IA + 12 monthsDate of the renewal audit, not later than(e.g. 11/02/2011)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5

Duration inmonths

FUA: Follow up audit(not later than 12/08/2010)

Result: a major non-conformity and> 75 % of requirements met

Certificate validity = 12 months



9 Appeal Procedure

The certification body shall have documented procedures for the con-sideration and resolution of appeals against the results of an audit.These procedures shall be independent of the individual auditor andwill be considered by senior management of the certification body.Appeals will be finalised within 20 working days of receiving informa-tion from the auditee.

10 Complaints

The certification body shall have documented procedures for handlingcomplaints received from the companies and/or other relevant parties.An initial response will be given within 10 working days of receiving thecomplaint. A letter confirming receipt of the complaint will be issuedwithin a maximum of 5 working days. A full written response will begiven after the completion of a full and thorough investigation into acomplaint.

The base for the complaint management is the IFS framework agree-ment.

11 Ownership and Usage of the IFS Logo

The copyright of the IFS Broker and the registered trademark is fullyowned by the “Handelsverband Deutschland HDE der Einzelhandel e.V.”,Berlin and the “Fédération des Entreprises du Commerce et de la distri-bution” (FCD), Paris. The IFS Logo can be downloaded via the securedpart of the IFS audit portal.

Terms and conditions for IFS certified companies – Use of the IFS logoand Communication about the IFS certification

ApplicationThese terms and conditions apply for all IFS logos (Food, Logistics, Bro-ker, etc.).

Form, design and colour of the IFS logoWhen used, the IFS logo must comply with the form and colour of thescale drawing. An IFS-certified company may – subject to the provisionsmentioned below – use the IFS logo in its documents.

The IFS logo can be used in printed, physical and electronic form, andin films, providing the forms and formats are respected.The same con-ditions apply to the use of the logo as a stamp.



Restriction of comment and interpretationWhen an IFS-certified company publishes documents bearing the IFSlogo, comments and interpretations referring to the IFS shall be clearlyidentifiable as such.

Use of the IFS logo in promotional materialAn IFS-certified company may use the IFS logo for promotional reasonsand publish information about its IFS certification provided that it is notvisible by the end-consumer: the IFS logo and the information about thecertification may be used in correspondence with suppliers and retail-ers, but not in correspondence with the end-consumer.

The IFS logo may not be displayed on vehicles, the food (and non-food)products themselves, or any kind of advertising document likely toreach the end-consumer (e.g. public exhibitions for end consumers,brochures). As for the particular case of websites which are not exclu-sively dedicated to professional use, the logo may appear only on webpages related to (food) quality and security.The IFS Standard was devel-oped by retailers in order to assure the product safety of their suppliers.The IFS is a communication medium between suppliers and retailersand will not be displayed or published in material intended for the pub-lic at large.

It must be ensured that all information concerning certifications refersclearly to the IFS.The IFS logo may not be used in presentations havingno clear connection to the IFS.

Further restriction on the use of the IFS logoThe IFS logo shall not be used in a way that could make believe that theIFS owners are responsible for the respect of certification require-ments.

Furthermore the same applies for opinions and interpretations whichcould be derived from it.

In case of suspension or withdrawal of the IFS certification, the certifiedcompany has to immediately stop the inclusion of the IFS logo on itsdocuments and stop the communication about IFS. Furthermore, theaudited company has to demonstrate that it has stopped using the IFSlogo in its documents.

Communication about the IFS certificationAll the above-mentioned rules apply to any communication about IFS.This also means that using the words “IFS”, “International FeaturedStandard”, “IFS Food”, “IFS Logistics”, “IFS Broker” or similar is notallowed.This, of course, includes the communication on finished prod-ucts, which are bought by the end consumer.



12 Review and further developmentof the Standard

The review committee needs to demonstrate control of the quality andcontent of the standard and will review the standard and the protocolafter one year to ensure that they are still in compliance with theirrequirements. The review committee shall be formed with all partici-pants involved in the audit process: the representatives of the retailers,representatives of the industry and of certification bodies. The reviewwill be carried out at least once a year.The objective of the review com-mittee is to share experiences, discuss and decide about the changes tothe Standard, the requirements of the audit report and the training.

13 Assessment of the Certification Bodiesby the Companies

All audited companies have the opportunity to give their feedback aboutthe auditor and the IFS.The evaluation forms can be completed onlinevia the IFS audit portal at the secure part for audited companies. Theresults of the assessment will be given to the certification bodies oncea year and will be part of the review committee discussions.



ANNEX 1: Demarcation IFS Food – IFS HPC –IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale –IFS Logistics – IFS Brokers

IFS Food is a standard for auditing companies that process food or com-panies that pack loose food products. IFS Food can only be used whena product is “processed or handled”, or when there is a hazard for prod-uct contamination during the primary packing.

IFS Food concerns:a) processing and working and/orb) handling of loose products and/orc) activities undertaken during the primary packing.

Examples:

The IFS Food product categories from 1 to 17 relate to food–processing;

The IFS Food product category 18 (co-packers) only relates to–activities undertaken during the primary packing or the han-dling of loose products when there is a hazard for product con-tamination (e.g. potato packing, packing of oranges and lem-ons, fish on ice);

IFS Food is applicable to temperature-controlled processes (e.g.–the transport of pig-halves, etc.), but it does not apply to pre-packed / primary packaged goods;

Handling of loose products, e.g. transport of loose bread in grid–boxes;

IFS Food is not applicable to companies that handle pre-packed–products.

IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale is the standard which covers all handlingactivities of loose and packed products in Cash & Carry markets orwholesale companies. It also includes processing activities when smallquantities of products are concerned (like minced meat).

The requirements of IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale are the same as IFSFood, but contain in addition guidelines on how to manage specificrequirements in Cash & Carry markets or wholesale companies. Fur-thermore, a multi-site-certification approach is possible under very spe-cific conditions (quantity of processing activities, number of stores,unannounced audits, etc.).

IFS HPC is a standard for auditing companies that process householdand personal care products, or companies that pack loose householdand personal care products. IFS HPC can only be used when a productis “processed” or when there is a hazard for product contamination dur-ing the primary packing.

The IFS Logistics is applicable to both food and non-food products andcovers all logistics activities, such as loading and unloading, transport,storage handling of packed products and further distribution.The stand-



ard can be applied to all types of activities; delivery by road, rail, ship,plane and every other type of transport (temperature controlled, with-out cooling, etc.).

Examples:

IFS Logistics covers logistics activities where the company has–a physical contact with primary pre-packed products (transport,packaging of pre-packed goods, storage and/or distribution,transport and storage of pallets).

IFS Logistics also concerns unpacked loose goods, bulk prod-–ucts and silo transport (e.g. oil, or grain) provided such goodsare not subject to any further handling (e.g. controlled-temper-ature transport) during the transportation and/or to any otherfood-safety criteria, such as microbiological processes (EU-VO2073/2005). These goods are loose goods, but they are subjectneither to processing nor to primary-packing activities.

If a food-processing company has its own logistics and/or trans-–port section, this is covered by the IFS Food standard in thechapters onTransport and Storage.

If logistics and transport activities are outsourced, IFS Logistics–is then applicable.

If the logistics platform is part of the food company and is–located in the same building or on the same grounds, and if thecompany or a customer on this basis wishes certification of thisplatform in keeping with IFS Logistics, an IFS Logistics auditcan be carried out. In this case the following requirements mustbe taken into account:

The logistics platform is for pre-packed goods only,•

In the case of two audits and certificates (IFS Food and IFS•Logistics) it must be clearly stated exactly where the relevantaudit area begins and ends,

The requirements of IFS Food as regards transportation and•storage must be taken into account in the context of the IFSFood audit,

An IFS Food audit must at any rate be carried out in the food•company, while IFS Logistics is an additional audit.

All relevant documentation must be available on the logis-•tics platform.

IFS Broker is intended to be applied to all companies primarily involvedin “trading activities“ and who select their own suppliers and purchaseor broker goods from these themselves or on behalf.They can organiselogistics themselves or with service providers. Brokers charge for thegoods themselves without necessarily coming into contact with theproduct.



Examples:

Companies, such as commercial agencies, brokers or other–enterprises that do not “see” the products, shall be auditedaccording to IFS Brokers.

If such a company has its own storage and transport activities,–these would be audited within the framework of certificationagainst IFS Logistic.

A company which buys goods and has these processed or–worked by a service company in its own name shall be certifiedagainst IFS Brokers.

The service company that works or processes the goods shall–be certified against IFS Food or IFS HPC (depending on theprocessed products).

The service company that transports, stores or performs any–other logistic activities with the goods, must be certified againstIFS Logistics.

Summary:

IFS Food a factory that processes or handles loose foodproducts.

IFS HPC a factory that processes or handles loose house-hold and personal care products

IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale a Cash & Carry and/or wholesale business that

trades its own loose and packed goods

IFS Logistics a company or service provider that handles packedgoods logistically.

IFS Broker a company that purchases goods, but does notnecessarily itself come into contact with the goodsand has these goods delivered directly to its cus-tomers.

Determining for the selection of the standard is the main business activ-ity of the respective company. If the scope of the selected standard isnot applicable for all activities, a completing standard must be used orit must be showed clearly in the certificate, which activities are in theaudit scope and which are not. All process steps which influence theproduct safety of the certified product must be within the scope ofthe selected standard (also if a combination of standards has to beselected).



