IFS Cash & Carry

IFS Cash & Carry
Wholesale
IFS, February 2010
Version 1
February 2010
Standard for Auditing
Cash & Carry markets andWholesalers
GERMANY | BERLIN
IFS Management GmbH
AmWeidendamm 1A
D-10117 Berlin
Phone: +49(0) 3072625074
Fax: +49(0) 3072625079
E-Mail: ifs-berlin@ifs-certifcation.com
FRANCE | PARIS
IFS Offce Paris
FCD
12, rue Euler
F-75008 Paris
Phone: +33(0)144439916
Fax: +33(0)147205353
E-Mail: ifs-paris@ifs-certifcation.com
ITALY | MILAN
IFS Offce Milan
Federdistribuzione
Via Albricci 8
I-20122 Milano
Phone: +39(0) 289075150
Fax: +39(0) 26551169
E-Mail: ifs-milano@ifs-certifcation.com
POLAND | WARSAW
IFS Offce Central & Eastern Europe
ul. Serwituty 25
PL-02-233 Warsaw
Phone: +48601957701
E-Mail: marzec@ifs-certifcation.com
BRAZIL | DOURADOS
Representante IFS Brasil
Caroline Nowak
BR-79824 Dourados, MS
Phone: +55(67) 81514560
E-Mail: cnowak@ifs-certifcation.com
CHINA | HEFEI
StarFarm
Room 2301, C building,
Fortune Plaza No. 278 Suixi Road, 230041,
Hefei, Anhui, China
Phone: +86(0) 5515666069
Fax: +86(0) 5515681376
E-Mail: china@ifs-certifcation.com
asia@ifs-certifcation.com
USA | ST. LOUIS
IFS North America
1610 Des Peres Road, Suite 150
USA-St. Louis, MO 63131
Phone: +13146864610
Fax: +13146864602
E-Mail: ifs-us@ifs-certifcation.com
CONTACT DETAILS OFTHE IFS OFFICES The IFS publishes information, opinions and bulletins to its best knowledge, but cannot
take any responsibility for any mistakes, omissions or possibly misleading information in
its publications, especially in this document.
The Standard owner of the present document is:
IFS Management GmbH
AmWeidendamm 1A
10117 Berlin
Germany
Managing Director: StephanTromp
AG Charlottenburg HRB 136333 B
VAT-N: DE278799213
Bank: Berliner Sparkasse
Bank code number: 10050000
Account number: 190029765
IBAN number: DE96100500000190029765
BIC-/Swift-Code: BE LA DE BE
All rights reserved. All publications are protected under international copyright laws. With-
out the expressed written consent of the IFS Standard owner any kind of unauthorised use
is prohibited and subject to legal action.This also applies to the reproduction with a photo-
copier, the inclusion into an electronic database/software, or the reproduction on CD-Rom.
No translation may be made without offcial permission by the IFS Standard owner.
The IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale is available online via:
www.ifs-certifcation.com
Or by Mail, Fax and E-mail:
IFS Management GmbH
AmWeidendamm 1A
10117 Berlin
Germany
Phone: +49-(0) 30-726250-74
Fax: +49-(0) 30-726250-79
E-Mail: info@ifs-certifcation.com
IFS Cash & Carry
Wholesale
Version 1
February 2010
IFS, February 2010
IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The IFS would like to thank to all participants who responded to the global questionnaire
survey carried out in 2006, which was the basis for the development and improvement of the
new version of the IFS Food Standard. Your input and opinions were a big support to the IFS.
We appreciate the time you have taken to positively respond to the questionnaire.
The IFS is grateful to the members of the IFSWorking Group and the associated sub-working
groups, as well as the review committee who prepared the existing document.
Members of the IFSWorking Group
Andrea Artoni CONAD, on behalf of ANCD (Associazone Nazionale Cooperative tra Dettaglianti), Italy
Rosanna Casciano CONAD, on behalf of ANCD (Associazone Nazionale Cooperative tra Dettaglianti), Italy
Yvan Chamielec EMC Distribution Groupe Casino, France
Roberta Denatale Auchan, on behalf of Federdistribuzione, Italy
Gianni di Falco Federdistribuzione, Italien
Antonella Donato COOP, on behalf of ANCC (Associazione Nazionale Cooperative Consumatori), Italy
Gerald Erbach Metro Cash & Carry International GmbH, Germany
Isabelle Formaux/
Luc Horemans Scamark Groupement Leclerc, France
Ccile Gillard Kaplan Groupe Carrefour, France
Annegret Karsch-Keller KaufandWarenhandel GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
Marguerite Knefel Systme U, France
Jan Kranghand Metro AG, Germany
Laurence Manuel Provera Alimentaire, France
Dr. Angela Moritz REWE Group, REWE-Zentral-AG, Germany
Horst Rser COOP, Switzerland
Sergio Stagni COOP, on behalf of ANCC (Associazione Nazionale Cooperative Consumatori), Italy
BatriceThiriet Auchan, France
KarinVoss EDEKA Zentrale AG & Co KG, Germany
The IFS is also pleased to acknowledge the helpful contributions provided
by the following persons:
Wolfgang Leiste EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Sdwest mbH, Germany
Ralf Marggraf EDEKA Minden-Hannover Stiftung und Co. KG, Germany
Charlotte Pilz Metro Group GmbH, Germany
Gerald Erbach Metro Cash & Carry International GmbH, Germany
Lutz Hhne DAkkS GmbH, Germany
IFS Management
Helga Barrios Vidal Technical Project Manager
George Gansner Marketing/Business Development Director
Dr. Helga Hippe, Quality Assurance Management Director
Seon Kim Shop Manager
Christin Kluge Project Manager Quality Assurance
Nina Lehmann Project Manager Academy/Marketing/Communications
Stphanie Lemaitre Technical Director
Lucie Leroy Project Manager
Clemens Mahnecke Technical Project Manager
Marek Marzec IFS Business consultant Central/Eastern Europe
Caroline Nowak IFS Representative South America
Ksenia Otto Offce Manager
Sabine Podewski Project Manager Auditor Management
Serena Venturi Project Manager
StephanTromp IFS Managing Director
IFS, February 2010
Contents
Part 1: Audit Protocol
1 The History of the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . 11
2 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1 Purpose and contents of the audit protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2 General requirements for the quality management system 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) . . . . . . . . 14
4 Scope of the Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5 Rules for certifcation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.1 single-certifcation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.2 Multi-site-certifcation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.2.1 Rules for the initial audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.2.2 Renewal audit/Sampling rule for IFS multi-site certifcation
for wholesalers and cash & carry markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.2.3 Scoring, conditions of issuing audit report and certifcate
for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale multi-site certifcation . . . 18
5.2.4 Scoring, conditions of awarding the IFS group certifcate
for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale (ANNEX 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.2.5 Awarding the Certifcate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.2.6 Limitation of the certifcate on selected sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.2.7 Inclusion of new sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.2.8 General rules for IFS multi-site certifcation
for wholesalers and cash & carry markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.2.9 Certifcation body selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.3 Normative reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6 The Certifcation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6.1 Preparation of an audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6.2 Certifcation body selection contractual arrangements . 21
6.3 Duration of an audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.4 Drawing up an audit plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
IFS, February 2010
6 IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
6.5 Evaluation of requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.5.1 Scoring a requirement as a deviation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.5.2 Scoring a requirement as a non-conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.5.2.1 Major . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6.5.2.2 KO (Knock out) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6.5.3 Scoring a requirement with N/A (not applicable) . . . . . . . . . 26
6.6 Determination of the audit frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6.7 Audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6.7.1 Structure of the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6.7.2 The different steps for the audit report completion . . . . . . 28
6.7.2.1 Drawing up the pre-report of the audit and the outline
of the action plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
6.7.2.2 Companys completion of the corrective action plan . . . . . 29
6.7.2.3 Auditor validation of the action plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.7.3 Further rules about the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.7.3.1 Link between two consecutive audit reports
(initial and renewal audits) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.7.3.2 Translation of the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7 Awarding the Certifcate(s) for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
multi-site certifcation (ANNEX 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
7.1 Deadlines for awarding certifcate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
7.2 The different steps of the certifcation process . . . . . . . . . . . 32
7.3 The different steps of the certifcation process if a Major
has been issued and a follow up audit has taken place . . . 32
8 Distribution and Storage of the Audit Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
9 Supplementary Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
10 Appeal Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
11 Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
12 Ownership and Usage of the IFS Logo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
13 Review of the Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
14 Assessment of the Certifcation Bodies by the Companies 35
ANNEX 1:
Defnitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
ANNEX 2:
Certifcation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
ANNEX 3:
Conditions for awarding the certifcates for multi-site certifcations
of IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
ANNEX 4:
Demarcation IFS Food IFS HPC IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
IFS Logistics IFS Brokers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
IFS, February 2010
Part 2: Requirements
1 Senior Management Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
1.1 Corporate policy/Corporate principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
1.2 Corporate structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
1.3 Customer focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
1.4 Management review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
2 Quality Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
2.1 HACCP (based on the Codex Alimentarius CA) . . . . . . . . . 45
2.1.1 HACCP system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
2.1.2 Assemble HACCP team (CA Step 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2.1.3 HACCP analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2.2 Documentation requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
2.3 Record keeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3 Resource Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.1 Human resources management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.2 Human resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.2.1 Personnel hygiene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.2.2 Protective clothing for personnel, contractors and visitors 50
3.2.3 Procedures applicable to infectious diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3.3 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.4 Sanitary facilities, equipment for personnel hygiene
and staff facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
4 Production Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
4.1 Contract review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
4.2 Product specifcations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
4.3 Product development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4.4 Purchasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4.5 Product packaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4.6 Factory environment standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4.6.1 Choice of location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4.6.2 Exteriors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4.6.3 Plant layout and process fows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4.6.4 Buildings and facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
4.6.4.1 Constructional requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
4.6.4.2 Walls and partition walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
4.6.4.3 Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
IFS, February 2010
4.6.4.4 Ceilings/Overheads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4.6.4.5 Windows and other openings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4.6.4.6 Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4.6.4.7 Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.6.4.8 Air conditioning/Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.6.4.9 (Drinking) Water supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.7 Housekeeping and hygiene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
4.8 Waste/Waste disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4.9 Risk of foreign bodies, metal, broken glass and wood . . . 61
4.10 Pest monitoring/Pest control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
4.11 Receipt of goods and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
4.12 Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
4.13 Maintenance and repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.14 Equipments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.15 Process validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.16 Traceability (including GMOs and allergens) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4.17 Genetically modifed organisms (GMOs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4.18 Allergens and specifc conditions of production . . . . . . . . . 67
5 Measurements, Analysis, Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
5.1 Internal audits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
5.2 Site factory inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
5.3 Process control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
5.4 Calibration and checking of measuring and
monitoring devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5.5 Quantity checking (quantity control/flling quantities) . . . . 69
5.6 Product analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5.7 Product quarantine and product release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
5.8 Management of complaints from authorities and
customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
5.9 Management of incidents, product withdrawal,
product recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
5.10 Management of non-conforming products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
5.11 Corrective actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
ANNEX:
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
IFS, February 2010
Part 3: Requirements for Accreditation Bodies, Certifcation
Bodies and Auditors
IFS accreditation and certifcation process
0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
1 Requirements for the Accreditation Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
1.1 General requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
1.2 The training of the accreditation committee
(or competent person) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
1.3 Competences of the assessor of the accreditation body . . . . 78
1.4 Frequency of the assessments of certifcation bodies . . . . . 78
1.5 Accreditation of an internationally-active certifcation
body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
2 Requirements for the Certifcation Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
2.1 EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 IFS accreditation process . . . . 79
2.2 Signing of contract with the proprietors of the IFS . . . . . . . 79
2.3 Certifcation decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
2.4 Certifcation bodies responsibilities for IFS-Food-trainers
and the IFS-Food-auditors (including freelancers) . . . . . . . 80
2.5 Specifc requirements for IFS-Food-trainers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
2.6 Train theTrainer course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
3 Requirements for Auditors
for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
3.1 Requirements before applying for the IFS examinations . 82
3.2 General requirements for auditors
for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
3.3 IFS examination process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
3.4 Scope extension for IFS-Food-approved auditors . . . . . . . . 86
ANNEX 1:
Product Scopes for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale Auditors . . . . . . . . 87
IFS, February 2010
Part 4: Reporting, AuditXpress Software and the IFSAuditportal
0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
1 Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
1.1 Audit overview (ANNEX 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
1.2 Audit report (ANNEX 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
1.3 Action plan (ANNEX 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
1.4 Minimum requirements for IFS certifcate (ANNEX 4) . . . . 90
2 AuditXpress Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
3 The IFSAuditportal and the IFS Database
(www.ifs-certifcation.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
ANNEX 1:
Cover page of the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
First page of the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Explanations regarding the audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
ANNEX 2:
Audit Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Chapter 1: Senior management responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Report of the N/A evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Detailed audit report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
ANNEX 3:
Action plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
ANNEX 4:
Certifcate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
ANNEX:
Checklist of the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
IFS, February 2010
Part 1: Audit Protocol
1 The History of the IFS Cash & Carry/
Wholesale
Supplier audits have been a permanent feature of retailers systems and
procedures for many years. Until 2003 they were performed by the qual-
ity assurance departments of the individual retailers and wholesalers.
The ever-rising demands of consumers, the increasing liabilities of
retailers and wholesalers, the increasing of legal requirements and the
globalisation of product supply, all made it essential to develop a uni-
form quality assurance and food safety Standard. Also, a solution had
to be found to reduce the time associated with a multitude of audits, for
both retailers and suppliers.
The associated members of the German retail federation Handels-
verband Deutschland HDE der Einzelhandel e.V. , its French counter-
part Fdration des Entreprises du Commerce et de la Distribution
(FCD) and its Italian counterparts Associazione nazionale coopera-
tive consumatori (ANCC), Associazione nazionale cooperative tra det-
taglianti (ANCD) and Federdistribuzione drew up a quality and food
safety standard for retailer branded food products, named the IFS Food,
which is intended to allow the assessment of suppliers food safety and
quality systems, in accordance with a uniform approach. This Standard
applies to all the post-farm gate stages of food processing.
The IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale was developped to optimise the audit
procedures of cash & carry markets andWholesalers.
This current document and its audit protocol replace the clauses about
cash & carry markets in the IFS doctrine, July 2008.
Cash & carry markets and Wholesalers can be seen as important con-
nectors between producers and converters as well as commercial cli-
ents. With the help of this function they can process small amounts of
unpacked products next to their wide range of goods. Therefore this
standard is based on the IFS Food.
The IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale contains the possibility of a Multi-site-
certifcation for similar sites/markets.
The basic objectives of the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale are:
to establish a common standard with a uniform evaluation sys-
tem,
to work with accredited certifcation bodies and qualifed audi-
tors,
to ensure comparability and transparency throughout the entire
supply chain,
to reduce costs and time for both suppliers and retailers.
IFS, February 2010
2 Introduction
2.1 Purpose and contents of the audit protocol
This audit protocol describes the specifc requirements made on the
organisations involved in IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale audits. The pur-
pose of the protocol is to defne the criteria to be followed by a certifca-
tionbody performingaudits against the IFSrequirements, andinaccord-
ance with the accreditation norm EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65.
It also details the procedures to be observed by the companies being
audited, and clarifes the interest of auditing them. Only those certif-
cation bodies that are accredited to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 for the
scope of IFS, and which have signed the IFS framework agreement
with the standard owners, may perform audits against the IFS Cash &
Carry/Wholesale and may issue certifcates. The IFS requirements relat-
ing to certifcation bodies are clearly described in Part 3 of this docu-
ment.
2.2 General requirements for the quality management
system
In general, when auditing in accordance with the IFS, the auditor
assesses if the various elements of a companys quality system are doc-
umented, implemented, maintained, and continuously improved. The
auditor shall examine the following elements:
responsibility, authority, qualifcation and job description,
documented procedures and the instructions concerning their
implementation,
inspection and testing: specifed requirements and defned
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 quality data and their implementa-
tion 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.
IFS, February 2010
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 companys frst audit to the IFS Cash & Carry/Whole-
sale. It is performed at a time and date agreed between the company
and the selected certifcation body. During this audit the entire company
is audited, both in relation to its documentation, and the processes
themselves. During the audit, all criteria of the IFS Cash & Carry/Whole-
sale requirements shall be assessed by the auditor. In case of pre-audit,
the auditor who performs this audit shall be different from the auditor
who performs the initial audit. Furthermore, the auditor of the initial
audit shall not know the conclusions of the pre-audit.
3.2 Follow-up audit
A follow-up audit is required in a specifc situation, when the results of
the audit (an initial audit or a renewal audit) have been insuffcient to
allow the award of the certifcate (seeTable N 3, 3.). During the follow-
up audit, the auditor concentrates on the implementation of the actions
taken to correct the non-conformities (e.g. Major) determined during
the previous audit. The follow-up audit shall be performed within a six
months period from the date of the previous audit.
If the major non-conformity is related to production failure(s), the fol-
low up audit shall be performed at least 6 weeks after the previous audit
and no later than 6 months after the previous audit. For other kinds of
failures (e.g. documentation), the certifcation body is responsible for
the determination of the date of the follow-up audit.
IFS, February 2010
In case of a system major the follow up audit shall take place earliest
after 6 weeks.
If there is no follow-up audit performed after 6 months, then a complete
new audit is necessary. In the event that the follow-up audit is failed, a
complete newaudit is automatically necessary.The elimination of major
non-conformities shall always be established by an on-site visit by the
auditor.
3.3 Renewal audit (after expiry of the previous audit)
Renewal audits are those which are performed after the initial audit
prior to the next evaluation due date. The period in which a renewal
audit shall be performed is shown on the certifcate. Renewal audit
involves the complete auditing of a company, resulting in the issue of
an updated certifcation. During the audit, all criteria of the IFS require-
ments catalogue shall be assessed by the auditor. Particular attention is
paid to the deviations and non-conformities detected during the previ-
ous audit, as well as to the effectiveness and implementation of correc-
tive actions and preventive measures laid down in the companys cor-
rective action plan. The date of the renewal audit shall be calculated
from the date of the previous audit and not from the date of issue the
certifcate. Companies are themselves responsible for maintaining their
certifcation. All IFS certifed companies will receive a reminder from the
IFS on-line audit portal three months before expiry of the certifcation.
The certifcation bodies may also contact companies in advance in order
to set a date for a new audit. Dates which have already been set can be
announced through the IFS audit portal.
4 Scope of the Audit
The application of IFS FoodVersion 5 for auditing wholesalers and cash
& carry markets is ensured by an independent and complete standard:
IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale.
This standard is valid for all types of wholsaling activities and wholesal-
ers:
which handle unpacked products, e.g. weighing, measuring,
flling, decanting, stamping, imprinting, packing, annealing,
freezing, unfreezing, preserving, stocking,
and/or
which carry out processing activities; according to Ordinance
(EG) No 852/2004: as processing activities are considered all
actions that change the original product substantially, includ-
ing heating, curing, hardening, maturing, drying, marinating,
extraction, wextruding or a combination of these processes.
IFS, February 2010
5 Rules for certifcation
The IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale certifcation can be covered by a sin-
gle-certifcation or multi-site certifcation process.
A company can choose between two possibilities of auditing:
a) 5.1 single-certifcation of each site
b) 5.2 multi-site-certifcation of all sites in one country.
5.1 single-certifcation
Every site shall be proofed separately. The company and the certifca-
tion body shall agree upon the audit date. The certifcate as well as pos-
sibly determined corrective actions are solely related to the audited site.
The certifcate validity is 12 months. The audit shall be repeated after
this period.
5.2 Multi-site-certifcation
5.2.1 Rules for the initial audit
The frst year, the headquarter of each country as well as all the markets
shall be audited.The company and the certifcation body agree upon all
audit dates in advance (announced audits).
5.2.2 Renewal audit/Sampling rule for IFS multi-site certifcation for
wholesalers and cash & carry markets
In general:
The headquarter shall be audited every 12 months against the
IFS Cash & Carry. If the company is located in several countries
with different stores, each headquarter in each country where
the company is engaged in a business shall be audited every 12
months.
Every new site/market which will be integrated in this process
have to be checked in the frst year of working. They shall be
audited in the frst year in every case, and then, depending on
their kind of activity, they shall be audited each year or under
the sampling plan frequency.
Every site/market audits shall be performed unannounced by
the certifcation body.
In addition to the above requirement, the sampling must com-
ply the following rules:
The sampling must base on a risk analysis.
IFS, February 2010
In case of processing activities as defned in the Regulation
(EC) N 852/2004, a sampling is possible only if no regulation
or offcial recommendation in the country for small produc-
tion amount exists there are less than 250 kg/week/site of
processing activities for all animal origin food products in
the market.
The sampling is possible above 20 sites/markets, and shall
be at the ratio of 1 site/market per 5 sites/markets with a min-
imum of 20. All sites/markets shall be randomly selected by
The certifcation body gets the right to expand the number of
sites/markets to be audited in one year if necessary (e.g. too
many deviations of the organisation).
An announced single-certifcation is permitted for companies with less
than 20 sites/markets. A single certifcate or a group certifcate can be
awarded.
Companies with more than 20 sites/markets can conduct a matrix certi-
fcation with unannounced audits which shall be announced at least 48
hours in advance by the certifcation body. A multi-site certifcate shall
be awarded. The following rules are applicable for the matrix certifca-
tion.
Table N
o
1: Examples of the number of sites/markets to audit when
multi-site sampling is used
Total number of sites/
markets
x
between
1 and 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Number of sites/markets
above 20
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Additional number
of sites/markets to audit
0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
Number of sites to audit x 21 21 21 21 21 22 22 22
Example:
A company has 14 sites. All sites shall be audited every 12 months
(14 = x).
The number of sites is 26. Additionally to the 20 selected sites shall be
audited two sites more. The number of audited sites is 22. The 22 sites
change every year (Table 2).
Furthermore a random sample of 5% of marktes has to be audited.
These 5% are to be chosen from the sites/markets which were not
audited in the same year.
IFS, February 2010
Table N
o
2: Cycle of multi-site certifcation for IFS Cash & Carry mar-
kets
Initial process First cycle First cycle First cycle Second cycle
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
For each country
Headquarter
+ all cash&carry
markets
For each country
Headquarter
+ all cash & carry
markets
For each country
Headquarter
+ all cash & carry
markets
For each country
Headquarter
+ all cash & carry
markets
For each country
Headquarter
+ all cash & carry
markets
Sampling rule
(applying for each
country, for cash &
carry sites/markets
if the number of
markets is above 20)
1 site per 5 sites
with a minimum of
20
+ newly opened
cash & carry
markets
+ 5% random
sample from all
assigned cash &
carry markets that
are not part of the
sample audited in
this year.
Sampling rule
(applying for each
country, for cash &
carry sites/markets
if the number of
1 site per 5 sites
with a minimum of
20 (different from
those audited
during year 2)
+ newly opened
cash & carry
markets
+ 5% random
sample from all
assigned cash &
carry markets that
are not part of the
sample audited in
this year.
Sampling rule
(applying for each
country, for cash &
carry sites/markets
if the number of
1 site per 5 sites
with a minimum of
20 (different from
those audited
during year 1 and 2)
+ newly opened
cash & carry
markets
+ 5% random
sample from all
assigned cash &
carry markets that
are not part of the
sample audited in
this year.
Sampling rule
(applying for each
country, for cash &
carry sites/markets
if the number of
1 site per 5 sites
with a minimum of
20
+ newly opened
cash & carry
markets
+ 5% random
sample from all
assigned cash &
carry markets that
are not part of the
sample audited in
this year.
Chart N
o
1: Scheme of auditing cycle
cycle 1 cycle 2 cycle 3
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 etc.
First year
initial
audit
The initial process in year 1 and
the rst full cycle from year 2 until
year 4 must be done by the same
certication body.
Year 2 until year 4 is
one full cycle, which
must be audited by the
same certication body.
The certication body
is responsible that
in one full cycle, at least
each site/market is
audited one time.
Year 5 until year 7 is
one full cycle, which
must be audited by the
same certication body.
The certication body
is responsible that
in one full cycle, at least
each site/market is
audited one time.
Each cycle
must be done
in the way like
cycle 1 and 2.
If the certication body should being changed during a cycle, the group
certication must be started with the initial process like the year 1.
IFS, February 2010
5.2.3 Scoring, conditions of issuing audit report and certifcate for
IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale multi-site certifcation
Each individual market is subject to the following conditions.
Table N
o
3: Scoring and awarding of certifcates
Audit Result Status Action company Report form Certifcate
1. At least 1 KO Not approved Actions and new
initial audit to be
agreed upon (the
new audit shall be
dated earliest
6 weeks after the
KO)
Report gives status No
2. >1 Major and/or
<75% of the
requirements are
fulflled
Not approved Actions and new
initial audit to be
agreed upon (the
new audit shall be
dated earliest
6 weeks after the
Major)
Report gives status No
3. Max 1 Major and
75% of the
requirements are
fulflled
Not approved
unless further
actions taken
Send action plan
within 2 weeks of
receiving the
preliminarily report.
Follow-up audit
max. 6 months
after the audit date
upon (the new
audit shall be dated
earliest 6 weeks
after the failed
audit if it was a
process Major)
Report including
action plan gives
status
Certifcate, Depend-
ing upon the results
of the follow-up
audit
4. Total score is
75% and <95%
Approved at
Foundation IFS
Cash & Carry/
Wholesale level
after receipt of the
action plans
Send action plan
within 2 weeks of
receiving the
Report including
action plan gives
status
Yes, Certifcate at
foundation level,
12 months validity
5. Total score is
95%
Approved at higher
IFS Cash & Carry/
Wholesale level
after receipt of the
action plan
Send action plan
within 2 weeks of
receiving the
Report including
action plan gives
status
Yes, Certifcate at
higher level,
12 months validity
IFS, February 2010
5.2.4 Scoring, conditions of awarding the IFS group certifcate for
IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale (ANNEX 3)
The multi-site certifcation is possible only if all the audited sites pass
individually the audit.
In case of failure of one site:
a) If one site fails the audit because of a KO evaluated with a D, several
Major non-conformities or one Major non-conformity and total score
<75%, the multi-site certifcation shall not be issued. The site which
fails at the audit shall be audited completely a new time within
6 months and shall pass the audit in order to allow the multi-site cer-
tifcation.
b) If one site fails the audit because of one Major and total score 75%,
a follow up audit shall be performed within 6 months, in order to
solve the non conformity and then allow the multi-site certifcation.
c) If one site fails the audit because of a total score <75% (but no non-
conformities in the sense of IFS):
if the certifcation body considers that the identifed deviations
are only linked to the site but not linked to the general manage-
ment system: a follow up audit shall be scheduled on the site,
to check the implementation of corrective actions for most
deviations. If most deviations are solved, and if the score of the
site is up to 75%, then the multi-site certifcation is possible. If
the total score is still under 75%, the multi-site certifcation is
not possible.
if the certifcation body considers that the identifed deviations
are linked to the site as well as to the general management sys-
tem: a follow up audit shall be scheduled on the site and at the
headquarter, to check the implementation of corrective actions
for most deviations. If most deviations are solved, and if the
score of the site is up to 75%, then the multi-site certifcation is
possible. If the total score is still under 75%, the multi-site cer-
tifcation is not possible.
5.2.5 Awarding the Certifcate
In case of a multi-site certifcation the certifcation body shall award a
multi-site certifcate. In the annex of the certifcate all sites shall be listed
which are in the scope of the audit.
5.2.6 Limitation of the certifcate on selected sites
It is on discretion of the company to certifcate only a part of all existing
sites. Only the certifed part of the sites shall be listed in the annex of the
certifcate.
IFS, February 2010
5.2.7 Inclusion of new sites
If the company opens a new site after the multi-site certifcate was
awarded and the new site should be included in the valid certifcate, the
new site shall be audited during the period. If the site passes the certif-
cation body can award a new certifcate which includes the new site.
5.2.8 General rules for IFS multi-site certifcation for wholesalers
and cash & carry markets
A multi-site certifcation process (and the issuing of one multi-site
organisation certifcate) under the EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 accredita-
tion norm is possible for wholesalers and cash & carry markets, only if:
the cash & carry markets have very similar processes,
the products processed or handled at all the sites/markets shall
be identical and shall be processed or handled according to
fundamentally the same methods and procedures,
the sites/markets and the headquarter shall be located in the
same country,
the headquarter manages completely the food safety and qual-
ity management system and implement it on all the sites/mar-
kets (central offce and sites/markets work under the same
management system),
the headquarter must identify the individual risk of each site
and, if necessary, the site groups in different risk classes,
the headquarter must carry out an initial inspection visit of each
site/market and shall monitor annually, via internal audits, each
site/market covered by the scope of the certifcate, before and
during the certifcation period. If there are no internal audits
conducted at all sites, this will be seen as a breach of require-
ment 5.1.1. and will therefore be evaluated as an KO.