ANNEX 2: Certification Process

Voluntary: Pre-Audit

Determination of theaudit date

Determination ofaudit times

Definition of theaudit scope

Action plan andpreliminary auditreport sent to

audited company

Corrective actions ofthe non-conformitieswhich have led to

the Major

3. Evaluation of the current status by the company

2. Ordering and readingof the respective copy of the IFS Standard

1. Decision by the company to be certifiedagainst the IFS Standard which is applicable

Validation of thecorrective actionsby the certification

body within6 months

5. Performance of the audit on-site at the determineddate by an auditor competent in the respective scope

Determination of1Major and particu-lar circumstances –Not approved before

further actions,temporary certificate

blocking

12. Awarding of certificate and sendingof the final report to the audited company

11. Certification decision, determinationof the certificate validity

9. Return of the fulfilled action planto the certification body (2 weeks)

8. Completion of the action plan and determination ofcorrective actions by the audited company (2 weeks)

13. Uploading of the audit data into the IFS audit portal(audit details, report and action plan)

by the certification body

Action plan andpreliminary auditreport sent to

audited company

Determination ofMajors, KO – Audit

not approved,certificate blocking

Voluntary comple-tion of the actionplan and return to

the certification body

Finalisation of theaction plan and

report –upload into the IFS

audit portalNo certificate

4. Selection by the company of the IFS certification body(accredited and approved). Quotation, decision and

signature of contract

6. Closing meetingInformation about the determined non-conformities

Opening meeting – Evaluation of the documentation – Site assessmentand interviews of employees – Creation of the audit conclusions

7. Preparation of a preliminary audit report andpreparation of action plan (2 weeks)

10. Proofreading and checking by the certification body

14. Three months before the audit expires, a reminderwill be sent to the company by the IFS audit portal

for scheduling a new audit with the certification body.The audit shall be scheduled no later than the renewal

audit date scheduled in the certificate.



ANNEX 3: Scope of the IFS Broker

If the broker trades food products, the product categories of the IFSFood shall be used.

On the certificate and in the audit report, it shall be specified that theused standard is IFS Broker, and then the product category(ies) of IFSFood shall be mentioned.

Table No 11: Product categories of the IFS Food, applicablefor IFS Broker

IFS FoodNo of Product Category

Name of IFS Food Product Category

Product Category 1 Eggs

Product Category 2 Red Meat – Chilled and Frozen

Product Category 3 Poultry – Chilled and Frozen

Product Category 4 Fish – Chilled and Frozen

Product Category 5 Fruits andVegetables (produce)

Product Category 6 Dairy

Product Category 7 Meat Products and preparations

Product Category 8 Fish Products and preparations

Product Category 9 Ambient stable hermetically sealed products(canned products)

Product Category 10 Ready to eat

Product Category 11 Beverages

Product Category 12 Bakery and baked products

Product Category 13 Dried goods

Product Category 14 Confectionery

Product Category 15 Snacks and breakfast cereals

Product Category 16 Oils and fats

Product Category 17 Food ingredients

If the broker trade household and personal care products, the productscopes of the IFS HPC shall be used.

On the certificate and in the audit report, it shall be specified that theused standard is IFS Broker, and then the products scopes of IFS HPCshall be mentioned.



No. and Name of IFSHPC Product Scope

Examples

1. Cosmetics All the products described in the cosmetic legislation(e.g. shampoo, toothpaste, lubrication strip of shavers,washable temporary tattoos, cosmetic wipes, make-upfor dolls or children, skin patches and substances appliedwith skin-patches, etc.)

2. Household chemicalproducts

=> Cleaning and polishing products, as well as impreg-nated products intended for household and car activities(e.g. detergents, all products intended for cleaningactivities, liquid or wipes, window cleaners, etc.). It alsoincludes specific cleaning products e.g. products forswimming pools.=> Products and materials that are intended to improvethe air odour (e.g. air freshener sprays or aerosols,candles, etc.)=> Insecticide products.

3. Housekeepingproperties

=> Materials and articles described in Regulation (EC)N° 1935/2004, which are intended to come into contactwith food (e.g. plastic and paper cups/forks/plates,aluminum foils, products for “daily use”, etc.)=> Other kinds of materials and articles (e.g. sponges,plastic bin liners, etc.)

4. Personal hygiene => Products or materials that are intended for humanbody care, except cosmetic products (e.g. hair brushes,shavers, tissues, some class 1 medical devices, nappies,feminine hygiene, wigs, artificial lashes, artificial nails,jewellery, etc.)=> Products or materials that are intended to come intocontact with the inside of the mouth (e.g. toothbrushes,dental floss, toothpicks/plastic sticks, etc.)


ANNEX 4: Flow chart for KO and Major

1 Major und ≥75%of the requirements

are fulfilled

15% of the possibletotal amount of points

is subtracted

Send preliminaryreport

Send action planwithin two weeksafter receiving thepreliminary report

Uploading report inthe IFS database

Timeperiod to thenext audit

Positiveaudit result



Uploadingreport in the IFS

database


database


database

Send action planand

preliminary report


Initial audit(earliest after

6 weeks in caseof a system Major)

Initial audit,if >6 monthsbetween audit,

where Major wasissued and next

audit

Follow-up audit,at the latest 6 months

after audit, where Majorwas issued (earliestafter 6 weeks in caseof a system Major)

Send action planand

preliminary report


Initial audit(earliest after

6 weeks in caseof a system Major)

15% of the possibletotal amount of points

is subtracted

Not approved, temporarily no certificateunless further actions taken

Blocking of the certificate,inserting of the reasonin English in the IFS

database and informationof the company by

the certification bodywithin two weeks after

the audit

>1 Major and <75%of the requirements

are fulfilled

Not approved,no certificate




the audit

≤1 Major

Not approved,no certificate




the audit

Audit result

IFS Broker Audit



Part 2: Requirements of the IFS Broker

1 Senior Management Responsibility

1.1 Corporate policy/Corporate principles

1.1.1 The senior management shall draw up and implement cor-porate policy.This shall consider as a minimum:

customer focus–

environmental responsibility–

ethics and personnel responsibility–

product requirements (includes: product safety, quality,–legality, process and specification).

The corporate policy shall be communicated to allemployees.

1.1.2 The company shall ensure that all relevant information iscommunicated effectively and in a timely manner to the rel-evant personnel.

1.1.3 The company shall assign the responsible person for theexternal communication (crisis management, authoritiesand communication with media).

1.2 Corporate structure

1.2.1 An organisation chart shall be available showing the struc-ture of the company.

1.2.2 Competences and responsibilities, including deputisation ofresponsibility shall be clearly laid down.

1.2.3 KO: The senior management shall ensure that employeesare aware of their responsibilities and that mechanisms arein place to monitor the effectiveness of their operation.

1.2.4 The company shall have a system in place, to ensure that itis kept informed of all relevant legislation on food, feed ornon-food safety issues, scientific and technical develop-ments and industry codes of practice.



1.3 Management review

1.3.1 Senior management shall ensure that the quality manage-ment system is reviewed at defined periods.

1.3.2 This review shall include measures for the control of thequalitymanagement systemand for the continuous improve-ment process.

2 Quality Management System

2.1 Risk Management/HACCP

2.1.1 KO:The basis of the control system for product safety shallbe a systematic and comprehensive risk management/HACCP concept on the base of the documentation system-atic of CodexAlimentarius. In addition statutory provision ofthe countries of production and destination shall be takeninto account. The risk management concept relates to therespective production location.

a. Flow diagram embracing all relevant levels of the broker-age transaction.

b. Risk description

c. Measures to control the identified risk

d. The steps referred to under points a)–c) shall be docu-mented.

The risk assessment shall be regularly checked and if neces-sary reworked/updated. The risk assessment shall consideralso GMO and Allergens. The risk assessment shall be car-ried out by persons with adequate knowledge of the proc-esses and products involved. If this knowledge is inadequate,appropriate qualification measures shall be taken.

2.2 Documentation requirements

2.2.1 The quality system for quality assurance and food safety/product safety shall be documented and implemented, andshall be retained in one location.

2.2.2 A procedure shall exist for the control of documents andtheir amendments.



2.2.3 All documents shall be clearly legible, unambiguous andcomprehensive. They shall be available to relevant person-nel at all times.

2.3 Record keeping

2.3.1 All relevant records, necessary for the product requirementsshall be complete, detailed and maintained and shall beavailable on request.

2.3.2 Records shall be legible and genuine. They shall be main-tained in a way that subsequent manipulation of records isprohibited.

2.3.3 All records shall be kept in accordance with legal require-ments. If these are not specified, records shall be kept for theduration of the shelf life in order to make verification possi-ble. For products which have a very short or no shelf life,record keeping shall be based on a hazard analysis.

3 Resource Management

3.1 Human resources management

3.1.1 All personnel performing work that affects product safety,legality and quality shall have the required competence byeducation, work experience and/or training.

3.2 Training

3.2.1 The company shall put in place training programs in respectof the product requirements and the training needs of theemployees. The company provides at least an overviewabout necessary trainings.

4 Services Process

4.1 Contract review

4.1.1 All customer requirements relating to the products, qualitymanagement systems and delivery at the customer shallhave been defined and understood before a written supplyagreement is concluded.The company shall review whetherall aspects of customers’ requirements have been satisfied.



4.1.2 There shall be records showing how changes to the existingcontractual agreements are agreed and communicated.

4.1.3 It shall be ensured, that the specific quality requirements ofcustomers are communicated to the supplier and the pre-liminary stage.

4.2 Product specifications

4.2.1 Specifications shall be available for all final products and, ifnecessary (e.g. retail brand) be agreed upon in writing withcustomers. The specifications shall be up to date, unambi-guous, available and always in conformance with legalrequirements.

4.2.2 KO:The customer specification shall be complied with.

4.2.3 There shall be a procedure for the amendment and approvalof specifications for all relevant parts of the process.

4.3 Traceability (including GMOs and allergens)

4.3.1 KO:There is a traceability system.This enables identificationon the basis of the labelling of the goods, which ensurestraceability to the individual producers and batches, as wellas to the customers supplied.

4.3.2 The traceability system shall be tested, documented and,where appropriate, adapted at defined intervals to verifytraceability in both directions of flow (from delivered prod-ucts to raw material, and vice versa), including quantitychecking.

5 Measurements, Analysis, Improvements

5.1 Internal audits

5.1.1 KO: Internal audits shall be conducted according to an agreedplan. Scope and frequency shall be defined by hazard analy-sis. Internal audits shall be carried out at least once a year inall departments.

5.1.2 Audit results shall be communicated to responsible personsof departments concerned. Necessary corrective actions anda schedule for implementation shall be defined and docu-mented and communicated to every relevant person.



5.1.3 It shall be documented how and when the corrective actionsresulting from the internal audits shall be verified.

5.2 Product quarantine and product release

5.2.1 A procedure shall be in place, based on a hazard analysis, forthe quarantine and release of all raw materials, semi-pro-cessed and finished products, processing equipment andpackaging materials. The procedure shall ensure that onlyproducts and materials conforming to product requirementsare processed and dispatched. Clear control rules shall beapplied for allowing product release.