A multi-site organisation need not to be a unique legal entity, but all
sites/markets shall have a legal or contractual link with the headquar-
ter.
5.2.9 Certifcation body selection
This programm is only applicable if one certifcation body conducts all
audits of the headquarter and the associated sites/markets during a
whole cycle (Chart N
o
1).
IFS, February 2010
5.3 Normative reference
IAF MD 1:2007 Mandatory Document for the Certifcation of
Multiple Sites Based on Sampling
EA-6 Draft Guidelines on the Accreditation of Certifcation
according to ISO/IEC Guide 65 for Producers with Multiple Pro-
duction Locations
ISO TS 22003:2007 Food safety management systems
Requirements for bodies providing audit and certifcation of
food safety management systems
6 The Certifcation Procedure
6.1 Preparation of an audit
Before being audited, the company shall study all requirements of the
IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale in detail. The company is responsible for
acquiring the current version of the Standard. In order to prepare for an
initial audit, a company can complete a pre-audit, which is only intended
to be used in-house, and does not include any recommendations. The
expected date for the initial or renewal audit shall be communicated to
the IFS owners via the IFS audit portal.This shall be the responsibility of
6.2 Certifcation body selection contractual
arrangements
In order to perform the IFS audit, the company shall appoint a certifca-
tion body which is approved to perform such audits. Only those IFS
approved certifcation bodies which shall be accredited EN 45011/ISO
IEC Guide 65 for the scope of IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale and shall have
signed a contract with IFS (see Part 3) shall carry out IFS audits and
issue certifcates. The list of all IFS international approved certifcation
bodies, by country, is available on the website www.certifcation.com.
Certifcation bodies can have a multi-skilled pool of auditors and will be
able to perform audits for any type of product categories/scopes and
processes, or may have auditors who have skills limited to individual
product categories/scopes. Confrmation of the product scopes for
which the certifcation body can perform audits shall be obtained from
A contract shall exist between the company and the certifcation body,
detailing the scope of the audit, the duration and reporting require-
ments. The audit shall preferably be carried out in the language of the
company and the certifcation body shall make every attempt to appoint
IFS, February 2010
an 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 certifcation body
is accredited for IFS Food certifcation.
6.3 Duration of an audit
The certifcation bodies have an appropriate system for estimating the
minimum time needed for an audit. Experience shows that the time
required for performing an audit shall typically be 1.0 days.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 the
certifcation body and the company, play a role in determining the time
required for a comprehensive audit. They include:
the size of the site/market
the number of personnel employed at the site/market
the number of non-conformities found in the previous audit.
The audit duration might be extended or reduced, depending on the risk
based factors. The on-site audit (excluding document checking) shall
take up at least 1/3 of the total audit time.The certifcation body justifes
deviations from these recommendations on the frst page of the audit
report in the audit profle feld. The above-mentioned rules equally
apply to renewal audits, which must be considered as completely new
audits.
Possible reasons for time reductions or extensions may be allowed, but
shall be justifed and documented.
In companies where no processing activities take place, many IFS
requirements are not as complex, in terms of their application and audit-
ing, as in cases of real processing plants (e.g. requirements applicable
to recipes, to process validation, to prevention of contamination).There-
fore, in the frame of the above applicable IFS audit duration rules,
reduced audit duration may be anticipated.
In the case of companies with several premises or establishments and
central headquarters, the audit begins in the headquarters with the ver-
ifcation of the centrally controlled processes. In such cases, each indi-
vidual establishment must anyway be audited.
In each establishment, checks are made to ensure that the centrally con-
trolled processes are correctly implemented and applied on-site and
whether the corresponding information is available. If the central con-
trol is effective (e.g. as regards hygiene, traceability, internal audits,
IFS, February 2010
handling of complaints), a reduction of the required audit time could be
a result. Further factors of reduction of the audit time can be the use of
the same auditor for the audit of the central headquarters and the audits
of the premises, or the performance of the audit of the premises by an
auditor who has some other comparable knowledge of the centrally
controlled processes.
6.4 Drawing up an audit plan
The certifcation body draws up the audit plan. The audit plan includes
adequate details concerning the scope covered and the complexity of
the audit. It is also suffciently fexible to respond to any eventualities
which may arise during the on-site certifcation audit. The audit plan
takes into consideration the audit report and action plan relating to the
previous certifcation audit. It also specifes which of the companys
products or product ranges are to be audited.The company can only be
audited at a time when it is actually producing the products specifed in
the scope of the audit. The audit is made up of the following fve ele-
ments:
the opening meeting
the evaluation of the status of existing quality and food safety
systems; achieved by checking documentation (HACCP, quality
management)
the on-site inspection and interviewing of the personnel
the fnal preparation of conclusions drawn from the audit
the closing meeting.
The company will assist the auditor during the audit. As part of the
audit, personnel from different levels of management are interviewed.
It is advisable that the companys senior managers are present at the
opening and closing meetings, so that any deviations and non-con-
formities can be discussed, and corrective actions commenced. The
auditor who conducts the audit will assess all the requirements of the
IFS, which are relevant to the companys structure.
During the closing meeting, the auditor presents all fndings and dis-
cusses all deviations and non-conformities which have been identifed.
As specifed by the norm EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65, the auditor may
only issue a provisional assessment of companys status during the
closing meeting. The certifcation body shall issue a provisional audit
report and outline action plan to the company, which shall be used as a
basis for drawing up corrective actions for the determined deviations
and non-conformities.
The senior management of the certifcation body can only make the
certifcationdecisionandprepare the formal audit report after the receipt
of the completed action plan.The issue of the certifcate is dependent on
the audit results.
IFS, February 2010
6.5 Evaluation of requirements
The audit assesses the nature and signifcance 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 fndings.
6.5.1 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 requirement mentioned 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 following
chart:
Table N 4: 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 implemented 5 points
D (deviation) Requirement has not been implemented 0 points
The auditor shall explain all scorings with B, C and D in the audit
report.
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 the
total amount. These possibilities are explained within the next chap-
ters.
6.5.2 Scoring a requirement as a non-conformity (ANNEX 3)
In the IFS there are also 2 kinds of non-conformities which are Major
and KO, both will lead to a subtraction of points from the total amount.
If the company gets at least one of these non-conformities, the certif-
cate cannot be awarded.
The certifcate shall be blocked in the IFS database by the certifcation
body within 2 weeks after the audit.The reason for the blocking shall be
inserted in English and the company shall be informed. The scheduling
of the new audit depends on the audit result.
IFS, February 2010
6.5.2.1 Major
A Major is defned as follows:
When there is a substantial failure to meet the requirements of the
Standard, which includes food safety and also the legal requirements of
the production and destination countries. A major can also be given
when the identifed non-conformity can lead to a serious health haz-
ard.
A major non-conformity can be given to any requirement which is not
defned as KO requirement.
A Major will subtract 15% of the possible total amount of points. The
certifcate is to be blocked by the certifcation body in the IFS database
(ANNEX 3).
Table N 5: Evaluation of a Major
Evaluation Scoring Result
Major 15% of possible total amount
is subtracted
No certifcate awarding is possible
In case of a Major and 75 % the new audit must be scheduled at the
latest 6 months after the audit where the Major was issued. In case of a
system Major the audit must be scheduled earliest 6 weeks after the
audit 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.
6.5.2.2 KO (Knock out)
In the IFS Cash &Carry/Wholesale there are specifc requirements which
are designed as KO requirements (KO Knock out). If during the audit
the auditor recognises that these requirements are not fulflled by the
company, this results in a non-certifcation, withdrawal of the certifca-
tion or suspension.
In each case the audit shall be completed and all requirements shall be
evaluated in order to give the company a complete overview about its
situation.
In cases when a KO has been identifed, this will lead to a complete new
audit in which demonstrable evidence of compliance has to be shown.
The new audit shall be scheduled not earlier than 6 weeks after the
audit where a KO was issued.
In the IFS the following 10 requirements are defned as KO require-
ments:
1.2.4 Responsibility of the senior management
2.1.3.8 Monitoring system of each CCP
IFS, February 2010
3.2.1.2 Personnel hygiene
4.2.2 Raw material specifcations
4.2.3 Finished product (recipe) specifcations
4.9.1 Foreign bodies management
4.16.1 Traceability system
5.1.1 Internal audits
5.9.2 Procedure for withdrawal and recall
5.11.2 Corrective actions
KO requirements shall be evaluated according to the following scoring
rules:
Table N 6: Scoring for KO requirement
Result Explanation Awarded scores
C (deviation) Small part of the requirement
is implemented
No C scoring is possible
KO (= D) The requirement is not
implemented
50% of the possible total
amount of points is subtracted
=> No certifcate awarding
is possible
Important!
A C scoring is not possible for KO requirement. In relation to the
respect of the requirement the auditor can only use A, B or D (= KO).
A KO can not be scored as N/A (non applicable); except for the KO-
requirement 2.1.3.8 about monitoring of CCP, which might not be appli-
cable according to the company and the products processed. If the com-
pany does not have identifed any CCP, the auditor shall score this
requirement as N/A, and shall give a detailed justifcation in the audit
report why this requirement is not applicable.
The company shall verify and document in detail the reasons for the
non-applicability of this requirement.
When a KO requirement has been scored as D, 50% of the possible
total amount of points is subtracted, automatically meaning that the
company is not approved for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale certifca-
tion.
6.5.3 Scoring a requirement with N/A (not applicable)
When the auditor decides that a requirement is not applicable the audi-
tor has to use:
IFS, February 2010
N/A: Not applicable with a short explanation. In case one or several
requirements are not applicable for a company, the auditor has
the possibility to score them with N/A and shall explain this in the
audit report.
In the cash &carry markets, there can be areas in which unpacked goods
are handled, as well as areas in which packed goods are handled logis-
tically. For this reason, some requirements may not be applicable; there-
fore guidelines are provided in part 2, to give instructions on the imple-
mentation of IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale.
N/A requirements shall not be included in the outline action plan, but
they shall be listed in a separate table in the audit report. As there may
be some requirements which are not applicable, using a total points
score for the audit may be misleading. The scoring system for the IFS
Cash & Carry is instead based on a percentage of the total available
score and it is this which is used to decide the status of the site/market
i.e. foundation or higher level.
6.6 Determination of the audit frequency
In the IFS cash & Carry, for all kind of products and for all certifcation
levels, the same audit frequency will apply. The audit frequency for IFS
audits is 12 months, starting from the date of the audit and not the date
of issue the certifcate.
Table N 7: Audit frequency
Level of certifcate All products
Foundation level 12 Months
Higher level 12 Months
6.7 Audit report
Following each audit, a full written report shall be prepared in the agreed
format (see Part 4).
Each audited site/market shall have its own audit report for IFS Cash &
Carry/Wholesale multi site certifcation.
6.7.1 Structure of the audit report
The audit report shall provide transparency and confdence to the reader
and will be completed by the auditor. The audit report is subdivided in
different sections.
audit summary with detailed description of the scope and a
IFS, February 2010
general summary in a tabular format for all chapters.The result
of 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) identifed during the
audit are presented in a separate action plan. Therefore the company
has to produce a corrective action plan. In this way, the reader of the
report can see the non-conformities and also the corrective actions, that
the company is initiating.
If a Major has been identifed and resolved and if the audit result is
fnally positive, the certifcation body shall mention on the audit report
the requirement, where the Major was issued.
6.7.2 The different steps for the audit report completion
6.7.2.1 Drawing up the pre-report of the audit and the outline of the
action plan
The auditor shall explain all non-conformities (KO requirements scored
with a Dand Majors), all deviations (B, C, D) and KOrequirements scored
with 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 specifc reporting needs, but the overall format of the
report shall remain unchanged and comply with this specifc require-
ment. The action plan shall include all the requirements which are not
evaluated
with A or N/A. The outline action plan shall conform to the AuditXpress
software (IFS audit report writer assistant) outline action plan. It shall
include the elements of the following. The outline action plan drawn up
by certifcation bodies, which do not use the AuditXpress software shall
conform to AuditXpress layout. The auditor shall complete all of Field A
in chart no. 5, explaining and justifying the deviations and non-con-
formities fnding before sending the company the outline action plan
and the pre-report of the audit.
The certifcation body shall send the company both the pre-report of the
audit and the outline action plan within two weeks of the audit date.
IFS, February 2010
Table N 8: Outline action plan
Number
of the
require-
ment
IFS requirement Evalua-
tion
Explanation
(by the
auditor)
Corrective
action
(by the
company)
Responsibility
Date and status of
implementation
(by the company)
Release by
the auditor
Field A Field B Field C Field D
1.2.1 An organisation
chart
B
1.2.2 Competences and
responsibilities
C
1.2.3 Job descriptions
shall exist
D
1.2.4
KO
The senior manage-
ment shall ensure
KO/D
1.2.5 Employees with
infuences
Major
2.1.3.8
KO
Specifc monitoring
procedures shall be
KO/B
6.7.2.2 Companys completion of the corrective action plan
The company shall enter proposed corrective actions (Field B of table
no. 8) for all deviations (B, C, D) and KO requirements scored with a B
and non-conformities (Major, KO requirements scored with a D) listed
by 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 company
shall clearly state the responsibilities and implementation deadlines
(table no. 8, Field C). The company shall forward the corrective action
plan to the certifcation body within 2 weeks of having received the pre-
report of the audit and the action plan layout. If this deadline is not
respected, the company has to undergo a complete initial or renewal
audit.
An IFS certifcate shall not be awarded unless the corrective actions for
requirements scored with a C or D, KO requirements scored with B
specify responsibilities and implementation dates in the action plan.
It is emphasised that the corrective action plan communicated by the
company to the certifcation body cannot have an infuence on scoring,
but its relevance can have an infuence on the fnal decision of awarding
the IFS certifcate.
The company shall always submit a written corrective action plan before
receiving the fnal report and the certifcate. The intention of the correc-
tive action plan is for the company to strive for continuous improve-
ments.
IFS, February 2010
Remark: When a company is found to have at least one KO requirement
scored with a D and as a result will not get the IFS certifcation, it is rec-
ommended to complete the action plan, for improvement purposes.
6.7.2.3 Auditor validation of the action plan
The auditor or a representative of the certifcation body shall validate
the relevance of the corrective actions in the last column of the action
plan before preparing the fnal audit report (Field D of the table N
o
8). If
the corrective actions are not valid and relevant, the certifcation body
shall return the action plan to the company for completion in due time.