5.3 Management of complaints from authorities andcustomers

5.3.1 A system shall be in place for the management of productcomplaints.

5.3.2 All complaints shall be assessed by competent staff. Whereit is justified, appropriate actions shall be taken, if necessary,immediately.

5.3.3 Complaints shall be analysed with a view to implementingpreventive actions, which avoid the recurrence of the nonconformity.

5.3.4 The results of complaint data analysis shall be made avail-able to the relevant responsible persons and to the seniormanagement.

5.4 Management of incidents, product withdrawal,product recall

5.4.1 A crisis management procedure shall be defined, imple-mented and maintained. This includes as a minimum thenomination and the training of a crisis team, an alert contactlist, sources of legal advice (if necessary), contacts reachabil-ity, customer information, product withdrawal and/or recalland a communication plan, including information to con-sumers.

5.4.2 KO:There shall be an effective procedure for the withdrawaland recall of all products, which shall ensure that involvedcustomers are informed, as soon as possible.This procedureshall include a clear assignment of responsibilities.



5.4.3 The product withdrawal and recall procedure shall includeupdated emergency contact details (such as names andphone numbers of suppliers, customers and competentauthorities).

5.4.4 The feasibility, effectiveness and timeliness of implementa-tion of the withdrawal procedure shall be subject to regularinternal testing, based on a hazard analysis but carried out atleast once a year. This shall be carried out in a manner toensure the effective implementation and operation of theprocedure.

5.5 Management of non-conforming products

5.5.1 KO: A effective procedure shall exist for the management ofall non-conforming products.

5.5.2 This shall include, as a minimum:

isolation/quarantine procedures–

risk assessment–

identification (e.g. labelling)–

decision about the further use (e.g. release, rework/post–treatment, blocking, quarantine, rejection/disposal)

information about the process chain–

5.5.3 The responsibilities shall be clearly identified. The rules ofthe procedure for the management of non-conforming prod-ucts shall be understood by all relevant employees.

5.5.4 In case of the presence of non-conformities there shall beimmediate action in order to ensure that the product require-ments are in place.

5.6 Corrective actions

5.6.1 A procedure shall be in place for the recording and analysisof the non-conformities with the objective of avoiding recur-rences by preventive actions and/or corrective actions.

5.6.2 KO: Corrective actions shall be clearly formulated, docu-mented and undertaken, as soon as possible to prevent fur-ther occurrence of non-conformity. The responsibilities andthe timescales for corrective action shall be clearly defined.The documentation shall be securely stored, and easilyaccessible.



5.6.3 The performance of the implemented corrective actions shallbe documented and the effectiveness shall be checked.

6 Special requirements: Broker

6.1 Product development

6.1.1 The company shall have an implemented procedure forproduct development that takes into account risks and pat-ents and that demonstrates that all existing and new prod-ucts are designed to meet legal requirements.

6.1.2 Product formulation, manufacturing processes and the fulfil-ment of product requirements shall have been ensured byfactory trials and product testing.

6.1.3 Shelf life tests shall be carried out taking into account prod-uct formulation, packaging, manufacturing and storage con-ditions. “Use by” or “Shelf life” dates shall be establishedaccordingly.

6.1.4 The company shall conduct appropriate studies and tests inorder to investigate compliance with microbiological criteriawithin the shelf life.

6.1.5 Recommendations for preparation and/or use of the prod-ucts shall be established. If appropriate, customer require-ments shall be included.

6.1.6 The progress and results of product development shall beproperly recorded.

6.1.7 Product development shall consider the results of organolep-tic assessments.

6.2 Purchasing

6.2.1 Purchased products and services shall conform to currentspecifications and contractual agreements.

6.2.2 There shall be records to identify which product is sourcedfrom which supplier.

6.2.3 There shall be a procedure for the approval and monitoringof suppliers (internal and external), outsourced productionor part of it.This is also valid for outsourced services.



6.2.4 It is strongly recommended that the approval and monitor-ing procedure contains clear assessment criteria such as:audits, certificates of analysis, supplier reliability and com-plaints, as well as required performance standards based ona hazard analysis. If an IFS standard exists for the productcategory (IFS Food, IFS HPC), the manufacturer of the (food,HPC or non-food) product who works for the broker shall beIFS-certified, unless the client (the retailer) has expressivelyaccepted other conditions.

6.2.5 The results of suppliers’ assessments shall be reviewed reg-ularly.

There shall be records of the reviews and of the actions takenas a consequence of assessment.

6.2.6 The purchased products and services shall be checked inaccordance with the existing specifications.The schedule ofthese checks shall take into account the product require-ments, supplier status and the impact of raw materials onthe finished product. When several suppliers provide thesame product to one customer, these suppliers shall havethe same level of production handling.

6.3 Product packaging

6.3.1 The company shall ensure that all packaging complies withthe current relevant legislation.

6.3.2 Detailed specifications shall exist for all packaging materi-als.

6.3.3 The conformity of the product with its labelling shall bereviewed each time before a new label is issued for use. Suchreview shall take into account the product requirements andparticular relevant legislation in the designated countries,where the product is to be marketed.

6.3.4 The conformity of the product with its labelling shall be con-tinuously ensured during the trading process.

6.4 Product analysis

6.4.1 There shall be procedures ensuring that all specified productrequirements are met, including legal requirements andspecifications. Microbiological, physical and chemical analy-sis required for that purpose shall be performed internallyand/or subcontracted.



6.4.2 KO:Where special analyses are demanded by the client/cus-tomer, they shall be defined in a testing plan and performedaccording to the defined requirements.Test results are avail-able at the company site. Analyses, which are relevant forthe food safety or risk management (non-food), shall be per-formed by an accredited laboratory (ISO 17025). If the analy-ses are performed by a factory internal or non-accreditedlaboratory, the results shall be verified on a regular basis byan accredited laboratory.

6.4.3 A test plan shall be drawn up for internal and external analy-sis, based upon a hazard analysis which covers raw materi-als, semi-processed and finished products aswell as process-ing equipments and packaging materials, and wherenecessary environmental tests.The test results shall be doc-umented.

6.5 Third-party logistics provider

6.5.1 If an organisation hires a third-party transport and/ or stor-age service provider, all the necessary requirements shall beclearly defined in a respective contract or the service pro-vider shall be subject to IFS Logistics requirements.

6.5.2 If the company has its own storage area or has own trans-portation services then these parts shall be certified accord-ing to IFS Logistics.



ANNEX

Glossary

Definitions which are not mentioned within the glossary can be foundin relevant regulations and directives. In relation to the terms usedwithin this document, the following definitions apply and shall berespected.

Allergen Food causing an adverse reaction that is caused by animmunological response. Defined allergens are:

Cereals containing gluten (i.e. wheat, rye, barley, oats,–spelt, kamut or their hybridised strains) and productsthereofCrustaceans and products thereof–Eggs and products thereof–Fish and products thereof–Peanuts and products thereof–Soybeans and products thereof–Milk and products thereof (including lactose)–Nuts i.e. almond (Amygdalus communis L.), hazelnut–(Corylus avellana), walnut (Juglans regia), cashew(Anacardium occidentale), pecan nut (Carya illinoiesis(Wangenh.) K. Koch), Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa),pistachio nut (Pistacia vera), macadamia nut andQueensland nut (Macadamia ternifolia) and productsthereofCelery and products thereof–Lupin and products thereof–Molluscs and products thereof–Mustard and products thereof–Sesame seeds and products thereof–Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations of more–than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre expressed as SO2.

Directive 2006/142 EC of 22 December 2006 amending Directive 2000/13/EC

as regards indication of ingredients present in foodstuffs (annex IIIa).

Assessor Person assigned by an accreditation body to perform,alone or as part of an assessment team, an assessmentof a Conformity Assessment Body.

Audit Systematic, independent and documented process forobtaining audit evidence and evaluating it objectively todetermine the extent to which the audit criteria are fulfilled.

Broker Broker are companies whose principal focus is “tradingactivities”. The present standard is applicable for broker whoarrange dealings between their customers and producers ofon food, health and care products. Broker select their ownsuppliers and purchase or broker goods from these them-selves or on behalf.They can organise logistics themselvesor with service providers. Brokers charge for the goodsthemselves without necessarily coming into contact with theproducts.

Calibration Set of operations that establish, under specified conditions,the relationship between values of quantities indicated by ameasuring instrument or measuring system, or valuesrepresented by a material measure or a reference material,and the corresponding values realised by standards.



CCP – CriticalControl Point

A step at which control can be applied and is essential toprevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to anacceptable level.

Company General organisation (whereas the site is a unit of thecompany)

Contamination Introduction or occurrence of a contaminant in products orproduct environment. Contamination includes: physical,chemical, biological contamination. Contamination can alsomean correlation of packages among themselves.

Corporate Company

Correction Action to eliminate a detected non-conformity or deviation.

Corrective action Action to eliminate the cause of a detected non-conformityor other undesirable situation.

CP – Control point Identified by the hazard analysis as essential in orderto control the likelihood of introduction or proliferationof a food safety hazard in the product and/or the environ-ment.

Customer A customer is a business company or person to whomproducts are sold either as finished product or as a semi-finished part of the finished product.

Deviation Non-compliance with a requirement but there is no impacton food safety related to products and processes. In the IFS,deviations are requirements scored with a B, C or D and KOrequirements scored with a B.

End consumer The ultimate consumer of a product who will not use theproduct as part of any business operation or activity.

Factory inspection(versus internalaudits)

Factory inspection covers specific subjects and can becarried out by any appropriate person.That means regularvisits to any areas, for any purposes, to check the conform-ity (hygiene, pest control, product control, fabrication,foreign body hazards, surrounding control etc.).

Food/product safety Assurance that food/a product will not cause harm to theconsumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to itsintended use.

Internal audit General process of audit, for all the activity of the company.Conducted by or on behalf of the company for internalpurposes.

Flow diagram A systematic representation of the sequence of steps oroperations used in the production or manufacture of aparticular, defined item.

GMO An organism, with the exception of human beings, in whichthe genetic material has been modified otherwise thannatural multiplication or natural recombination.

HACCP A system which identifies, evaluates and controls hazardswhich are significant for food safety.

Hazard A biological, chemical or physical agent in, or conditionof, food with the potential to cause an adverse healtheffect.