6.7.3 Further rules about the audit report
6.7.3.1 Link between two consecutive audit reports (initial and
renewal audits)
When the auditor scores a requirement with C or D, corrective actions
shall be implemented before the renewal audit. If not, the auditor has
the possibility to score the requirement with a Major. This requirement
ensures that the certifcation body shall read the audit report and the
action plan of the previous audit, even if he was not in charge of it.
6.7.3.2 Translation of the audit report
As the IFS is used internationally, it is important that the customers
understand the audit report language in particular deviations and non-
conformities identifed 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 translated
into English in the action plan (table N
o
8, Field A):
Requirements evaluated with a C or D
Major non-conformities
KO requirements scored with a B or a D.
It is an obligation and the responsibility of the certifcation bodies to
translate these explanations. It is strongly recommended that the pro-
posed corrective actions are translated as well in English. The transla-
tion shall be made under each sentence of the original version and
included in the audit report, before uploading the fnal audit report to
the audit portal.
IFS, February 2010
7 Awarding the Certifcate(s)
for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
multi-site certifcation (ANNEX 3)
Only one multi-site certifcate is issued (headquarter + sites/markets)
per country.
The certifcate is awarded to the headquarter and the duration is
12 months. All assigned cash & carry markets are listed in an annex of
the certifcate.
The reference of the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale shall be clearly men-
tioned on the certifcate.The head quarter and all assigned cash & carry
markets has to be listed in the IFS audit portal.
7.1 Deadlines for awarding certifcate
The certifcation body is responsible for the decision to award or not
award the IFS Cash &Carry certifcate.The decision is made by person(s)
other than those who have carried out the audit. The certifcation shall
be valid effectively from the date of issue stated on the certifcate itself
and shall end after 12 months. The date for the renewal audit shall be
calculated from the date of the previous audit, not from the date of
issue the certifcate. If the audit is not performed in due time, the retail-
ers will be informed via the audit portal.
The time between the date of the audit and the awarding of certifcate 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)
2 weeks for the auditor to check the proposed corrective actions,
for the certifcation procedure and upload of the audit report to
the audit portal.
In total: 6 weeks between the date of audit and uploading the audit
report to the audit portal and awarding the certifcate:
Target time: 6 weeks,
Maximumtime: 8 weeks (Duration IA => C in the following chart
N 2).
Table N
o
9: Certifcate frequency
Level of certifcate All Products
Foundation level 12 months
Higher level 12 months
IFS, February 2010
7.2 The different steps of the certifcation process
Chart N 2: Certifcate validity audit frequency:
example of a classical certifcation cycle
The renewal audit shall be scheduled not later than 12 months of the
previous audit. As the maximum authorised period between an audit
and the award of a certifcate is 8 weeks, the previous audit report
remains a further 8 weeks on the audit portal. If the renewal audit takes
place later than 12 months after the previous audit, the report will be
removed from the IFS audit portal.
Important!
If the auditor gives a KO or a Major non-conformity assessment in the
renewal audit, the previous certifcate becomes invalid immediately
(see 6.5.2).
7.3 The different steps of the certifcation process
if a Major has been issued and a follow up audit
has taken place
When the auditor gives a major non-conformity assessment and equal
or more than 75 % of the requirements have been met, a follow-up audit
shall be scheduled within 6 months of the frst audit. The certifcation
process is as follows:
IA
Date of the initial audit
(e.g. 12/02/2010)
C
Date of award of the certificate
Certificate validity = 12 months
C + 12 months
IA + 12 months
Date 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 in
months
IFS, February 2010
Chart N 3: Certifcate validity audit frequency: follow up audit situa-
tion
For the validity of the previous audit the same rules apply as described
in section 7.2
8 Distribution and Storage of the Audit Report
Audit reports shall remain the property of the company and shall not be
released, in whole or part, to a third party without the companys prior
consent (except where required by law). This consent for distribution of
the audit report must be in writing and can be granted by the company
vis--vis the certifcation body and/or vis--vis the retailer. The certifca-
tion body will keep a copy of the audit report. The audit report shall be
stored safely and securely for a period of fve years.
9 Supplementary Action
The decision on the level of supplementary actions required on the
basis of the certifcate shall be made at the discretion of the individual
buying organisation.
10 Appeal Procedure
The certifcation 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 and
will be considered by senior management of the certifcation body.
Appeals will be fnalised within 20 working days of receiving informa-
tion from the auditee.
IA: Initial audit
Date of the initial audit
(e.g. 12/02/2010)
C
Date of award of the certificate
Certificate validity = 12 months
C + 12 months
IA + 12 months
Date 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 in
months
FUA: Follow up audit
(not later than 12/08/2010)
Result: a major non-conformity and
>
75% of requirements met
IFS, February 2010
11 Complaints
The certifcation body shall have documented procedures for handling
complaints received from the companies and/or other relevant parties.
An initial response will be given within 10 working days of receiving the
complaint. A letter confrming receipt of the complaint will be issued
within a maximum of 5 working days. A full written response will be
given after the completion of a full and thorough investigation into a
complaint.
The base for the complaint management is the IFS framework agree-
ment beween certifcation body and HTS GmbH.
12 Ownership and Usage of the IFS Logo
The copyright of the IFS and the registered trademark is fully owned by
the Hauptverband des Deutschen Einzelhandels (HDE), Berlin and the
Fdration des Entreprises du Commerce et de la distribution (FCD),
Paris. The IFS Logo can be downloaded via the secured part of the IFS
Audit portal.
Terms and conditions for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale certifed compa-
nies Use of the IFS Cash & Carry logo and Communication about the
IFS Cash & Carry certifcation
Form, design and colour of the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale logo
When used, the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale logo must comply with the
form and colour of the scale drawing. An IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
certifed company may subject to the provisions mentioned below
use the IFS logo in its documents.
The IFS logo can be used in printed, physical and electronic form, and
in flms, 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 interpretation
When an IFS certifed company publishes documents bearing the IFS
logo, comment and interpretations referring to the IFS shall be clearly
identifable as such.
Use of the IFS logo in promotional material
An IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale certifed company may use the IFS logo
for promotional reasons and publish information about its IFS certifca-
tion provided that it is not visible by the end-consumer: the IFS logo and
the information about the certifcation may be used in correspondence
with suppliers and retailers, but not in correspondence with the end-
consumer. The IFS logo may not be displayed on vehicles, the food
products themselves, or any kind of advertising document likely to
reach the end-consumer (e.g. public exhibitions for end consumers,
brochures). As for the particular case of websites which are not exclu-
IFS, February 2010
sively dedicated to a professional use, the logo may appear only on
web pages related to food quality and security. It must be ensured that
all information concerning certifcations refers clearly to the IFS.The IFS
logo may not be used in presentations having no clear connection to
the IFS.
Further restriction on the use of the IFS logo
The IFS logo shall not be used in a way that could make believe that the
IFS owners are responsible for the respect of certifcation requirements.
Furthermore the same applies for opinions and interpretations which
could derivate from it. In case of suspension or withdrawal of the IFS
certifcation, the certifed company has to immediately stop the inclu-
sion of the IFS logo on its documents and stop the communication
about IFS. Furthermore the audited company has to demonstrate that
they have stopped using the IFS logo in its documents.
Communication about the IFS certifcation
All the above mentioned rules apply to any communication about IFS.
This also means that using the words IFS, International Featured
Standard, is not allowed. This, of course, includes the communication
on fnished products, which are bought by the end consumer.
13 Review of the Standard
The review committee needs to demonstrate control of the quality and
content of the standard and will review the standard and the protocol
after one year to ensure that they are still in compliance with their
requirements. 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 certifcation bodies. The review
will 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 to
the Standard, the requirements of the audit report and the training.
14 Assessment of the Certifcation Bodies
by the Companies
All audited companies have the opportunity to give their feedback about
the auditor and the IFS. The evaluations forms can be completed online
via the IFS audit portal at the secure part for audited companies. The
results of the assessment will be given to the certifcation bodies once
a year and will be part of the review committee discussions.
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX 1: Defnitions
Cash & carry markets can have or not processing activities, as defned
in the Regulation (EC) N 852/2004
Processing
Any action that substantially alters the initial product, including heat-
ing, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extru-
sion or a combination of those processes e.g., Slaughtering, Carcase
dressing, Production of minced meat, marinating of food of animal ori-
gin, heat treating
Non-Processing
e.g. Meat and fsh cuts for customer request similar to retail activities,
Cutting cheese, Bakery shop activities, Freezing/unfreezing
unprocessed products means foodstuffs that have not undergone
processing, and includes products that have been divided, parted, sev-
ered, sliced, boned, minced, skinned, ground, cut, cleaned, trimmed,
husked, milled, chilled, frozen, deep-frozen or thawed;
processed products means foodstuffs resulting from the processing
of unprocessed products.
These products may contain ingredients that are necessary for their
manufacture or to give them specifc characteristics.
Announced audit
The audit date is agreed between the site/market and the certifcation
body.
Unannounced audit
The certifcation body informs the company at least 48 hours in
advance.
ANNEX 2: Certifcation Procedure
Voluntary: Pre-Audit Voluntary: Pre-Audit
Determination of
the audit date
Determination of
audit times
Defnition of the
audit scope
Determination of
Majors, KO Audit
not approved,
temporary certifcate
blocking
Action plan and
preliminary audit
report sent to
audited company
Voluntary comple-
tion of the action
plan and return to
the certifcation body
Finalisation of the
action plan and
report upload into
the IFS Auditportal
No certifcate
Action plan and
preliminary audit
report sent to
audited company
Corrective actions of
the non-conformities
which have led
to the Major
Validation of the
corrective actions
by the certifcation
body within
6 months
Determination of
1 Major and particu-
lar circumstances
Not approved before
further actions,
temporary certifcate
blocking
4. Selection by the company of the IFS certifcation body
(accredited and approved).
Quotation, decision and signature of contract
3. Evaluation of the current status by the company
2. Ordering and reading of the respective copy
of IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
1. Decision by the company to get certifed against
the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
6. Closing meeting
Information about the determined non-conformities
Opening meeting Evaluation of the documentation
Site assessment and interviews of employees Creation of the audit conclusions
5. Realisation of the audit on-site at the determined date,
by an auditor competent in the audit scope
7. Preparation of a preliminary audit report and
preparation of action plan (2 weeks)
12. Awarding of certifcate and sending of the fnal report
to the audited company
11. Certifcation decision, determination
of the certifcate validity
10. Proofreading and checking by the certifcation body
9. Return of the fulflled action plan to the certifcation
body (2 weeks)
8. Completion of the action plan and determination
of corrective actions by the audited company (2 weeks)
13. Uploading of the audit datas into the IFS Auditportal
(audit details, report and action plan) by the certifcation body
14. Three months before the audit expires, a reminder
will be sent to the company by the IFS Auditportal for
scheduling a new audit with the certifcation body. The
audit shall be scheduled no later than the renewal audit
date scheduled in the certifcate.
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX 3: Conditions for awarding the certif-
cates for multi-site certifcations
of IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
1 site KO
and/or
> Major or
1 Major and
<75%
all sites/
marktes
passed
multi-site
certifcation
site/market
passes
no
multi-site
certifcation
site/market
doesnt
pass
multi-site
certifcation
site/market
passes
no
multi-site
certifcation
site/market
doesnt
pass
multi-site
certifcation
most
deviations
are solved
and >75%
no
multi-site
certifcation
still
<75%
multi-site
certifcation
most
deviations
are solved
and >75%
no multi-site
certifcation
still
<75%
no multi-site
certifcation
multi-site
certifcation
1 site
1 Major and
>75%
tentative no
multi-site
certifcation
<75%,
no Major
deviations
linked to the
general
management
system
deviations only
linked to the
site/market
Follow up
audit of the
headquarter
and on the
site/market to
check the
successful
implementation
of corrective
actions
Follow up
audit on the
site/market to
check the
successful
implementation
of corrective
actions
follow up
audit within
6 months
(earliest
6 weeks after
a process
Major)
completely
new audit for
the failed site
(earliest
6 weeks after
the KO or
Major)
result per
single site?
deviations
linked to the site/
market
result of the
follow up audit
positiv?
result of the
follow up audit
positiv?
successful
implementation of
corrective actions
result of the
new audit
positiv?
conduction of audits according to
IFS C&C/Wholesale in several sites/markets
Yes No Yes No
Yes No
Yes No Yes No
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX 4: 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 when
a 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/or
b) handling of loose products and/or
c) activities undertaken during the primary packing.
Examples:
The IFS Food product categories from 1 to 17 relate to food pro-
cessing;
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, fsh 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 handling
activities of loose and packed products in Cash & Carry markets or
wholesale companies. It also includes processing activities when small
quantities of products are concerned (like minced meat).
The requirements of IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale are the same as IFS
Food, but contain in addition guidelines on how to manage specifc
requirements in Cash & Carry markets or wholesale companies. Fur-
thermore, a multi-site-certifcation approach is possible under very spe-
cifc conditions (quantity of processing activities, number of stores,
unannounced audits, etc.).
IFS HPC is a standard for auditing companies that process household
and personal care products, or companies that pack loose household
and personal care products. IFS HPC can only be used when a product
is processed or when there is a hazard for product contamination dur-
ing the primary packing.
IFS, February 2010
IFS Logistics is applicable to both food and non-food products and cov-
ers 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 goods
are not subject to any further handling (e.g. controlled-temper-
ature transport) during the transportation and/or to any other
food-safety criteria, such as microbiological processes (EU-VO
2073/2005). These goods are loose goods, but they are subject
neither 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 the
chapters 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 the
company or a customer on this basis wishes certifcation of this
platform in keeping with IFS Logistics, an IFS Logistics audit
can be carried out. In this case the following requirements must
be taken into account:
The logistics platform is for pre-packed goods only,
In the case of two audits and certifcates (IFS Food and IFS
Logistics) it must be clearly stated exactly where the relevant
audit area begins and ends,
The requirements of IFS Food as regards transportation and
storage must be taken into account in the context of the IFS
Food 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 involved
in trading activities and who select their own suppliers and purchase
or broker goods from these themselves or on behalf. They can organise
logistics themselves or with service providers. Brokers charge for the
IFS, February 2010
goods themselves without necessarily coming into contact with the
product.
Examples:
Companies, such as commercial agencies, brokers or other
enterprises that do not see the products, shall be audited
according to IFS Brokers.
If such a company has its own storage and transport activities,
these would be audited within the framework of certifcation
against IFS Logistic.
A company which buys goods and has these processed or
worked by a service company in its own name shall be certifed
against IFS Brokers.
The service company that works or processes the goods shall
be certifed against IFS Food or IFS HPC (depending on the pro-
cessed products).
The service company that transports, stores or performs any
other logistic activities with the goods, must be certifed against
IFS Logistics.
Summary:
IFS Food a factory that processes or handles loose food prod-
ucts.
IFS HPC a factory that processes or handles loose household
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 food and
non-food goods logistically.
IFS Broker a company that purchases goods, but does not nec-
essarily itself come into contact with the goods and
has these goods delivered directly to its customers.
Determining for the selection of the standard is the main business activ-
ity of the respective company. If the scope of the selected standard is
not applicable for all activities, a completing standard must be used or
it must be showed clearly in the certifcate, which activities are in the
audit scope and which are not. All activities that infuence the product
safety of the certifed products must be within the scope of the selected
standard.
IFS, February 2010
Part 2: Requirements
1 Senior Management Responsibility
These requirements apply to the entire company.
In the case of companies with a branch structure and central headquar-
ters, control of each branch is to be checked centrally and shall also be
capable of verifcation in the branch itself.
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 specifcation).
The corporate policy shall be communicated to all employ-
ees.
1.1.2 The content of the corporate policy shall have been broken
down into specifc objectives for the related departments.
The responsibility and the time scale for achievement shall
be defned for each department of the company.
1.1.3 From the corporate policy, the quality objectives shall be
communicated to the employees in the respective depart-
ments and shall be effectively implemented.
1.1.4 The senior management shall ensure that the achievement
of all objectives is regularly reviewed, as a minimum at least
once a year.
1.1.5 The company shall ensure that all relevant information is
communicated effectively and in a timely manner to the rel-
evant personnel.
1.1.6 The company shall assign the responsible for the external
communication (crisis management, authorities and com-
munication with media).
IFS, February 2010
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 of
responsibility shall be clearly laid down.
1.2.3 Job descriptions with clearly defned responsibilities shall
exist for employees, whose work has an effect on product
requirements.
1.2.4 KO:The senior management shall ensure that employees are
aware of their responsibilities and that mechanisms are in
place to monitor the effectiveness of their operation.
1.2.5 Employees with infuence on product requirements shall be
aware of their responsibilities, and shall be able to demon-
strate their understanding of their responsibilities.
1.2.6 The senior management shall have nominated an IFS repre-
sentative.
1.2.7 The senior management shall provide suffcient and relevant
resources to meet the product requirements.
1.2.8 The department responsible for quality management shall
have a direct reporting relationship to the senior manage-
ment.
1.2.9 The company shall ensure that all processes (documented
and undocumented) are known by the relevant personnel
and are applied consistently.
1.2.10 The company shall have a system in place, to ensure that it
is kept informed of all relevant legislation on food safety
issues, scientifc and technical developments and industry
codes of practice.
1.3 Customer focus
1.3.1 A procedure shall be in place to identify fundamental needs
and expectations of customers.
1.3.2 The results of this procedure shall be evaluated and consid-
ered by the determination of quality objectives.
1.4 Management review
1.4.1 Senior management shall ensure that the quality manage-
ment system is reviewed at fxed periods.
IFS, February 2010
1.4.2 This review shall include measures for the control of the
quality management systemand for the continuous improve-
ment process.
1.4.3 The company shall identify and review regularly (e.g. by
internal audits or on-site inspection) the infrastructure
needed to achieve conformity to product requirements. This
shall include, as a minimum, the following:
buildings
supply systems
machines and equipment
transport.
The results of the review shall be considered, with due con-
sideration to risk, for investment planning.
1.4.4 The company shall identify and review regularly (e.g. by
internal audits or on-site inspection) the work environment
needed to achieve conformity to product requirements. This
shall include, as a minimum the following:
staff facilities
environmental conditions
safety and security at work
hygienic conditions
workplace design
external infuences (e.g. noise, vibration).
The results of the review shall be considered, with due con-
sideration to risk for investment planning.
2 Quality Management System
In its presentation, the HACCP concept shall distinguish
between the handling of unpacked products and logistical
activities applicable to packed goods.The scope of the docu-
mentation and of the incoming-audit system shall corre-
spond to that of the (less extensive) processing level.
2.1 HACCP (based on the Codex Alimentarius CA)
2.1.1 HACCP system
2.1.1.1 The basis of the companys food safety control system shall
be a fully implemented, systematic and comprehensive
HACCP system, based upon the Codex Alimentarius princi-
ples. It shall take into account any legal requirements of the
production and destination countries which may go beyond
such principles. The HACCP system shall be implemented at
each market/site. The HACCP concept consider the circum-
stances of the market.
IFS, February 2010
2.1.1.2 The HACCP system shall cover all raw materials, products or
product groups as well as every process from goods in to
dispatch, including product development and product pack-
aging.
2.1.1.3 The company shall ensure that the HACCP system is based
upon scientifc literature, or technical verifed specifcations
relating to the manufactured products and procedures. This
shall be maintained in line with new technical process devel-
opment.
2.1.2 Assemble HACCP team (CA Step 1)
2.1.2.1 The HACCP team shall have strong senior management sup-
port and shall be well known and established across the
whole company.
2.1.2.2 The HACCP team shall be multidisciplinary and include oper-
ational staff. Personnel appointed as HACCP team members
shall have specifc knowledge of HACCP, product and proc-
ess knowledge and the associated hazards.
2.1.2.3 Where competent knowledge is not available, external expert
advice shall be obtained.
2.1.3 HACCP analysis
2.1.3.1 Describe product (CA Step 2)
A full description of the product including all relevant infor-
mation on product safety exists such as:
composition
physical, organoleptic, chemical and microbiological
parameters
methods of treatment
packaging
durability (shelf life)
conditions for storage and method of transport.
2.1.3.2 Identify intended use (CA Step 3)
The intended use of the product shall be described as seen
from the expected use of the product by the end consumer,
taking into account vulnerable groups of consumers.
2.1.3.3 Construct fow diagram (CA Step 4)
Afowdiagramshall exist for each product, or product group,
and for all variations of the processes and sub-processes.
The fow diagram shall be dated, updated and clearly iden-
tify each CCP with the number assigned to it.
IFS, February 2010
2.1.3.4 On-site confrmation of the fow diagram
(CA Step 5)
The HACCP team shall review the processes at all operation
stages against the fow diagram. Amendments of the dia-
gram will be made, where appropriate.
2.1.3.5 Conduct a hazard analysis for each step
(CA Step 6 Principle 1)
A hazard analysis shall be available of all physical, chem-
ical and biological hazards that may reasonably be ex-
pected.
2.1.3.5.1 The hazard analysis shall consider the likelihood of harm to
the consumer and the potential severity of damage (effect,
potential consequences).
2.1.3.5.2 For all steps, which are not defned as CCPs but as CPs, the
company shall implement, maintain, monitor and document
specifc preventive measures..
2.1.3.6 Determine critical control points
Relevant Critical Control Points (CCPs) shall be determined,
to which control can be applied directly in order to prevent,
eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard to acceptable
level(s).
2.1.3.7 Establish critical limits for each CCP
For each CCP, the appropriate critical limits shall be defned
and validated, in order to clearly identify when a process is
out of control.
2.1.3.8 KO: Establish a monitoring system for each CCP
Specifc monitoring procedures shall be established for each
CCP to detect any loss of control at that CCP. Records of
monitoring shall be maintained for a relevant period. Each
defned CCPs shall be under control. Monitoring and control
respectively of each CCP shall be demonstrated by records.
The respective records shall specify the responsible person
as well as the date and result.
2.1.3.9 Establish corrective actions
For each CCP, corrective actions shall be established. In case
the monitoring indicates that a particular CCP is not under
control, adequate corrective actions shall be taken and docu-
mented. Such corrective actions shall also take into account
any non-conforming products.
IFS, February 2010
2.1.3.10 Establish verifcation procedures (CA Step 11 Principle 6)
Procedures of verifcation shall be established to confrm
that the HACCP system is effcient. Verifcation of the HACCP
system shall be performed at least once a year. Examples of
verifcation activities include:
internal audits
analysis
sampling
evaluations
complaint by authorities and customers.
The results of this verifcation shall be incorporated into the
HACCP system.
2.1.3.11 Establish documentation and record keeping
Documentation shall be available, covering all processes,
procedures, measures and records. Documentation and
record keeping shall be appropriate to the nature and size of
the company.
2.2 Documentation requirements
2.2.1 The quality system for quality assurance and food safety
shall be documented and implemented, and shall be retained
in one location.
2.2.2 A documented procedure shall exist for the control of docu-
ments and their amendments.
2.2.3 All documents shall be clearly legible, unambiguous and
comprehensive. They shall be available to relevant person-
nel at all times.
2.2.4 All documents which are necessary for compliance with the
product requirements shall be available in their latest ver-
sion.
2.2.5 The reason for any amendments to documents, critical for
the product requirements shall be recorded.
2.3 Record keeping
2.3.1 All relevant records, necessary for the product requirements
shall be complete, detailed and maintained and shall be
available on request.
IFS, February 2010
2.3.2 Records shall be legible and genuine. They shall be main-
tained in a way that subsequent manipulation of records is
prohibited.
2.3.3 All records shall be kept in accordance with legal require-
ments. If those are not specifed, records shall be kept for the
duration of the shelf life, to make verifcation possible. For
products which have a very short or no shelf life, record
keeping shall be based on a hazard analysis.
2.3.4 Any amendments to records shall only be carried out by
authorised persons.
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 by
education, work experience and/or training.
3.2 Human resources
3.2.1 Personnel hygiene
On the basis of the hazard analysis, the hygiene concepts
can be distinctly presented in terms of activity and area of
work.
3.2.1.1 There shall be documented requirements relating to person-
nel hygiene. These include, as a minimum the following
felds:
hand washing and disinfection
eating and drinking
smoking
actions to be taken in case of cuts or skin abrasions
fngernails and jewellery
hair and beards.
The requirements shall be based on a hazard analysis in rela-
tion to product and process.
3.2.1.2 KO:The requirements for personnel hygiene shall be in place
and applied by all relevant personnel, contractors and visi-
tors. Compliance with the requirements shall be checked
regularly.
IFS, February 2010
3.2.1.3 Visible jewellery (incl. piercing) and watches shall not be
worn. Any exceptions shall have been comprehensively
evaluated by hazard analysis in relation to product and proc-
ess.
3.2.1.4 Cuts and skin abrasions shall be covered by a coloured plas-
ter (different from the product colour) containing a metal
strip, where appropriate and in case of hand injuries, in
addition to a plaster, a single use glove shall be worn.
3.2.2 Protective clothing for personnel,
contractors and visitors
3.2.2.1 Company procedures shall exist to ensure that all personnel,
contractors and visitors are aware of the rules regarding the
management of wearing and changing of protective clothing
in specifed work areas in accordance with product require-
ments.
3.2.2.2 In work areas where wearing headgear and/or beard snood
is required, the hair shall be covered completely so that prod-
uct contamination is prevented.
3.2.2.3 Clearly defned usage rules shall exist for work areas where
it is required to wear gloves (coloured differently from the
product colour). Compliancewiththeserules shall bechecked
on a regular basis.
3.2.2.4 Suitable protective clothing shall be available in suffcient
numbers for each employee.
3.2.2.5 All protective clothing shall be thoroughly and regularly
laundered. In accordance with a process and product hazard
analysis, the clothing shall be washed by a contract laundry,
on-site laundry or by the employee.
3.2.2.6 Guidelines shall exist for laundering of protective clothing
and a procedure shall be in place for checking its cleanli-
ness.
3.2.3 Procedures applicable to infectious diseases
3.2.3.1 There shall be written and communicated procedures for
personnel, contractors and visitors for actions to be taken in
the case of an infectious disease or the suspicion thereof.
Particular consideration shall be taken in these areas where
product safety may be compromised.
IFS, February 2010
3.3 Training
In the training concept the differentiated consideration of the
risks involved in the handling of unpacked goods and in
logistical treatment (package goods) shall be demonstrated.
The basic training obligation derives from Annex 2 of (EC)
Regulation N
o
852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. Moreo-
ver the statutory training requirements for the handling of
readily perishable products apply.
3.3.1 The company shall put in place documented training pro-
grams in respect of the product requirements and the train-
ing needs of the employees. These programs shall include:
training contents
training frequency
list of participants
languages
qualifed trainer/tutor.
3.3.2 Those responsible for the development and maintenance of
HACCP system shall have received adequate training in the
application of the HACCP principles.
3.3.3 The documented training programs shall apply to all person-
nel, including seasonal and temporary workers, employed in
the respective work area. Upon employment, and before
commencing work, they shall be trained in accordance with
the documented training programs.
3.3.4 Records shall be available of all performed training events,
stating:
list of participants incl. signature
date
duration
contents of training
name of trainer/tutor.
3.3.5 The contents of training shall be reviewed and updated regu-
larly and take into account companys specifc issues (non-
conformities, failures), food safety and food related legal
requirements.
IFS, February 2010
3.4 Sanitary facilities, equipment for personnel
hygiene and staff facilities
3.4.1 The company shall provide staff facilities, which shall be
proportional in size and equipped for the number of person-
nel. Such facilities shall be kept in clean and good condi-
tion.
3.4.2 The risk of product contamination by foreign bodies from
staff facilities shall be evaluated and minimised. Considera-
tion shall also be given to food brought to work by personnel
and personal belongings.
3.4.3 The company shall provide suitable changing rooms for per-
sonnel, contractors and visitors. Where necessary outdoor
clothing and protective clothing shall be stored separately.
3.4.4 Staff facilities shall be equipped with toilets, which shall not
have direct access to an area where food products are han-
dled. There shall be at least one dedicated washroom sepa-
rating both areas.
3.4.5 Adequate hand hygiene facilities shall be provided at access
points to and within production areas, as well as at staff facil-
ities. Based on a hazard analysis, further areas (e.g. packag-
ing area) shall be similarly equipped.
3.4.6 Such hand hygiene facilities shall provide as a minimum:
running cold and hot water
liquid soap
single use towels.
3.4.7 Where highly perishable food products are handled, the fol-
lowing additional requirements regarding hand hygiene
shall also be provided:
hand contact-free fttings
hand disinfection
approved hygiene equipments
signs/pictograms.
3.4.8 Changing rooms shall be arranged so that they allow direct
access to the areas where food products are handled. Excep-
tions shall have been considered within the hazard analysis.
Where appropriate, cleaning facilities for boots, shoes and
further protective clothing shall be available.