Hazard analysis The process of collecting and evaluating information onhazards and conditions leading to their presence to decidewhich are significant for food safety and therefore should beaddressed in the HACCP plan.



Head officeassessment

Assessment of the Conformity Assessment Body HeadOffice.

MSDS (MaterialSafety Data Sheet)

The safety data sheet information is principally intended foruse by professional users and must enable them to take thenecessary measures as regards the protection of health,safety and the environment at the place of work.The safetydata sheet may be supplied on paper or electronically,provided that the addressee has the necessary means ofreceiving it.

Non-conformity Non-fulfilment of a specified requirement. Non-conformitycan be given in non-respect of legislation, law, food safety,internal dysfunctions and customer issues. In the IFS,defined non-conformities are Majors and KOs scored witha D.

On-site observation Shall be organised by the certification body, under theIFS trainer responsibility, before the auditor applies for theIFS examinations.The auditor is accompanied by someonefrom the certification body during the audit in order toevaluate his/her competence. Shall be an audit related tofood companies, for an EN 45011 / ISO IEC Guide 65 stand-ard. On the application file of the auditor (sent afterwards tothe IFS offices), the certification body shall specify the nameof the company, audit date and name of the person whoevaluated the auditor.

Procedure Specified way to carry out an activity or process. Proceduresshall be implemented and the elaboration of procedures canbe done by documents or process description (e.g. flow-chart).

Product Result of a process or activities transforming inputs intooutputs. Products include services.

Product recall Any measure aimed at achieving the return of a dangerousproduct that has already been supplied or made available toconsumers by the producer or distributor.

Productrequirement

Product requirement includes: product safety, productquality, product legality, process and specification.

Product withdrawal Any measure aimed at preventing the distribution, displayand offer of a product dangerous to the consumer.

Retailer Business which sells products directly to the final consumer.

Risk A function of the probability of an adverse health effect andthe severity of that effect, consequential to a hazard(s) infood.

Risk analysis A process consisting of three components: risk assessment,risk management and risk communication

Senior management Executive management

Services See definition of product.

Site The unit of the company that is covered by the scope of theaudit.

System Set of interrelated or interacting elements. System is aplanned, sustainable structured course of action. Dependingon the complexity, documentation is recommended. Systemincludes: documentation, procedure description, control/monitoring, corrective action and site plan.



Traceability Ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producinganimal or substance intended to be, or expected to be,incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages ofproduction, processing and distribution.

Validation Confirmation through the provision of objective evidencesthat the requirements for the specific intended use orapplication have been fulfilled.

Verification Confirmation through the provision of objective evidencesthat specified requirements have been fulfilled.

Witness assessment Assessment of the Conformity Assessment Body when it iscarrying out conformity assessment services within itsscope of accreditation.



Part 3: Requirements for AccreditationBodies, Certification Bodies andAuditorsIFS accreditation and certificationprocess

0 Introduction

IFS certification is a product and process certification scheme. All bod-ies involved shall comply with the international rules and IFS-specificrequirements described in this document. Part 3 of the IFS Standarddeals mainly with accreditation bodies, certification bodies and audi-tors.

To conduct audits according to IFS Broker the certification body musthave an accreditation according to IFS Food or IFS HPC. Additionallythey shall have an approval for IFS Broker.

Chart N° 11: The relationships between the parties involved in productand process certifications, and the relevant rules

1 Requirements for the Accreditation Bodies

1.1 General requirements

The accreditation bodies shall fulfil the requirements of the ISO/IEC17011 norm “Conformity assessment – General requirements Accredita-tion Bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies”, and shall havesigned the MLA (Multilateral Agreement) of the EA or IAF.

International Accreditation Forum (IAF)European Accreditation (EA)

Accreditation bodies

Certification bodies

Accreditation (assessment)

Certification (audit)

Supplier

ISO/IEC 17011

EN 45011(ISO/IEC Guide 65)

Supplier Supplier Supplier



1.2 The training of the accreditation committee(or competent person)

Decisions on accreditation can only be made following a recommenda-tion of a competent person or accreditation committee. The person incharge, or at least one member of the accreditation committee, shallhave taken part in an IFS training session (“Train theTrainer” course) –organised by the IFS or shall be able to demonstrate an equivalentknowledge level as confirmed by IFS. In case of a committee, the trainedperson provides the other members of the accreditation committee withthe necessary information.This information is based on the main pointsof the “Train theTrainer” course with the main emphasis on Part 1 (IFSaudit protocol), Part 3 (requirements for accreditation bodies, certifica-tion bodies and auditors), Part 4 (audit report, certificate) and the audi-tors’ approval process for IFS.

1.3 Competences of the assessor of the accreditation body

The assessor of the accreditation bodies is responsible for the follow-ing:

accompanying IFS auditors during registered IFS audits (wit-–ness assessment),

assessing the head office of the certification body (head office–assessment) according to the EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 rulesand IFS-specific requirements

In general, the assessor shall meet EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 and IFSrequirements. Furthermore, assessors shall have either experience inthe food/feed or household and personal care processing industry. Spe-cifically, assessors who accompany IFS Broker auditors during IFS reg-istered audits shall, at a minimum, have taken part in the IFS Food or inthe IFS HPC course and in the IFS Broker course or shall be able to dem-onstrate an equivalent knowledge level as confirmed by IFS.

1.4 Frequency of the assessments of certification bodies

For initial and renewal assessments, a head office assessment and atleast one witness assessment shall be performed. During the surveil-lance of the accreditation cycle:

a minimum of one head office assessment a year,–

a minimum of one witness assessment every 2 years shall take–place.

Remark: a flexibility of 3 months at the maximum can be allowed forthe interval between 2 assessments, according to the accredi-tation body rules.The accreditation body shall, wherever pos-sible, select two different certification body IFS auditors withdifferent scopes for consecutive witness assessments.



1.5 Accreditation of an internationally activecertification body

The witness assessments shall cover the typical activities (includinginternational activities and critical locations) of the certification body.

2 Requirements for the Certification Bodies

Certification bodies intending to perform IFS audits shall comply withthe following rules. The prescribed tender procedure for certificationbodies is supplied by the IFS.

2.1 EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 IFS accreditation process

The certification body shall be accredited for IFS according to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 by an IAF or EA recognised accreditation body (seesection 1.)

Certification bodies in the process of IFS accreditation to EN 45011/ISOIEC Guide 65 may organise the witness assessment before havingachieved accreditation status. They shall demonstrate that they areactively applying for EN 45011 (ISO/IEC Guide 65) accreditation.

In general, certification bodies willing to perform:

IFS Broker audits for household and personal care brokers shall–have the accreditation for IFS HPC,

IFS Broker audits for food brokers shall have the accreditation–for IFS Food.

Further the certification body shall have an approval for IFS Broker.The certification body can start auditing brokers as soon as trained audi-tors are available.

2.2 Signing of contract with the proprietors of the IFS

After having applied for IFS accreditation to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65,the certification body shall sign an initial contract provided by IFS inwhich it commits to meet all the IFS requirements.

After having gained IFS accreditation to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65, thecertification body shall, in order to be allowed to perform IFS audits andto issue certificates, sign a final contract with the proprietors of the IFS.The certification body is not authorised to perform IFS audits and toissue certificates (except the first witness assessment during the accred-itation process) before having signed this contract.



2.3 Certification decision

The decision concerning the certification can only be taken followingthe recommendation of a competent person or a certification commit-tee.The person in charge, or at least one member of the committee whois responsible for assessing the audit reports, shall be an approved IFSauditor and/or an IFS trainer and shall be independent of the personwho performed the audit.

According to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65, the final certification decisionshall be taken by the certification body and shall not be subcontracted.The certification decision cannot be taken by a freelancer working forthe certification body.

If a committee is in charge of the certification decision, at least one of itsmembers shall be directly employed by the certification body, and beeither an IFS auditor and/or an IFS trainer.

2.4 Certification bodies’ responsibilities for IFS trainersand the IFS auditors (including freelancers)

Certification bodies have the following responsibilities:

To ensure that at least onemember of their staff is an IFS trainer–who has taken part in an IFS “Train the Trainer” course; thetrainer is responsible for the in-house training of all auditorsintending to become IFS Food auditors or who already are IFSauditors. Persons intending to become IFS trainers shall meetthe requirements mentioned in 2.5., or

Depending on the activity of the audited broker, to ensure that–at least one person has participated at the IFS HPC trainingcourse.

To ensure that the auditor is competent for the scope of the–audit and its execution. The certification body shall maintainthese competences (continuous supervision by the certificationbody) and shall monitor audit execution by on-site observation.Every auditor shall be monitored by on-site observation at leastonce every 2 years.

To maintain records of auditor competences.–

To ensure that no auditor has either acted against IFS rules, for–example acting as a consultant, or has been active in and/or onbehalf of the company being audited during the previous 2years. That is to say, during the certification process, no othercommercial and/or personal relationships are permittedbetween the auditee and the auditor.

To ensure that no auditor shall perform more than 3 consecu-–tive IFS audits of the same company.



To ensure that an auditor is employed by only one IFS certifica-–tion body for performing IFS audits and this for a period of notless than 12 months. In special cases, IFS offices shall be con-tacted and may allow exceptions.

To sign an audit order for each audit, this includes a statement–accepting all the above-mentioned requirements.

To organise a training session for IFS auditors once a year for–the purposes of sharing experience, calibration and updatingknowledge of legal requirements, and so on.

To perform an on-site observation of an auditor, under EN 45011/–ISO IEC Guide 65-related standards for food, or related to HPCfor HPC, to ensure the auditor’s competence (see glossary)before he/she has applied for the IFS examinations.The certifi-cation body shall state the date, the name of the audited com-pany where the on-site observation took place, and the name ofthe observer in the IFS examination application file. The min-utes of the on-site observation shall be provided on request tothe IFS in English, French or German.The trainer is responsiblefor choosing the right observer for this audit.

To include the name of the observer in the audit portal when–uploading the audit data, when it has scheduled specific on-siteIFS observation(s) according to chapter 4.7 of EN 45011/ISO IECGuide 65 on internal audits.

To be fully cognisant of the examination regulations provided–by the IFS offices.

The certification body is responsible for choosing an auditor with thecorresponding scope(s), language, competence(s) etc. for each IFSaudit.