IFS, February 2010
4 Production Process
The requirements 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.5 apply only for areas
where naked goods are handled.
4.1 Contract review
For cash & carry markets, conclusion of contract usually
takes place at the time at which the customer makes the pur-
chase on-site, or at the time of delivery. Checking of the con-
tract occurs at the same time. In such cases concrete instruc-
tions for contract review cannot be applied (shall be justifed
during the audit).
4.1.1 All customer requirements relating to the products, their
realisation and delivery shall have been defned and under-
stood before a written supply agreement is concluded. The
company shall review whether all aspects of customers
requirements have been satisfed.
4.1.2 There shall be records showing how changes to the existing
contractual agreements are agreed and communicated.
4.2 Product specifcations
In the fresh-food areas of the cash & carry markets self-serv-
ice, the personnel shall be able to provide information on the
specifcations. In the dry areas where only end products
are handled, specifcations for raw materials and semi-fn-
ished products are generally not required.
As long as no processing of products takes place, and there-
fore no recipe is needed, these requirements do not apply
(N/A, shall be justifed).
4.2.1 Specifcations shall be available for all fnal products and, if
necessary (e.g. retail brand) be agreed upon in writing with
customers.The specifcations shall be up to date, unambigu-
ous, available and always in conformance with legal require-
ments.
4.2.2 KO: Specifcations shall be available and in place for all raw
materials (raw materials/ingredients, additives, packaging
materials, rework). The specifcations shall be up to date,
unambiguous, available and always in conformance with
legal requirements.
4.2.3 KO: The recipe mentioned in the customer fnished product
specifcation shall be complied with.
4.2.4 Specifcations and/or their contents are provided in the rele-
vant areas and accessible to all relevant personnel.
IFS, February 2010
4.2.5 There shall be a procedure for the amendment and approval
of specifcations for all parts of the process.
4.3 Product development
Product development does not normally apply to the han-
dling of products (NA, shall be justifed).
4.3.1 A procedure for product development shall be in place which
incorporates the hazard analysis principles, in accordance
with the HACCP system.
4.3.2 Product formulation, manufacturing processes and the fulfl-
ment of product requirements shall have been ensured by
factory trials and product testing.
4.3.3 Shelf life tests shall be carried out taking into account prod-
uct formulation, packaging, manufacturing and storage con-
ditions. Use by or Best before dates shall be established
accordingly.
4.3.4 The company shall conduct appropriate studies and tests in
order to investigate compliance with microbiological criteria
within the shelf life.
4.3.5 Recommendations for preparation and/or use of the food
products shall be established. If appropriate, customer
requirements shall be included.
4.3.6 The progress and results of product development shall be
properly recorded.
4.3.7 Product development shall consider the results of organolep-
tic assessments.
4.4 Purchasing
For cash & carry markets, purchasing takes place primarily
via purchasing organizations of the company. Manufacturers
who deliver goods to the purchasing organizations are con-
sidered as suppliers in the scope of IFS. The requirements of
the IFS shall be seen in the context of the stepwise account-
ability of the market. The criteria for selection of suppliers
depend on the quality policy of the given company (e.g. as
regards the requirements specifed for certifcation).
4.4.1 Purchased products and services shall conform to current
specifcations and contractual agreements.
4.4.2 There shall be records to identify which product is sourced
from which supplier.
IFS, February 2010
4.4.3 There shall be a procedure for approval and monitoring of
suppliers (internal and external), outsourced production or
part of it.
4.4.4 The approval and monitoring procedure shall contain clear
assessment criteria such as: audits, certifcates of analysis,
supplier reliability and complaints, as well as required per-
formance standards based on a hazard analysis.
4.4.5 The results of suppliers assessments shall be reviewed reg-
ularly.There shall be records of the reviews and of the actions
taken as a consequence of assessment.
4.4.6 The purchased products and services shall be checked in
accordance with the existing specifcations. The schedule of
these checks shall take into account the product require-
ments, supplier status and the impact of raw materials on
the fnished product.
4.5 Product packaging
4.5.1 All packaging shall comply with the current relevant legisla-
tion.
4.5.2 Detailed specifcations shall exist for all packaging materi-
als.
4.5.3 Certifcates of conformity or evidence shall exist for all pack-
aging in direct contact with food to demonstrate that they
are suitable for use. This applies for packaging in direct con-
tact with raw materials, semi-processed and fnished prod-
ucts. This includes containers, conveyor belts in production
areas for semi-processed products.
4.5.4 All packaging or packaging equipments shall be suitable for
its intended use and shall have been tested for possible con-
tamination and hazards (interactions) towards products and
consumers. Adequate up-to-date test reports shall exist.
4.5.5 Based on a hazard analysis, the company shall verify the
capability of the packaging material for each relevant prod-
uct (e.g. organoleptic tests, storage tests, chemical analy-
sis).
4.5.6 Where packaging materials (e.g. glass) pose a risk to the
product, special procedures shall be in place to avoid prod-
uct contamination.
4.5.7 A system shall be in place to ensure storage and handling of
packaging materials and packaging equipments both inside
and outside of the production areas, in order to minimise the
risk of contamination (interaction/correlation).
IFS, February 2010
4.5.8 The conformity of the product with its labelling shall be
reviewed each time before a newlabel is issued for use. Such
review shall take into account the product requirements and
particular relevant legislation in the designated countries,
where the product is to be marketed.
4.5.9 The conformity of the product with its labelling shall be con-
tinuously ensured during the production process.
4.6 Factory environment standards
By application of the requirements it has to be taken into
consideration if the safety and quality of the products can be
affected.
4.6.1 Choice of location
4.6.1.1 The company shall investigate to what extent the factory
environment (e.g. ground, air) may have an adverse impact
on product safety and product quality. In each case, appro-
priate measures shall be established. The effciency of the
established measures shall be periodically reviewed (exam-
ples: extremely dusty air, strong smells).
4.6.2 Exteriors
4.6.2.1 The factory exterior shall be sustainable maintained clean
and tidy.The external condition of the premises shall be con-
sidered within the internal audit process.
4.6.2.2 All grounds within the site/market shall be in good condi-
tion. Where natural drainage is inadequate, a suitable drain-
age system shall be installed.
4.6.2.3 Outdoor storage shall be kept to a minimum. Where goods
are stored outside, a hazard analysis shall be undertaken to
ensure that there is no risk of contamination or adverse effect
on safety or quality.
4.6.2.4 The production and storage areas of the site/market shall be
secured effectively by controlled access in order to prevent
unauthorised entry.
4.6.3 Plant layout and process fows
4.6.3.1 The process fow, from receipt of goods to dispatch, shall be
organised so that a contamination of raw materials, packag-
ing, semi-processed and fnished products is avoided. The
risk of cross-contamination shall be minimised through
effective measures.
IFS, February 2010
4.6.3.2 Segregation of processes shall take into account internal
fows (of product, waste, materials, plant and equipment,
personnel, water) and provided services. A plan shall be
available which clearly defnes these fows.
4.6.3.3 Where production areas are identifed as microbiologically
sensitive (e.g. clean room technology), a positive pressure
system shall be installed. Measurement of micro-organisms
shall be performed at regular intervals.
4.6.3.4 The system of working shall, where appropriate, be such to
reduce any potential physical, chemical or microbiological
contamination risk.
4.6.3.5 Location of laboratories at the factory shall not affect prod-
uct safety.
4.6.3.6 The cleaning of production tools shall be carried out at spe-
cifc locations or specifc time periods separated from the
production process. If this is not possible, these operations
shall be controlled as to not affect the product.
4.6.4 Buildings and facilities
4.6.4.1 Constructional requirements
4.6.4.1.1 Rooms where food products are prepared, treated, pro-
cessed and stored shall be designed and constructed, so that
food hygiene is ensured.
4.6.4.2 Walls and partition walls
4.6.4.2.1 Walls shall be designed and constructed to prevent the accu-
mulation of dirt, to reduce condensation and mould growth,
and to facilitate cleaning.
4.6.4.2.2 The surfaces of walls shall be in a good condition and shall
facilitate cleaning and if necessary disinfection.They shall be
impervious, water-repellent and wear-resistant.
4.6.4.2.3 The junctions between walls and foors and corners respec-
tively shall be designed to facilitate cleaning.
4.6.4.3 Floors
4.6.4.3.1 Floors shall be designed to meet production requirements
(e.g. mechanical loads, cleaning materials, temperatures).
4.6.4.3.2 The foor covering shall be in good condition and shall facili-
tate cleaning and disinfection, where required. They shall be
impervious, water-repellent and wear-resistant.
IFS, February 2010
4.6.4.3.3 The hygienic disposal of waste water shall be ensured. Drain-
age systems shall be designed to facilitate cleaning and to
minimise the risk of product contamination (e.g. adverse
impact, ingress of pests, etc.).
4.6.4.3.4 Floors shall have adequate falls so that water or other liquids
can reach the drainage without diffculty.
4.6.4.3.5 Machinery and piping shall be arranged so that, where pos-
sible, process waste water goes directly into a drain.
4.6.4.4 Ceilings/Overheads
4.6.4.4.1 Ceilings (or, where no ceilings are ftted, the undersides of
roofs) and overhead fxtures (incl. piping, cables, lamps)
shall be designed and constructed to minimise the accumu-
lation of dirt, the detachment of paints of material, conden-
sation and mould growth. Ceilings and overheads shall be
designed to facilitate cleaning and prevent product contami-
nation.
4.6.4.4.2 Where false ceilings are used, adequate access to the void
shall be provided to facilitate cleaning, maintenance of serv-
ices and inspection for pest control.
4.6.4.5 Windows and other openings
4.6.4.5.1 Windows and other openings shall be designed and con-
structed to avoid the accumulation of dirt.
4.6.4.5.2 If windows may result in contamination, windows and roof
glazing shall remain closed and fxed during production.
4.6.4.5.3 Where windows and roof glazing are designed to be opened
for ventilation purposes, they shall be sealed by easy remov-
able pest fences or other measures in order to avoid any
contamination.
4.6.4.5.4 In areas where unpacked product is handled, windows shall
be protected against breakage.
4.6.4.6 Doors
4.6.4.6.1 Doors shall be in good condition (e.g. no splintering parts or
faking paints, no corrosion) and easy to clean and disinfect,
where appropriate.
4.6.4.6.2 External doors which open to handling of raw material,
processing, packaging and storage areas shall be self-clos-
ing and designed to prevent the ingress of pests.
IFS, February 2010
4.6.4.6.3 Doors and gates which are used to separate productions
areas shall be kept closed.
4.6.4.7 Lighting
4.6.4.7.1 All working areas shall have adequate lighting.
4.6.4.7.2 All lighting equipment and electric fy killer units shall be
protected by shatterproof coating (splinter shields). The fac-
tory areas where this clause applies are, as a minimum:
handling of unpackaged products,
packaging and raw material storage,
raw materials handling
changing rooms.
This does not preclude that other areas cannot have pro-
tected lighting equipment or electric fy killer units.
4.6.4.8 Air conditioning/Ventilation
4.6.4.8.1 Adequate natural and/or artifcial ventilation shall exist in all
areas.
4.6.4.8.2 Ventilation systems shall be installed so that flters and other
components which require cleaning or replacement are eas-
ily accessible.
4.6.4.8.3 The use of air in the production (e.g. compressed air supply)
shall avoid contamination and be based on a process and
product hazard analysis.
4.6.4.8.4 Dust extraction equipment shall be installed in areas where
considerable amounts of dust are generated.
4.6.4.9 (Drinking) Water supply
4.6.4.9.1 Water which is used as ingredient in the production process,
or for cleaning, shall be potable water and supplied in suff-
cient quantity.
4.6.4.9.2 Recycled water which is used in the process shall not pose a
contamination risk. The water shall comply with applicable
legal requirements for drinking water. Related records of
testing shall be available.
4.6.4.9.3 The quality of water, steam or ice that comes in contact with
food shall be monitored at all dispensing stations on a risk
assessed sampling plan.
IFS, February 2010
4.6.4.9.4 Non potable water, which is used e.g. for fre fghting, steam
generation, cooling or similar purposes, shall be transported
in separate, properly marked piping. Such piping shall nei-
ther be connected to the drinking water system, nor shall a
possibility of refux to that system exist.
4.7 Housekeeping and hygiene
4.7.1 Cleaning and disinfection schedules, based on a hazard anal-
ysis shall be available and implemented. These shall spec-
ify:
responsibilities
the products used and their instructions for use
the areas to be cleaned and/or disinfected
objectives
cleaning frequency
documentation requirements
hazard symbols (if necessary).
Where external service providers are employed for clean-
ing and disinfection, they shall fulfl all the above require-
ments.
4.7.2 Only qualifed personnel shall be used for cleaning. The per-
sonnel shall be trained on a regular basis to carry out the
cleaning schedules.
4.7.3 The effectiveness of the cleaning and disinfection measures,
based on a hazard analysis, shall be verifed and document-
ed according to a sampling schedule by using appropriate
procedures. Resultant corrective actions shall be docu-
mented.
4.7.4 The cleaning and disinfection measures shall be validated
according to any changing circumstances (e.g. construction
work, new products, new machines, changes of climate etc.).
Where necessary, the cleaning and disinfection schedules
shall be adapted.
4.7.5 Current material safety data sheets (MSDS) and instructions
for use shall be available for chemicals and cleaning agents.
Personnel responsible for cleaning shall be able to demon-
strate their knowledge of such instructions, which shall be
always available on site/market.
4.7.6 Cleaning utensils and chemicals shall be clearly marked and
stored in a segregated area, to avoid contamination risk.
IFS, February 2010
4.7.7 Appropriate storage facilities shall be available for the con-
trol and storage of chemicals needed for the manufacture
and treatment of food products. Chemicals shall only be
handled by personnel trained in their use.
4.8 Waste/Waste disposal
4.8.1 All current legal requirements for waste disposal shall be
met.
4.8.2 Food waste and other waste shall be removed as quickly as
possible from areas where food is handled. The accumula-
tion of waste shall be avoided.
4.8.3 Waste collection containers shall be clearly marked, suitably
designed, in good state of repair, easy to clean, and where
necessary disinfected.
4.8.4 Waste collection rooms and containers (incl. compactors)
shall be designed to be kept clean to minimise animal and
pest attraction.
4.8.5 Waste shall be collected in separate containers in accord-
ance with the intended means of disposal. Such waste shall
be disposed by authorised third parties only. Records of
waste disposal shall be kept by the company.