2.5 Specific requirements for IFS trainers

IFS trainers shall have the following profile:

audit experience to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 standards,–including IFS audits,

knowledge of the– respective sector (food, HPC or Non-Food),

knowledge of– respective legislation (e.g. food legislation),

teaching skills,–

have taken part in a “Train theTrainer” course organised by the–IFS,

be fluent in writing and speaking the languages they will use–during training; they shall inform the IFS offices about the lan-guages they are able to use when teaching.



In order to keep his/her knowledge of the IFS up to date, each IFS trainershall take part in an IFS training seminar every 2 years.These seminarsare organised by the IFS. It is recommended that the IFS trainer takepart in the IFS written and oral examinations. The certification body isresponsible for selecting the relevant trainer.

Note: For IFS HPC, each auditor shall participate in a direct trainingcourse about IFS HPC.

2.6 “Train theTrainer” course

The “Train theTrainer” course for IFS Food is provided by the IFS.Whena new version of the standard is published, the certification body’strainer shall take part in the new“Train theTrainer” course organised bythe IFS and carry out in-house training of all the IFS auditors before thenew version comes into force.

In case of publication of new doctrines, the trainer shall train all IFSauditors before the doctrine comes into force. The certification body’strainer shall use this training material for in-house training. Followingthe “Train theTrainer” course, each trainer will receive a certificate con-firming his/her attendance of the course.

Note: The IFS HPC training course is only provided by the IFS.

3 Requirements for IFS AuditorsIn general, the auditors shall meet the requirements of chapters 7.2 and7.3.1 of ISO 19011.

3.1 Requirements before applying for the IFS examinations

Before applying for the IFS examinations, auditors shall have met thefollowing requirements:

They shall have signed a contract with the certification body–(see topic 4.4 of EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65),

They confirm to the certification body that, for a period of at–least 12 months, they will perform IFS-Food-audits only for therespective certification body and IFS-HPC-audits only for therespective certifiation body. They may, however, work for sev-eral certification bodies on other standards. In special cases,IFS should be contacted and may allow exceptions.

They shall have submitted all the relevant information about–their competence to the certification body.

The certification body shall have observed and confirmed the–professional qualification and competence of the auditors.



3.2 General requirements for auditors when applying forthe IFS examinations

Candidates applying for qualification as IFS auditors shall meet the fol-lowing requirements and provide evidence with the application docu-ments. An outline CV is available from the IFS.

Note: The requirements below apply for IFS Food auditors, but theequivalent requirements exist for IFS HPC auditors (see secondchart n° 12b).

a) Education in the food sector

1) A food-related university degree (bachelor’s and/or master’sdegree equivalents) and 2 years professional experience in thefood industry close to food production areas (quality, produc-tion, R&D, …).

or 2) If the candidate started directly as an auditor after completinghis/her food-related university degree then the candidate shallhave 5 years professional experience in the food processingindustry.

or 3) If the candidate has an university degree but not a food-relatedone, (bachelor’s and/or master’s degree equivalents) then thecandidate shall have 5 years professional experience in the foodindustry – close to food production areas (quality, production,R&D, …).

or 4) Professional education in food processing (high degree) and5 years professional experience in the food industry – close tofood production areas (quality, production, R&D, …).

b) General audit experienceA minimum of 10 complete audits shall have been performed by theauditor in the food processing industry during the previous twoyears.The audits shall have been carried out in different companies.

c) Food hygiene (including HACCP) trainingQualified training on the basis of the Codex General Principles forFood Hygiene.

d) Quality assurance and quality management knowledgePractical experience (during job experience) and/or theoretical skills(recognised training, part of the university degree, etc.).

e) Specific and practical knowledge per product scope that auditorsapply forAt least 10 audits under EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 accreditation and/or second party audits for retailers per scope, or at least 2 years pro-fessional experience in the food industry close to food productionareas for each product scope applied for.The audits shall have beencarried out in different companies.



f) LanguageIf an auditor intends to apply for a professional language (differentfrom the auditor’s native language), the IFS offices may request thathe/she take an oral examination in the language concerned.

g) IFS in-house trainingThe IFS in-house training materials shall be based on the materialsprovided by the IFS.The auditor shall have taken part in the in-housetraining (covering IFS, food-related legislation, food hygiene, …)undertaken by an authorised IFS trainer and organised by the certifi-cation body.The minimum duration shall be 2 days.The auditor shallbe competent in the language used during the training (native lan-guage and/or languages declared by the auditor in the IFS examina-tion application form).

Chart N° 12a: Requirements for application as an IFS Food auditor

Requirements IFSauditor

Explanations/remarks

Pre-application requirements

Contract ✓ Comply with EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65section 4.4 – have signed a contract with thecertification body

Certification body ✓ Perform IFS-Food-audits for only 1 certificationbody

Competence ✓ Supply the certification body with all relevantinformation relating to his/her competence.

Observation audit ✓ Pass an observation audit to confirm profes-sional qualification and competence

Application requirements

Education andminimum experience

✓ 1) A food-related university degree (bachelor’sand/or master’s degree equivalents) and2 years’ professional experience in the foodindustry close to food production areas(quality, production, R&D, …)

or2) Candidates who started directly as an

auditor after completing their food-relateduniversity degree shall show that they have5 years’ auditing experience in the foodprocessing industry.

or3) If the candidate has a university degree but

not a food-related one, (bachelor’s and/ormaster’s degree equivalents) then thecandidate shall have 5 years’ professionalexperience in the food industry – close tofood production areas (quality, production,R&D, …).

or4) Professional education in food processing

(high degree) and 5 years’ professionalexperience in the food industry – close tofood production areas (quality, production,R&D, …).



Requirements IFSauditor


General auditexperience

✓ A minimum of 10 complete audits shall beperformed by the auditor in the food process-ing industry during the previous two years.The audits shall have been carried out indifferent companies

Food hygiene(including HACCP)training

✓ Qualified training on the basis of the CodexGeneral Principles for Food Hygiene.

Quality assurance andquality managementknowledge

✓ Practical experience (during job experience)and/or theoretical skills (recognised training,part of the university degree, etc.).

Specific and practicalknowledge for eachapplied product scope

✓ At least 10 audits under EN 45011/ISO IECGuide 65 accreditation and/or second partyaudits for retailers per scope or at least2 years’ professional experience for eachproduct scope applied for.The audits shallhave been carried out in different companies.

Language ✓ Native language and other language(s) (detailsof experience shall be provided, e.g. auditsperformed in the language, trainings, etc.).

In-house training ✓ Participation in IFS in-house training providedby the certification body.



Chart N° 12b: Requirements for application as an IFS HPC auditor

Requirements IFSHPCauditor


Pre-application requirements

Contract ✓ Have signed a contract with the certification body

Certification body ✓ Perform IFS HPC audits for only 1 certificationbody

Competence ✓ Supply the certification body with all relevantinformation relating to his/her competence.

IFS HPC training ✓ Participation at an IFS HPC training providedby IFS

On-site observation ✓ Pass an on-site observation to confirm profes-sional qualification and competence

Application requirements

Education andminimum experience

✓ 1) A university degree in the chemicals,chemistry, process engineering sector orcomparable (bachelor’s and/or master’sdegree equivalents) and 2 years’ profes-sional experience in the household and/orpersonal care industry close to productionareas (quality, production, R&D, …)

or2) If the candidate started directly as an auditor

after completing his/her university degreethen the candidate shall have 5 years’ profes-sional auditing experience in the householdand/or personal care processing industry

or3) If the candidate has a university degree

different from 1), (bachelor’s and/or mas-ter’s degree equivalents) then the candidateshall have 5 years’ professional experiencein the household and/or personal careindustry – close to production areas (qual-ity, production, R& D, …)

or4) Professional education in household and/or

personal care processing (high degree) and5 years’ professional experience in thehousehold and/or personal care industry –close to production areas (quality, produc-tion, R&D, …)

General auditexperience

✓ At least 10 complete audits in the processingindustry during the previous two years.Theaudits shall have been carried out in differentcompanies.

Specific and practicalknowledge for eachapplied product scope

✓ At least 10 product-oriented audits in therelevant scope (incl. regulation and productspecification), e.g. under ISO/IEC Guide 65accreditation, second party audits for retailers,etc., or at least 2 years’ professional experi-ence in the household and/or personal careindustry close to production areas for eachproduct scope applied for.The audits shallhave been carried out in different companies.



Requirements IFSHPCauditor


Auditing practicestraining

✓

Good manufacturingpractices training

✓

Quality assurance andquality managementknowledge

✓ Practical experience (during job experience)and/or theoretical skills (recognised training,part of the university degree, etc.).

Language ✓ At least be fluent in English.

Remark: For the auditors who intend to perform IFS Logistic audits seeIFS Logistic standard, Part III, chapter I, sub chapters 2, 3, 4and 5.

The IFS is responsible for the technical validation of the auditor’s appli-cation files before they take part in the IFS examinations. If the auditor’sCV does not meet the above-mentioned requirements, the IFS mayreject the auditor’s examination application.

If the auditor does not show sufficient evidence for the product scopeshe/she is applying for, the IFS may reject the applications for the prod-uct scopes concerned.

3.3 IFS examination process

Auditors who comply with the requirements mentioned in chapters 3.1and 3.2 can take part in IFS written examinations. If successful, the audi-tor is officially authorised to perform IFS audits. The auditor is regis-tered on the audit portal, and a personal IFS auditor certificate is issued,valid for 2 years (starting from the day of passing the oral examination)for the product scopes for which the auditor is competent. This certifi-cate mentions the duration of validity, the name of the certification bodyand the auditor’s languages and product scopes.

The auditor cannot perform IFS audits when his IFS auditor certificateexpires.The certification body is responsible to schedule the participa-tions in the re-exams so that there are no gaps during the auditorapproval process.

During the IFS certificate’s period of validity, auditors shall be continu-ously trained by the certification body on food-related legislation, stand-ard requirements, audit practices etc.This training shall be documentedby the certification body.

Auditors shall be re-assessed after two years and thereafter at set inter-vals. Detailed regulation for examinations and the international IFSexamination schedules are provided by the IFS and are available onlineon the audit portal within the specific area which can be accessed bycertification bodies.



3.4 Scope extension for IFS-approved auditors

Auditors may, during the validity of their IFS auditor certificate, extendtheir product scopes by providing the same evidence as for the initialapproval.

Scope extension may not be requested in the first 12 months after theinitial IFS auditor approval.

The auditors can only perform IFS audits according to the scopes statedby IFS.

3.5 Scope IFS Broker for IFS-approved auditors

Auditors, who would like to undertake IFS Broker audits shall:

be approved as an IFS Food or IFS HPC auditor, depending on–the scope of the broker,

participate in a mandatory IFS Broker direct training course,–which is provided only by the IFS.

3.6 Change of the certification body

If an auditor changes from one certification body to another, the changehas to be confirmed by both certification bodies and by the auditor.



ANNEX 1: Scopes for Auditors

The following auditor scopes are only used for the approval of the IFSauditors. For the audit scope, the current 18 product categories shall beused.

Tabelle 13: IFS Food auditor scopes

Scope of theauditorIFS Food

Correspond-ing IFSproductcategory(ies)

Examples

1. Red andwhite meat,poultry andmeat products

Categories 2,3, 7

Red meat slaughtering plants – raw chicken – rawprepared poultry products – reconstituted rawchicken products e.g. nuggets - fresh cut meat –bacon – ham – meat pies – steaks – sausages –delicatessen – frozen meats – meat pâté – snails

2. Fish andfish products,frozen andchilled

Categories 4,8

Fish pâtés – fresh fish whole and filleted – fishcakes – frozen fish – molluscs – fresh fish soups –fried fish – sea products – ready-to-eat fishproducts.

3. Egg Category 1 Shell egg – fluid egg – coloured eggs – eggpacking stations

4. Ready toeat, fresh,chilled andfrozen

Category 10 Fresh pastries – frozen desserts (pies …) – sand-wiches – fresh convenience salads – fresh pastas –fresh and frozen pies and pizzas – fresh and frozencooked dishes – ice cream – water ice – tofu –quiches

5. Dairy Category 6 Yogurts – cream – milk – baby food milk and milkydesserts – milky desserts – fresh cheese – cheese –butter– processed milk products

6. Fruit andvegetables,fresh, dried,chilled andfrozen

Category 5 Dried vegetables - frozen vegetables (plain,cooked, puréed) – fresh and frozen purées – plaintomato sauce – fresh salads (green salad …) –dried fruit – fresh fruit – seeds, kernels and nuts(peanuts, pistachios …) – baby food purées andcompotes – fresh vegetables soups

7. Beverages Category 11 Fruit/vegetable juices – fruit beverages – syrups –baby food beverages – sodas – water – wine –liqueur – beer – cider – vinegar – tea/coffee ifalready liquid

8. Oils andfats

Category 16 Vegetable oils – mayonnaise – sauces with oil –margarine – cooking oils – low-fat spreads –ghee

9. Grainproducts,cereals,industrialbakery andpastry,confectionery,snacks

Categories12, 14, 15

Flour – chocolate – salted and sweet biscuits –pastries – crackers – extruded snacks – bread –rice – pastas – breakfast cereals – muesli – babyfood cereals – jam – marmalade – honey – crisps –candies – gums



Scope of theauditorIFS Food

Correspond-ing IFSproductcategory(ies)

Examples

10. Cannedproducts

Category 9 Canned vegetables* – vegetables condiments* –canned fruit* – canned soups** – canned meat(pâtés …) – canned fish – canned cooked dishes –cooked tomato sauces – mustard – ketchup – babyfood cooked dishes – pet food.(* Scope 6 also possible; ** Scope 7 also possible)

11. Driedgoods andother products

Categories13, 17

Coffee/tea – salt – sugar – dried sauces – driedsoups – dried ready meals – cocoa powder – babyfood milk powder – milk powder – dried purée –spices – pet food.

12. Co-Packers Category 18 Activity of packaging of loose products

Tabelle 14: IFS HPC auditor scopes

Scope of the auditorIFS HPC

Examples

1. Cosmetics All the products described in cosmetic legislation(e.g. shampoo, toothpaste, lubrication strip of shavers,washable temporary tattoos, cosmetic wipes, make-upfor dolls or children, skin patches and substances appliedwith skin-patches, etc.)

2. Household chemicalproducts

=> Cleaning and polishing products, as well as impreg-nated products intended for household and car activities(e.g. detergents, all products intended for cleaningactivities, liquid or wipes, window cleaners, etc.). It alsoincludes specific cleaning products e.g. products forswimming pools.=> Products and materials that are intended to improvethe air odour (e.g. air freshener sprays or aerosols,candles, etc.)=> Insecticide products.

3. Housekeepingproperties

=> Materials and articles described in Regulation (EC)N° 1935/2004, which are intended to come into contactwith food (e.g. plastic and paper cups/forks/plates,aluminum foils, products for “daily use”, etc.)=> Other kinds of materials and articles (e.g. sponges,plastic bin liners, etc.)

4. Personal hygiene => Products or materials that are intended for humanbody care, except cosmetic products (e.g. hair brushes,shavers, tissues, some class 1 medical devices, nappies,feminine hygiene, wigs, artificial lashes, artificial nails,jewellery, etc.)=> Product or materials that are intended to come intocontact with the inside of the mouth (e.g. toothbrush,dental floss, toothpicks/plastic sticks, etc.)

For IFS Logistics scope, an extra training course is mandatory.

For IFS Broker scope, an extra training course is mandatory.



Part 4: Reporting, AuditXpress Softwareand the IFS Audit portal

0 Introduction

After an IFS audit has been performed, a detailed and well-structuredaudit report shall be completed. In general, the language of the reportshall be the native or working language of the company. In special cases,where the native language of the retailers or purchasers is differentfrom the language of the company, an English language version of thereport could also be prepared. (See also the rules described in Part 1).

The IFS audit report shall be prepared according to the following for-mat.

1 Reporting

1.1 Audit overview (Annex 1)

The first part of the audit report shall contain the following generalinformation:

Audit detailsThe cover page of the audit report shall include

IFS Broker version,–

name and address of the certification body,–

the logo of the certification body, the certification body’s accred-–itation details

the name of the audited company or site.–

This first page shall give a summary of the most important audit reportitems and shall include:

name and address of the audited site–

name and address of the company (if headquarters)–

EAN, UCC Global Location Number, if available–

audit date–

time of the audit–

previous audit date–



the name of the certification body and the auditor who per-–formed the previous audit

details of the version of the standard–

audit scope (mandatory detailed descriptions of processes/–products)

IFS Broker/IFS Food product category(ies) or IFS HPC product–scope(s)

list of key personnel present at audit–

name and signature of the lead auditor–

result of the audit–

company profile (number of employees, size, structure etc.).–

Further explanations: scoring and frequency.

1.2 Audit report (Annex 2)

The audit report itself is structured as follows:

the result of the audit with level and percentage–

the date of the renewal audit/follow-up audit–

a summary of all chapters–

observations on KOs and Majors–

general summary table for all chapters–

a list of all established deviations and non-conformities for each–chapter (1 to 6), including a short chapter summary

a separate list, (including explanations) of all requirements–evaluated with N/A (not applicable)

a detailed audit report.–

1.3 Action plan (Annex 3)

The certification body describes and explains all established deviationsand non-conformities (KOs, Majors) in each chapter in the action plan,which has a specified format shown in the annex.

1.4 Minimum requirements for IFS certificate (Annex 4)

After successful completion of the IFS-Broker-Audit the certificationbody shall issue a certificate. For the purposes of international recogni-tion, and so as to be understandable, IFS certificates awarded by thecertification body shall include the following information at a mini-mum:



the name and address of the certification body, including its–logo

the logo of the accreditation body or its name and registration–number (requirement mentioned in the ISO/IEC Guide 65,G.12.7.) responsible for the IFS EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65accreditation,

the name and address of the audited company–

if the company is a subsidiary, the name of the company’s head-–quarters and, where possible, the packing code and the veteri-nary agreement number

auditor scope and product categories for the regarding Food-–or HPC- or Non-food products

level achieved–

date of audit (last day of audit)–

latest possible date for the next audit (renewal audit)–

certificate issue date–

certificate expiry date, i.e. 12 months after the date of issue the–certificate

place and date of signature–

name and signature of the director/the certification body’s per-–son responsible

IFS logo.–

Please note: theAuditXpress software includes a certificate format withthe minimum required content, but each IFS EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide65-accredited certification body may use its own layout, providing thatit includes these minimum requirements.

2 AuditXpress Software

In order to increase the standardisation of IFS reporting, AuditXpresssoftware has been developed; it offers the following advantages:

easy collection of audit data through a user-friendly interface–

production of quick and error-free IFS Food, IFS HPC, IFS–Broker, IFS Logistics and IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale auditreports

automatic evaluation of the audit results by dynamic computa-–tion of all relevant items

automatic generation of a standardised audit report–



temporary storage of interim audit data for later completion–

simple and secure export of completed audit reports to the IFS–Audit portal

simple exchange of audit files between the auditors and their–competent certification body

offline working, i.e. no permanent Internet connection required–

an update option provides constant access to the most recent–version of the IFS.

3 The IFS Audit portal and the IFS Database(www.ifs-certification.com)

Every IFS audit shall be uploaded to the IFS audit portal by the certifica-tion body.

There are 3 user groups which have access to the IFS database:

Certification bodies–

Certified companies–

Retailers–

The different groups’ access rights are as follows:

Certification bodies:

manage their certified companies and upload audit reports and–action plans

may block certificates in specific situations–

can manage all IFS audit dates via the diary function, enabling–retailers and companies to have a good overview of the sched-uled audits

manage their accounts–

download the IFS logo.–

Certified companies/suppliers:

have access to their own audit data–

have the possibility to unlock retailers for their achieved per-–centage, detailed audit report and action plan

have the possibility to complete their audit evaluation sheets to–provide feedback on the auditor’s on-site performance



download the IFS logo–

manage their certification bodie– s and autonomous change ofthe data in case of a change of the certification body

manage company personnel access (create sub-accounts) to–the audit data

search for other certified companies–

manage their suppliers using a “favourites” option.–

Access for the headquarters of certified companiesA “headquarter” access for certified companies can be set upwhich allows a company headquarters to administer all of theircertified sites through a single access point.