4.9 Risk of foreign bodies, metal, broken glass and
wood
In the dry areas (storage of package products), there are
usuallynoriskslinkedtoforeignbodies. Inareaswithunpacked
goods, practices for minimising risks shall be implemented in
accordance with the IFS requirements. Special attention shall
be paid to risks linked to breakage of glass.
4.9.1 KO: Based on a hazard analysis, potential foreign body
sources (e.g. raw material, packaging material, packaging
aids, in-house tools, machine components etc.) shall be
identifed. Procedures shall be in place which shall avoid the
contamination with foreign bodies. Contaminated products
shall be treated as non-conforming products.
4.9.2 In all areas, e.g. handling of raw material, processing, pack-
ing and storage, where a hazard analysis has identifed the
potential for product contamination, the use of wood shall
be excluded.
IFS, February 2010
4.9.3 Where the use of wood cannot be avoided, but the risk is
managed, the wood shall be in good order and clean. The
condition of this wood shall be subject to regular verifca-
tion.
4.9.4 The need for metal and foreign body detection equipment
shall be established by hazard analysis.
4.9.5 Where metal and/or foreign body detectors are required,
they shall be installed so that any subsequent product con-
tamination is avoided, as far as possible. The detection shall
not be affected by interferences.
4.9.6 Contaminated products (including raw materials, semi-proc-
essed and fnished products) shall be isolated and treated as
non-conforming products. Access to these products and
actions for further handling or checking shall be carried out
only by authorised personnel. Only where an automatic
rejection process is technically not possible (e.g. large trad-
ing units) will an automatic line stop be accepted.
4.9.7 The accuracy of measurement of the detectors shall be spec-
ifed. Qualifed personnel shall regularly check the proper
operation of detectors. In case of defect or failure of a metal
and/or foreign body detector, corrective actions shall be
implemented, documented and verifed.
4.9.8 Any flters and sieves used for metal and/or foreign body
detection shall be regularly inspected and properly main-
tained.
4.9.9 In all areas, e.g. handling of raw material, processing, pack-
ing and storage, where a hazard analysis has identifed a
potential product contamination, the presence of glass shall
be excluded.
4.9.10 Where the presence of glass cannot be avoided, but the risk
is managed, it shall be protected against breakage.
4.9.11 All objects of glass or similar material present in areas of
handling of raw material, processing, packing and storage
shall be listed in a glass register including details of their
exact location. A comparison between the glass register and
the condition of such objects shall be regularly performed
and recorded.
4.9.12 In areas with unpacked goods, all glass breakages shall be
recorded. Exceptions shall be justifed at the hazard analysis.
4.9.13 Procedures shall be in place describing the measures to be
taken in case of breakage of glass, including glass packaging
and similar material. Such measures shall include identify-
ing the scope of goods to be isolated, specifying authorised
personnel, cleaning the production environment and releas-
ing the production line for continued production.
IFS, February 2010
4.9.14 Based on a hazard analysis, preventive measures shall be in
place for handling of glass packaging, glass containers or
other kinds of containers in the production process (turn
over, blow, rinse etc.). After this process step no further con-
tamination shall be allowed.
4.10 Pest monitoring/Pest control
4.10.1 The company shall have pest control in place taking into
account, as a minimum:
the factory environment (potential pests)
site plan with area for application (bait map)
identifcation of the baits on-site
responsibilities, in-house/external
used products/agents and their instructions for use and
safety
the frequency of inspections.
4.10.2 The company shall have qualifed and trained in-house staff,
and/or employ the services of a qualifed external provider.
Where an external provider is used the activities required
on-site shall be laid down in a written contract.
4.10.3 Following pest control inspections, any actions and resulting
recommendations shall be documented and storage, includ-
ing the date.
4.10.4 Suffcient numbers of operational electric fy killers shall be
provided and positioned correctly. There shall be no risk of
contamination to open production lines.
4.10.5 Incoming deliveries shall be checked on arrival for the
absence of pests. Any infestation shall be documented and
control measures taken.
4.10.6 Raw materials, packaging, semi-processed and fnished
products shall be stored so as to minimise the risk of pest
infestation. Where stored product and/or machines may
attract pests, appropriate measures shall be taken.
4.11 Receipt of goods and storage
4.11.1 Raw materials, semi-processed and fnished products, as
well as packaging, shall be checked against the specifca-
tions on receipt and in accordance with determined inspec-
tion plan. All results shall be documented.
IFS, February 2010
4.11.2 Goods in documents and/or product labels shall contain
information on the appropriate storage (e.g. refrigeration
temperature).
4.11.3 The storage conditions of raw materials, semi-processed
and fnished products as well as packaging shall in each case
correspond to product requirements (e.g. refrigeration, pro-
tective covers) and shall not be detrimental to other prod-
ucts.
4.11.4 Each item in storage shall be clearly identifed, and the First
In/First Out and/or First Expired/First Out principles shall be
applied.
4.11.5 Where a company hires a third-party storage service pro-
vider, all the requirements specifed in section 4.11 shall be
clearly defned in the respective contract or the service pro-
vider shall subject to IFS Logistic requirements.
4.12 Transport
If the cash & carry markets are also responsible for the deliv-
ery of fnished products, the transport requirements shall
apply. If no transport service is undertaken, such require-
ments are not applicable (N/A, shall be justifed).
4.12.1 Before loading transport vehicles, their condition (e.g.
absence of strange smells, high dust load, adverse humidity,
pests, mould) shall be checked and action taken, if neces-
sary.
4.12.2 Where goods must be transported at certain temperatures,
before loading, the temperature inside the vehicle shall be
checked and documented.
4.12.3 Procedures to prevent contamination during transport shall
be implemented (food/ non-food/ different categories of
goods).
4.12.4 Where goods must be transported at certain temperatures,
maintaining the adequate range of temperatures during
transport shall be ensured and documented.
4.12.5 A cleaning and, where appropriate, disinfection schedule
shall exist for all transport vehicles and equipment used for
loading/unloading (e.g. hoses of silo installations). There
shall be records of the measures taken.
4.12.6 Loading and unloading ramps shall have in place protection
devices to shelter the transported products from external
infuences (e.g. climate, pollen).
IFS, February 2010
4.12.7 Where a company hires a third-party transport service pro-
vider, all the requirements specifed within section 4.12 shall
be clearly defned in the respective contract or the service
provider shall subject to IFS Logistic requirements.
4.13 Maintenance and repair
4.13.1 A system of maintenance shall be in place, documented,
covering all critical equipment (incl. transport) for compli-
ance with product requirements. This applies both for inter-
nal and external maintenance work.
4.13.2 Product requirements and prevention of contamination shall
be ensured during maintenance and repair work. Records
shall be kept of maintenance and repair work and of correc-
tive actions taken.
4.13.3 All material used for maintenance and repair shall be ft for
the intended use (e.g. food-grade oils, non-toxic paints).
4.13.4 Failures of plant and equipment (incl. transport) covered by
the maintenance system shall be documented and reviewed
with a view to adapting the maintenance system.
4.13.5 Temporary repairs shall be carried out so that product require-
ments are not affected. Such work shall be documented and
a short-term deadline set for eliminating the fault.
4.14 Equipments
4.14.1 Equipments shall be suitably designed and specifed for the
intended use. Before commissioning, it shall be verifed that
the product requirements are complied with.
4.14.2 Equipments shall be designed and arranged so that cleaning
and maintenance operations on and located around the
installations can be effectively performed.
4.14.3 In the case of plant or equipment failures and/or process
deviations, appropriate procedures shall be inplace toensure
that, prior to release for production, product requirements
are complied with.
4.15 Process validation
As long as no processing of raw materials takes place, and
no rework in accordance with specifc recipes, the require-
ments about process validation are not applicable (N/A, shall
be justifed).
IFS, February 2010
4.15.1 The company shall ensure that in the event of changes to
product formulation, including rework, processing methods
and equipment or packaging, that the process characteris-
tics are reviewed in order to assure that product require-
ments are complied with.
4.15.2 All rework operations shall be validated, monitored and doc-
umented. These operations shall not affect the product
requirements.
4.16 Traceability (including GMOs and allergens)
For cash & carry markets, traceability to the customer shall
be ensured. The traceability does not need to be specifc
down to the batch details. The company shall, however,
explain reasonably the connection between the incoming
goods and the goods delivered to the customer. This shall
remain verifable.
4.16.1 KO: A traceability system shall be in place which enables the
identifcation of product lots and their relation to batches of
raw materials, packaging in direct contact with food, pack-
aging intended or expected to be in direct contact with food.
The traceability systemshall incorporate all relevant process-
ing and distribution records.
4.16.2 The traceability system shall be tested, documented and,
where appropriate, adapted at defned intervals to verify
traceability in both directions of fow (from delivered prod-
ucts to raw material, and vice versa), including quantity
checking.
4.16.3 Traceability shall be ensured at all stages, including work in
progress, post treatment and rework.
4.16.4 The lot labelling rather labelling of best-before-date of semi-
fnished products or fnished products, to ensure a clear
traceability of goods, shall be made at the time when the
goods are directly packed. Where goods are labelled at a
later time, the temporarily stored goods shall have been pro-
vided with a specifc lot labelling. The shelf life (e.g. best
before date) of the labelled goods shall be calculated from
the original production date.
4.17 Genetically modifed organisms (GMOs)
4.17.1 The company shall have in place systems and procedures to
allow the identifcation of products consisting of GMOs, con-
taining GMOs or produced fromGMOs, including food ingre-
dients, additives and favouring(s).
IFS, February 2010
4.17.2 Raw material specifcations and delivery documents identi-
fying products consisting of, being made from, or containing
GMOs shall be available. The guarantees concerning the
GMO status of the raw materials shall be agreed by contract
with the supplier.The company shall maintain a continuously
updated listing of all GMOrawmaterials used at its premises,
which also identifes all blends and formulas to which such
GMO raw materials are added.
4.17.3 There shall be adequate procedures to ensure that products
consisting of or containing GMOs are manufactured, so that
contamination of non-GMO products is prevented. Adequate
control measures shall be in place to prevent GMO cross
contamination. The effectiveness of these procedures shall
be monitored by random testing.
4.17.4 Finished products containing GMOs shall be declared in
accordance with current legal requirements. Delivery docu-
ments shall include the corresponding reference to GMOs.
4.17.5 Customer requirements concerning the GMO status of prod-
ucts shall be clearly implemented by the company.
4.18 Allergens and specifc conditions of production
In those felds where packed products are handled, no risks
associated with carry-overs of allergens need be anticipated.
For the handling of open goods, there can be a risk of cross
contamination of allergens from an area to another (e.g.
bread, cakes and pastries with sesame seeds).
4.18.1 Raw material specifcations identifying allergens requiring
declaration shall be available. The company shall maintain a
continuously up to date listing of all raw materials contain-
ing allergens used at its premises, which also identifes all
blends and formulas to which such raw materials containing
allergens are added.
4.18.2 The manufacturing of products which contain allergens
requiring declaration shall be carried out so that cross con-
tamination is minimised, as far as possible.
4.18.3 Finished products containing allergens requiring declaration
shall be declared in accordance with current legal require-
ments. For the adventitious presence, the labelling of legally
declared allergens and traces shall be based on a hazard
analysis.
4.18.4 Where customers specifcally require that products are free
from certain substances or ingredients (e.g. pork), or that
certain methods of treatment or production are excluded,
verifable procedures shall be in place.
IFS, February 2010
5 Measurements, Analysis,
Improvements
5.1 Internal audits
5.1.1 KO: Internal audits shall be conducted according to an agreed
plan. Scope (including outdoor areas) and frequency shall be
determined by hazard analysis.
5.1.2 Internal audits shall be carried out at least once a year in all
departments.
5.1.3 The auditors shall be competent and independent from the
audited department.
5.1.4 Audit results shall be communicated to responsible persons
of concerned department. Necessary corrective actions and
a schedule for implementation shall be determined and doc-
umented and communicated to every relevant person.
5.1.5 It shall be documented, how and when the corrective actions
resulting from the internal audits shall be verifed.
5.1.6 The audit results shall be communicated to the senior man-
agement.
5.2 Site factory inspections
5.2.1 Regular factory inspections shall be planned and carried out
(e.g. product control, hygiene, foreign body hazards, person-
nel hygiene and housekeeping).
5.2.2 Any deviation and the associated corrective actions shall be
documented.
5.3 Process control
In view of respect of the cold chain, those requirements are
particularly relevant
5.3.1 In circumstances where the control of process and working
environment parameters (temperature, time, pressure,
chemical properties etc.) is essential to ensure the product
requirements, such parameters shall be monitored and
recorded continuously and/or at appropriate intervals.
5.3.2 There shall be appropriate procedures for notifcation,
recording and monitoring of malfunction and deviations.
IFS, February 2010
5.4 Calibration and checking of measuring and
monitoring devices
In view of respect of the cold chain, those requirements are
particularly relevant
5.4.1 The company shall identify the measuring and monitoring
devices required to ensure compliance with product require-
ments. These devices shall be recorded on a document and
clearly identifed.
5.4.2 All measuring devices shall be checked under a monitoring
system at specifed intervals and in accordance with defned
standards/methods. The results of the checks shall be docu-
mented and corrective actions carried out, where necessary.
5.4.3 All measuring devices shall be used exclusively for their
defned purpose. Where the results of measurements indi-
cate a deviation or damage, the device in question shall be
immediately repaired or replaced.
5.4.4 The calibration status of the measuring devices shall be
clearly identifed (labelling at the machine or on a list of test
devices).
5.5 Quantity checking (quantity control/flling
quantities)
5.5.1 The frequency and methodology of quantity checking shall
be determined so that the legal requirements for nominal
quantity are met.
5.5.2 For purchased, already pre-packed products from third par-
ties, there shall be evidence about the compliance with the
legal requirements for nominal quantity.
5.5.3 All equipment used for quantity measurement shall be cali-
brated regularly. All equipment used for fnal checking shall
be legally approved and regularly calibrated.
5.6 Product analysis
For handling of packed goods, products analysis are not nec-
essary or are not applicable (N/A, shall be justifed). The
necessity of products analysis for unpacked goods shall be
presented in a hazard analysis.
5.6.1 There shall be procedures ensuring that all specifed product
requirements are met, including legal requirements and
specifcations. Microbiological, physical and chemical analy-
sis required for that purpose shall be performed internally
and/or subcontracted.
IFS, February 2010
5.6.2 Analyses, which are relevant for the food safety, shall be per-
formed by an accredited laboratory (ISO 17025). If the analy-
ses are performed by a factory internal or non accredited
laboratory, the results shall be verifed on a regular basis by
an accredited laboratory.