Retailers:

search for certified companies–

manage their certified companies via a “favourites” option.–

The user manuals for the IFSAudit portal are available on the respectivesecured area for each user group.

Security of the databaseThe security system used for the database is based on internationallyrecognised and commonly used security systems.

The retailer and certified companies’ access provide general informa-tion about all certified companies. If no further authorisation is grantedby the certified companies both user groups will be able to see the fol-lowing information only:

the company’s name and address–

the certification body’s name and address–

the auditor’s name–

the scope of the audit–

the date and duration of the audit–

the level achieved at the audit–

the IFS certificate’s date of issue and its validity–

By using their secure log-in access‚ the certified companies themselvescan give the authorisation for access to the following detailed informa-tion:

scoring details–

audit report and action plan.–

The retailers/certified companies automatically receive access to theunlocked data by the certified company after the data has been unlocked.Communication to retailers is via a secureWeb process which guaran-tees that only authorised retailers/certified companies can view specificdata of the certified companies/suppliers.



ANNEX 1

Cover page of the audit report

Logo of the certification body

IFS Broker,Version 1

Final Audit Report

Supplier: “Broker GmbH”

Date of audit: 02.02./03.02.2010

Address of certification body

Accreditation number of the certification body



First page of the audit report

IFS BrokerVersion 1, December 2009

Audit Overview

Audit details

Lead auditor:

Max Mustermann

Co-auditor:

Falk Lehmann

Signature of Leadauditor:

Max Mustermann

Date/time of currentaudit:

02.02.2010(09:00–18:00)

03.02.2010(16:30–20:00)

Date/time of previousaudit:

06.02.2009(09:00–18:00)

CB and auditor ofprevious audit:

TEST GmbH/FrankTest

Name and address of the company (or headquarter)

Broker AGHeinrich-Heine Allee12345WitzenhausenGermany

Name and address of the audited site

Broker GmbHMusterstraße12345WitzenhausenGermany

EAN Code/UCC Global Location Number

Phone:

0123456

Fax:

0123456789

Phone:

0123456

Fax:

0123456789

Scope of audit

Trading of fruits and vegetables (Food or HPC or Non-food)

IFS Broker/auditor scope(s)/product category(ies)

Audit participants

Name: Position: Openingmeeting

Documentationreview

Site assess-ment (Audit):

Closingmeeting

Mr. Quality QS X X X X

Mr. Manager GeneralManager X X

Mr.Transport TransportDepartment X X X

Final Result of Audit

As a result of the audit performed on 03.02.2010, “xyz” found that themethods applied by Broker GmbH for the above-mentioned scope oftrading comply with the requirements set out in the IFS Broker, Version 1,at Foundation Level.

Next audit in12 months

Company profile



Explanations regarding the audit report

Evaluation of requirements

Result Explanation Points



KO requirementscored with a B

Almost full compliance 15 points

C (deviation) Small part of the requirement has beenimplemented

5 points

D (deviation) Requirement has not been implemented 0 points

Major When there is a substantial failure tomeet the requirements of the standard,which includes the legal requirementsof the production and destinationcountries. A major can also be givenwhen the identified non-conformity canlead to a serious health hazard. A majorcan be given to any requirement whichis not defined as KO.

15% of the possi-ble total amount ofpoints is sub-tracted

KO requirementscored with a D

Knock-OutThe KO requirement has not beenimplemented

50% of the possi-ble total amount ofpoints is sub-tracted

N/A Not applicableRequirement not applicable for acompany

N/A requirementswill be excludedfrom the finalscoring



Scoring and awarding of certificates

Audit Result Status Action company Report form Certificate

At least 1 KO Not approved Actions and newinitial audit to beagreed upon

Report givesstatus

No

>1 Majorand/or <75%of therequirementsare fulfilled


Report givesstatus

No

Max 1 Majorand ≥75% ofthe require-ments arefulfilled

Not approvedunless furtheractions taken

Send action planwithin 2 weeksof receiving thepreliminarilyreport. Follow-upaudit max.6 months afterthe audit date


Certificate,Dependingupon theresults of thefollow-upaudit

Total score is≥75% and<95%

Approved atFoundationIFS Brokerlevel afterreceipt of theaction plans



Yes, certifi-cate atfoundationlevel,12 monthsvalidity

Total score is≥95%

Approved athigher IFSBroker levelafter receiptof the actionplan



Yes, certifi-cate at higherlevel,12 monthsvalidity

Audit frequency


Foundation level 12 Months

Higher level 12 Months



ANNEX 2


Audit Report

Result:The company “Broker GmbH” met the requirements of the IFS BrokerStandard, Version 1.

They passed at:Foundation (Higher) level

…%

Date of surveillance audit: 12 months

Summary:

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Seniormanage-mentrespon-sibility

Manage-mentsystem

Resourcemanage-ment

Productionprocess

Measure-ments,analyses,improve-ments

KO 0 0 0 0 0

Majors 0 0 0 0 0

A 4 0 0 0 0

B 0 0 0 0 0

C 0 0 0 0 0

D 0 0 0 0 0

N/A 0 0 0 0 0



Chapter 1: Senior management responsibility

Summary of all Chapter 1 deviations and non-conformities found:

No. Reference IFS requirements Evaluation Explanation

1. 1.1.1

2. 1.1.2

Chapter summary:

Report of the N/A evaluations


1.

Detailed audit report


1.

2.



ANNEX 3

Action plan

Name and address of the audited company

The Corrective Action Plan must be returned to the certification bodybefore:

Requirementnumber

IFSrequirement

Evaluation Explanation(by theauditor)

Correctiveaction(by thecompany)

Responsibility/Date/Status ofimplementa-tion (by thecompany)

Releaseby theauditor



ANNEX 4

CERTIFICATEHerewith the certification body

Name of the certification body

being an EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65-accredited certification bodyfor IFS certification and having signed an agreement with the IFS owners,

confirms that

Name of the audited companyAddress

(Packing code)(Veterinary agreement number)

(Headquarter)

for the product category(ies)

Code number of the product category(ies)Audit scope, exact description of the audited products

(assignment to Food or HPC or Non-food)

meets the requirements set out in the


at Foundation level/Higher Level

Certificate – register number: ________________________________________________

Audit date: ________________________________________________

Date of issue of certificate: ________________________________________________

Certificate valid until: ________________________________________________

Next audit to be performed before: ____________________________________________

Date and place

Name and signature of the responsible personat the certification body

Address of the certification body

Logo of theaccreditation body

IFS

®



✂

ANNEX

Checklist of the IFS Broker,Version 1

This checklist is only for internal use in the audited company. It is notallowed to copy and to present it to other parties.

Number Requirement of IFS Food KO/Major/NA

A B C D Remarks/Comments

1 Senior Management Responsibility

1.1 Corporate policy/Corporate principles

1.1.1 The senior management shall draw up andimplement corporate policy.This shall consider asa minimum:

customer focus–environmental responsibility–ethics and personnel responsibility–product requirements (includes: product safety,–quality, legality, process and specification).

The corporate policy shall be communicated to allemployees.

1.1.2 The company shall ensure that all relevantinformation is communicated effectively and in atimely manner to the relevant personnel.

1.1.3 The company shall assign the responsible personfor the external communication (crisis manage-ment, authorities and communication with media).

1.2 Corporate structure

1.2.1 An organisation chart shall be available showingthe structure of the company.

1.2.2 Competences and responsibilities, includingdeputisation of responsibility shall be clearly laiddown.

1.2.3 KO The senior management shall ensure that employ-ees are aware of their responsibilities and thatmechanisms are in place to monitor the effective-ness of their operation.

1.2.4 The company shall have a system in place, toensure that it is kept informed of all relevantlegislation on food, feed or non-food safety issues,scientific and technical developments and industrycodes of practice.

1.3 Management review

1.3.1 Senior management shall ensure that the qualitymanagement system is reviewed at definedperiods.

1.3.2 This review shall include measures for the controlof the quality management system and for thecontinuous improvement process.



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2 Quality Management System

2.1 Risk Management/HACCP

2.1.1 KO The basis of the control system for product safetyshall be a systematic and comprehensive riskmanagement/HACCP concept on the base of thedocumentation systematic of Codex Alimentarius.In addition statutory provision of the countries ofproduction and destination shallbe taken into account.The risk managementconcept relates to the respective productionlocation.

a. Flow diagram embracing all relevant levelsof the brokerage transaction.

b. Risk descriptionc. Measures to control the identified riskd. The steps referred to under points a)–c) shall

be documented.

The risk assessment shall be regularly checkedand if necessary reworked/updated.The riskassessment shall consider also GMO andAllergens.The risk assessment shall be carriedout by persons with adequate knowledge of theprocesses and products involved. If this knowl-edge is inadequate, appropriate qualificationmeasures shall be taken.

2.2 Documentation requirements

2.2.1 The quality system for quality assurance and foodsafety/product safety shall be documented andimplemented, and shall be retained in onelocation.

2.2.2 A procedure shall exist for the control of docu-ments and their amendments.

2.2.3 All documents shall be clearly legible, unambigu-ous and comprehensive.They shall be available torelevant personnel at all times.

2.3 Record keeping

2.3.1 All relevant records, necessary for the productrequirements shall be complete, detailedand maintained and shall be available onrequest.

2.3.2 Records shall be legible and genuine.Theyshall be maintained in a way that subsequentmanipulation of records is prohibited.

2.3.3 All records shall be kept in accordance withlegal requirements. If these are not specified,records shall be kept for the duration of the shelflife in order to make verification possible.For products which have a very short or no shelflife, record keeping shall be based on a hazardanalysis.



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3 Resource Management

3.1 Human resources management

3.1.1 All personnel performing work that affectsproduct safety, legality and quality shall have therequired competence by education, work experi-ence and/or training.

3.2 Training

3.2.1 The company shall put in place training programsin respect of the product requirements and thetraining needs of the employees.The companyprovides at least an overview about necessarytrainings.

4 Services Process

4.1 Contract review

4.1.1 All customer requirements relating to the prod-ucts, quality management systems and delivery atthe customer shall have been defined and under-stood before a written supply agreement isconcluded.The company shall review whether allaspects of customers’ requirements have beensatisfied.

4.1.2 There shall be records showing how changes tothe existing contractual agreements are agreedand communicated.

4.1.3 It shall be ensured, that the specific qualityrequirements of customers are communicated tothe supplier and the preliminary stage.

4.2 Product specifications

4.2.1 Specifications shall be available for all finalproducts and, if necessary (e.g. retail brand) beagreed upon in writing with customers.Thespecifications shall be up to date, unambiguous,available and always in conformance with legalrequirements.

4.2.2 KO The customer specification shall be complied with.

4.2.3 There shall be a procedure for the amendmentand approval of specifications for all relevant partsof the process.

4.3 Traceability (including GMOs and allergens)

4.3.1 KO There is a traceability system.This enablesidentification on the basis of the labelling of thegoods, which ensures traceability to the individualproducers and batches, as well as to the custom-ers supplied.

4.3.2 The traceability system shall be tested, docu-mented and, where appropriate, adapted atdefined intervals to verify traceability in bothdirections of flow (from delivered products to rawmaterial, and vice versa), including quantitychecking.



✂



5 Measurements, Analysis, Improvements

5.1 Internal audits

5.1.1 KO Internal audits shall be conducted according to anagreed plan. Scope and frequency shall be definedby hazard analysis. Internal audits shall be carriedout at least once a year in all departments.

5.1.2 Audit results shall be communicated to responsi-ble persons of departments concerned. Necessarycorrective actions and a schedule for implementa-tion shall be defined and documented andcommunicated to every relevant person.

5.1.3 It shall be documented how and when the correc-tive actions resulting from the internal audits shallbe verified.

5.2 Product quarantine and product release

5.2.1 A procedure shall be in place, based on a hazardanalysis, for the quarantine and release of all rawmaterials, semi-processed and finished products,processing equipment and packaging materials.The procedure shall ensure that only productsand materials conforming to product require-ments are processed and dispatched. Clearcontrol rules shall be applied for allowing productrelease.

5.3 Management of complaints from authorities and customers

5.3.1 A system shall be in place for the management ofproduct complaints.

5.3.2 All complaints shall be assessed by competentstaff.Where it is justified, appropriate actions shallbe taken, if necessary, immediately.

5.3.3 Complaints shall be analysed with a view toimplementing preventive actions, which avoid therecurrence of the non conformity.

5.3.4 The results of complaint data analysis shall bemade available to the relevant responsiblepersons and to the senior management.

5.4 Management of incidents, product withdrawal, product recall

5.4.1 A crisis management procedure shall be defined,implemented and maintained.This includes as aminimum the nomination and the training of acrisis team, an alert contact list, sources of legaladvice (if necessary), contacts reachability,customer information, product withdrawal and/orrecall and a communication plan, includinginformation to consumers.

5.4.2 KO There shall be an effective procedure for thewithdrawal and recall of all products, which shallensure that involved customers are informed, assoon as possible.This procedure shall include aclear assignment of responsibilities.



✂



5.4.3 The product withdrawal and recall procedure shallinclude updated emergency contact details (suchas names and phone numbers of suppliers,customers and competent authorities).

5.4.4 The feasibility, effectiveness and timeliness ofimplementation of the withdrawal procedure shallbe subject to regular internal testing, based on ahazard analysis but carried out at least once ayear.This shall be carried out in a manner toensure the effective implementation and operationof the procedure.

5.5 Management of non-conforming products

5.5.1 KO A effective procedure shall exist for the manage-ment of all non-conforming products.

5.5.2 This shall include, as a minimum:isolation/quarantine procedures–risk assessment–identification (e.g. labelling)–decision about the further use (e.g. release,–rework/post treatment, blocking, quarantine,rejection/disposal)information about the process chain–

5.5.3 The responsibilities shall be clearly identified.The rules of the procedure for the management ofnon-conforming products shall be understood byall relevant employees.

5.5.4 In case of the presence of non-conformities thereshall be immediate action in order to ensure thatthe product requirements are in place.

5.6 Corrective actions

5.6.1 A procedure shall be in place for the recordingand analysis of the non-conformities with theobjective of avoiding recurrences by preventiveactions and/or corrective actions.

5.6.2 KO Corrective actions shall be clearly formulated,documented and undertaken, as soon as possibleto prevent further occurrence of non-conformity.The responsibilities and the timescales forcorrective action shall be clearly defined.Thedocumentation shall be securely stored, and easilyaccessible.

5.6.3 The performance of the implemented correctiveactions shall be documented and the effectivenessshall be checked.

6 Special requirements: Broker

6.1 Product development

6.1.1 The company shall have an implemented proce-dure for product development that takes intoaccount risks and patents and that demonstratesthat all existing and new products are designed tomeet legal requirements.



✂



6.1.2 Product formulation, manufacturing processesand the fulfilment of product requirements shallhave been ensured by factory trials and producttesting.

6.1.3 Shelf life tests shall be carried out taking intoaccount product formulation, packaging,manufacturing and storage conditions. “Use by”or “Shelf life” dates shall be establishedaccordingly.

6.1.4 The company shall conduct appropriate studiesand tests in order to investigate compliance withmicrobiological criteria within the shelf life.

6.1.5 Recommendations for preparation and/or use ofthe products shall be established. If appropriate,customer requirements shall be included.

6.1.6 The progress and results of product developmentshall be properly recorded.

6.1.7 Product development shall consider the results oforganoleptic assessments.

6.2 Purchasing

6.2.1 Purchased products and services shall conformto current specifications and contractual agree-ments.

6.2.2 There shall be records to identify which product issourced from which supplier.

6.2.3 There shall be a procedure for the approval andmonitoring of suppliers (internal and external),outsourced production or part of it.This is alsovalid for outsourced services.

6.2.4 The approval and monitoring procedure shallcontain clear assessment criteria such as: audits,certificates of analysis, supplier reliability andcomplaints, as well as required performancestandards based on a hazard analysis. If an IFSstandard exists for the product category (IFS Food,IFS HPC), the manufacturer of the (food, HPC ornon-food) product who works for the broker shallbe IFS-certified, unless the client (the retailer) hasexpressively accepted other conditions.

6.2.5 The results of suppliers’ assessments shall bereviewed regularly.There shall be records of the reviews and of theactions taken as a consequence of assessment.

6.2.6 The purchased products and services shall bechecked in accordance with the existing specifica-tions.The schedule of these checks shall take intoaccount the product requirements, supplier statusand the impact of raw materials on the finishedproduct.When several suppliers provide the sameproduct to one customer, these suppliers shallhave the same level of production handling.



✂



6.3 Product packaging

6.3.1 The company shall ensure that all packagingcomplies with the current relevant legislation.

6.3.2 Detailed specifications shall exist for all packagingmaterials.

6.3.3 The conformity of the product with its labellingshall be reviewed each time before a new label isissued for use. Such review shall take into accountthe product requirements and particular relevantlegislation in the designated countries, where theproduct is to be marketed.

6.3.4 The conformity of the product with its labellingshall be continuously ensured during the tradingprocess.

6.4 Product analysis

6.4.1 There shall be procedures ensuring that allspecified product requirements are met, includinglegal requirements and specifications. Microbio-logical, physical and chemical analysis requiredfor that purpose shall be performed internally and/or subcontracted.

6.4.2 KO Where special analyses are demanded by theclient/customer, they shall be defined in a testingplan and performed according to the definedrequirements.Test results are available at thecompany site. Analyses, which are relevant for thefood safety or risk management (non-food), shallbe performed by an accredited laboratory (ISO17025). If the analyses are performed by a factoryinternal or non-accredited laboratory, the resultsshall be verified on a regular basis by an accred-ited laboratory.

6.4.3 A test plan shall be drawn up for internal andexternal analysis, based upon a hazard analysiswhich covers raw materials, semi-processed andfinished products as well as processing equip-ments and packaging materials, and wherenecessary environmental tests.The test resultsshall be documented.

6.5 Third-party logistic provider

6.5.1 If an organisation hires a third-party transport and/or storage service provider, all the necessaryrequirements shall be clearly defined in a respec-tive contract or the service provider shall besubject to IFS Logistics requirements.

6.5.2 If the company has its own storage area or hasown transportation services then these parts shallbe certified according to IFS Logistic.

IFS

®

The IFS publishes information, opinions and bulletins to its best knowledge, but cannottake any responsibility for any mistakes, omissions or possibly misleading information inits publications, especially in this document.

The standard owners of the present document are:

© HDE – Handelsverband Deutschland – Der Einzelhandel e.V. (Germany)© FCD – Fédération des entreprises du Commerce et de la Distribution (France)

The standard owners thank the Italian retail federation Federdistribuzione as well as Asso-ciazione Nazionale Cooperative Consumatori (ANCC) andAssociazione Nazionale Coopera-tive tra Dettaglianti (ANCD), who joined the IFS, for their involvement and their active coop-eration for the development.

All rights reserved. All publications are protected under international copyright laws.With-out the expressed written consent of the IFS standard owners any kind of unauthorised useis prohibited and subject to legal punishment.This also applies to the reproduction with aphotocopier, the inclusion into an electronic database, or the reproduction on CD-Rom.

No translation may be made without official permission by the IFS standard owners.

The IFS Broker can be ordered online viawww.ifs-certification.com

Or by Mail, Fax and E-mail

HDE Trade Services GmbHAmWeidendamm 1A10117 BerlinGermany

Phone: +49-(0)30-726250-74Fax: +49-(0)30-726250-79E-mail: [email protected]

On behalf of the IFS standard owners, the HDETrade Services GmbH is assigned to takeover the commercial administration of the IFS, it cooperates with the IFSWorking Group.

IFS Office BerlinHDE Trade Services GmbHAmWeidendamm 1 A10117 BerlinGermany

Phone:+49-(0)30-726250-74

Fax:+49-(0)30-726250-79


IFS Office ParisFCD12, rue Euler75008 ParisFrance

Phone:+33-(0)1-44439916

Fax:+33-(0)1-47205353


IFS Office MilanFederdistribuzioneVia Albricci 820122 MilanoItaly

Phone:+39-(0)2-89075051

Fax:+39-(0)2-6551169


CONTACT DETAILS OFTHE IFS OFFICES

Broker

IFS Broker

Standard for AuditingTrade Agencies, Importer and Brokers

Version 1December 2009© IFS, December 2009

Broker

international food standard - broker

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