5.6.3 Procedures shall exist which assure the reliability of the
internal analysis results on the basis of offcial recognised
analysis methods. This shall be demonstrated by ring tests
or other profciency tests.
5.6.4 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 fnished products as well as process-
ing equipments and packaging materials, and where
necessary environmental tests. The test results shall be doc-
umented.
5.6.5 The analytical results shall be reviewed regularly. Appropri-
ate measures shall be introduced promptly for any unsatis-
factory results.
5.6.6 For the performance of internal analysis, qualifedandtrained
personnel shall be available, as well as appropriate equip-
ment and premises.
5.6.7 For validation of fnished product quality, internal organolep-
tic tests shall be carried out regularly in accordance with
specifcations and shall be documented.
5.6.8 When establishing and/or validating the shelf life of the prod-
uct (including long shelf life product i.e. labelled with a best
before date), the results of organoleptic tests shall be taken
into account.
5.7 Product quarantine and product release
5.7.1 A procedure shall be in place, based on a hazard analysis, for
the quarantine and release of all raw materials, semi-proc-
essed and fnished products, processing equipment and
packaging materials. The procedure shall ensure that only
products and materials conforming to product requirements
are processed and dispatched.
5.8 Management of complaints from authorities and
customers
5.8.1 A system shall be in place for the management of product
complaints.
IFS, February 2010
5.8.2 All complaints shall be assessed by competent staff. Where
it is justifed, appropriate actions shall be taken, if necessary,
immediately.
5.8.3 Complaints shall be analysed with a view to implementing
preventive actions, which avoid the recurrence of the non-
conformity.
5.8.4 The results of complaint data analysis shall be made availa-
ble to the relevant responsible persons and to the senior
management.
5.9 Management of incidents, product withdrawal,
product recall
5.9.1 A crisis management procedure shall be defned, imple-
mented and maintained. This includes as a minimum the
nomination and training of a crisis team, an alert contact list,
sources of legal advice (if necessary), contacts reachability,
customer information, product withdrawal and/or recall and
a communication plan, including information to consumers.
5.9.2 KO: There shall be an effective procedure for the withdrawal
and recall of all products, which ensure that involved cus-
tomers are informed, as soon as possible. This procedure
shall include a clear assignment of responsibilities.
5.9.3 The product withdrawal and recall procedure shall include
updated emergency contact details (such as names and phone
numbers of suppliers, customers and competent authorities).
5.9.4 The feasibility, effectiveness and timeliness of implementa-
tion of the withdrawal procedure shall be subject to regular
internal testing, based on a hazard analysis but carried out at
least once a year. This shall be carried out in a manner to
ensure the effective implementation and operation of the
procedure.
5.10 Management of non-conforming products
5.10.1 A procedure shall exist for the management of all non-con-
forming raw materials, semi-fnished and fnished products,
processing equipment and packaging materials. This shall
include, as a minimum:
isolation/quarantine procedures
risk assessment
identifcation (e.g. labelling)
decision about the further use (e.g. release, rework/post-
treatment,
blocking, quarantine, rejection/disposal).
IFS, February 2010
5.10.2 The responsibilities shall be clearly identifed. The rules of
the procedure for the management of non-conforming prod-
ucts shall be understood by all relevant employees.
5.10.3 In case of presence of non-conformities there shall be imme-
diate action in order to assure the product requirements are
in place.
5.11 Corrective actions
5.11.1 A procedure shall be in place for the recording and analysis
of the non-conformities with the objective to avoid recur-
rences by preventive actions and/or corrective actions.
5.11.2 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 and
the timescales for corrective action shall be clearly defned.
The documentation shall be securely stored, and easily
accessible.
5.11.3 The performance of the implemented corrective actions shall
be documented and the effectiveness shall be checked.
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX
Glossary
Defnitions which are not mentioned within the glossary can be found
in relevant regulations and directives. In relation to the terms used
within this document, the following defnitions apply and shall be
respected.
Allergen Food causing an adverse reaction that is mediated by an
immunological response. Defned allergens are:
Cereals containing gluten (i.e. wheat, rye, barley, oats,
spelt, kamut or their hybridised strains) and products
thereof
Crustaceans 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 and
Queensland nut (Macadamia ternifolia) and products
thereof
Celery 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 SO
2
.
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 assessment of a
Conformity Assessment Body.
Audit Systematic, independent and documented process for
obtaining audit evidence and evaluating it objectively to
determine the extent to which the audit criteria are fulflled.
Calibration Set of operations that establish, under specifed conditions,
the relationship between values of quantities indicated by a
measuring instrument or measuring system, or values
represented by a material measure or a reference material,
and the corresponding values realised by standards.
Cash & Carry Cash and carry wholesaler, also described as Cash and carry
company or self-service wholesaling, is an organisational
form of wholesaling. The buyer must pay in cash and
assemble the goods (picking) and take care of their trans-
port. The customers of Cash and carry wholesaling are
usually limited to resellers, industrial, commercial or other
professional users and institutions, which can be guaran-
teed by entering the customer in a customer database and
issuing the necessary loyalty card that allows entry to the
Cash and carry market.
IFS, February 2010
CCP Critical
Control Point
A step at which control can be applied and is essential to
prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an
acceptable level.
Company General organisation (whereas the site is a unit of the
company)
Contamination Introduction or occurrence of a contaminant in food or food
environment. Contamination does include: physical, chemi-
cal, biological contamination. Contamination can also mean
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-conformity
or other undesirable situation.
CP Control point Identifed by the hazard analysis as essential in order to
control the likelihood of introducing or proliferation of food
safety hazard in the product and/or the environment.
Customer A customer is a business company or person to whom
products are sold either as fnished product or as a semi
fnished part of the fnished product.
Deviation Non-compliance with a requirement but there is no impact
on food safety related to products and processes. In the IFS,
deviations are requirements scored with a B, C or D and KO
requirements scored with a B.
End consumer The ultimate consumer of a foodstuff who will not use the
food as part of any food business operation or activity.
Factory inspection
(versus Internal
audits)
Factory inspection covers specifc subjects and can be
carried out by any appropriate person. That means regular
visits in any areas, for any purposes, to check the conformity
(hygiene, pest control, product control, fabrication, foreign
body hazards, surrounding control etc.).
Food safety Assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer
when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.
Internal audit General process of audit, for all the activity of the company.
Conducted by or on behalf of the company for internal
purposes.
Flow diagram A systematic representation of the sequence of steps or
operations used in the production or manufacture of a
particular food item.
GMO An organism, with the exception of human beings, in which
the genetic material has been modifed otherwise than
natural multiplication or natural recombination.
HACCP A system which identifes, evaluates and controls hazards
which are signifcant for food safety.
Hazard A biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of,
food with the potential to cause an adverse health effect.
Hazard analysis The process of collecting and evaluating information on
hazards and conditions leading to their presence to decide
which are signifcant for food safety and therefore should be
addressed in the HACCP plan.
Head offce assess-
ment
Assessment of the Conformity Assessment Body Head
Offce.
IFS, February 2010
MSDS (Material
Safety Data Sheet)
The safety data sheet information is principally intended for
use by professional users and must enable them to take the
necessary measures as regards the protection of health,
safety and the environment at the place of work. The safety
data sheet may be supplied on paper or electronically,
provided that the addressee has the necessary means of
receiving it.
Non-conformity Non-fulflment of a specifed requirement. Non-conformity
can be given in non respect of legislation, law, food safety,
internal dysfunctions and customer issues. In the IFS, defned
non-conformities are Majors and KOs scored with a D.
On-site observation Shall be organised by the certifcation body, under the IFS
trainer responsibility, before the auditor applies for the IFS
examinations. The auditor is accompanied by someone from
the certifcation body during the audit in order to evaluate
his/her competence. Shall be an audit related to food
companies, for an EN 45011 standard/ISO IEC Guide 65
norm. On the application fle of the auditor (sent afterwards
to the IFS offces), the certifcation body shall precise the
name of the company, audit date and name of the person
who evaluated the auditor.
Procedure Specifed way to carry out an activity or process. Procedures
shall be implemented and the elaboration of procedures is
done by documents or process description (e.g. fowchart).
Product Result of a process or activities transforming inputs into
outputs. Products include services.
Product recall Any measure aimed at achieving the return of a dangerous
product that has already been supplied or made available to
consumers by the producer or distributor.
Product
requirement
Product requirement includes: product safety, product
quality, product legality, process and specifcation.
Product withdrawal Any measure aimed at preventing the distribution, display
and offer of a product dangerous to the consumer.
Retailer Business which sells products directly to the fnal consumer.
Risk A function of the probability of an adverse health effect and
the severity of that effect, consequential to a hazard(s) in
food.
Senior management Executive management
Services See defnition of product.
Site A unit of the company.
System Set of interrelated or interacting elements. System is a
planed, sustainable structured course of action. Depending
on the complexity, documentation is recommended. System
includes: documentation, procedure description, control/
monitoring, corrective action, site plan.
Traceability Ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producing
animal or substance intended to be, or expected to be
incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of
production, processing and distribution.
Validation Confrmation through the provision of objective evidences
that the requirements for the specifc intended use or
application have been fulflled.
IFS, February 2010
Verifcation Confrmation through the provision of objective evidences
that specifed requirements have been fulflled.
Wholesaling Wholesaling as a function exists if market operators procure
goods that they do not normally process themselves from
manufacturers or other suppliers and sell them to resellers,
further processors or business users or to other institutions
provided that private households are not involved.
Witness assessment Assessment of the Conformity Assessment Body when it is
carrying out conformity assessment services within its
scope of accreditation.
IFS, February 2010
Part 3: Requirements for Accreditation
Bodies, Certifcation Bodies and
Auditors
IFS accreditation and certifcation
process
0 Introduction
IFS certifcation is a product and process certifcation scheme. All bod-
ies involved shall comply with the international rules and IFS-specifc
requirements described in this document. Part 3 of the IFS Standard
deals mainly with accreditation bodies, certifcation bodies and audi-
tors.
Chart N
o
4: The relationships between the parties involved in product
and process certifcations, and the relevant rules
1 Requirements for the Accreditation Bodies
1.1 General requirements
The accreditation bodies shall fulfl the requirements of the ISO/IEC
17011 normConformity assessment General requirements Accredita-
tion Bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, and shall have
signed 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 Supplier Supplier Supplier
ISO/IEC 17011
EN 45011
(ISO/IEC Guide 65)
IFS, February 2010
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 in
charge, or at least one member of the accreditation committee, shall
have taken part in an IFS training session (Train theTrainer course)
organised by the IFS or shall be able to demonstrate equivalent knowl-
edge level as confrmed by IFS. In case of a committee, the trained per-
son provides the other members of the accreditation committee with
the necessary information.This information is based on the main points
of the Train theTrainer course with the main emphasis on Part 1 (IFS
audit protocol), Part 3 (requirements for accreditation bodies, certifca-
tion bodies and auditors), Part 4 (audit report, certifcate) 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 offce of the certifcation body (head offce
assessment) according to the EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 rules
and IFS-specifc requirements
In general, the assessor shall meet EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 and IFS
requirements. Furthermore, assessors shall have experience in the food
or feed processing industry. Specifcally, assessors who accompany IFS
auditors during IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale registered audits shall, at a
minimum, have taken part in the IFS Train theTrainer course, or shall
be able to demonstrate an equivalent knowledge level as confrmed by
IFS.
1.4 Frequency of the assessments of certifcation bodies
For initial and renewal assessments, a head offce assessment and at
least one witness assessment shall be performed. During the surveil-
lance of the accreditation cycle:
A minimum of one head offce assessment a year,
A minimum of one witness assessment every 2 years shall take
place.
Remark: a fexibility of 3 months at the maximum can be allowed for
the interval between 2 assessments, according to the accreditation body
rules. The accreditation body shall, wherever possible, select two differ-
ent certifcation bodys IFS auditors with different scopes for consecu-
tive witness assessments.
IFS, February 2010
1.5 Accreditation of an internationally-active
certifcation body
The witness assessments shall cover the typical activities (including
international activities and critical locations) of the certifcation body.
2 Requirements for the Certifcation Bodies
Certifcation bodies intending to perform IFS audits shall comply with
the following rules. The prescribed tender procedure for certifcation
bodies is supplied by the IFS.
2.1 EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 IFS accreditation process
The certifcation body shall be accredited for IFS Food according to
EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 by an IAF or EA recognised accreditation
body (see section 1.) Certifcation bodies in the process of IFS Food
accreditation to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 may organise the witness
assessment before having achieved accreditation status. They shall
demonstrate that they are actively applying for EN 45011/ISO/IEC Guide
65 accreditation.
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 certifcation body shall sign the IFS framework agreement in which
it commits to meet all the IFS requirements. After having gained IFS
accreditation to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65, the certifcation body shall,
in order to be allowed to perform IFS audits and to issue IFS certifcates,
sign a fnal contract with the proprietors of the IFS. The certifcation
body is not authorised to perform IFS audits (except the frst witness
assessment during the accreditation process) and to issue certifcates
before having signed this contract. The accreditation is to be verifed at
latest 6 months after the IFS framework agreement has been signed.
2.3 Certifcation decision
The decision concerning the certifcation can only be taken following
the recommendation of a competent person or a certifcation commit-
tee.The person in charge, or at least one member of the committee who
is responsible for assessing the audit reports, shall be an approved IFS
Food auditor and/or an IFS Food trainer, and shall be independent of the
person who performed the audit. According to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide
65, the fnal certifcation decision shall be taken by the certifcation body
IFS, February 2010
and shall not be subcontracted. The certifcation decision cannot be
taken by a freelancer working for the certifcation body.
If a committee is in charge of the certifcation decision, at least one of its
members shall be directly employed by the certifcation body, and be
either an IFS Food auditor and/or an IFS Food trainer.
2.4 Certifcation bodies responsibilities for IFS Food
trainers and the IFS Food auditors (including
freelancers)
Certifcation bodies have the following responsibilities:
To ensure that at least one member of their staff is an IFS trainer
who has taken part in an IFS Train the Trainer course; the
trainer is responsible for the in-house training of all auditors
intending to become IFS auditors or who already are IFS audi-
tors. Persons intending to become IFS trainers shall meet the
requirements mentioned in 2.5.
To ensure that the auditor is competent for the scope of the
audit and its execution. The certifcation body shall maintain
these competences (continuous supervision by the certifcation
body) and shall monitor audit execution by on-site observation.
Every auditor shall be monitored by on-site observation at least
once 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 on
behalf of the company being audited during the previous 2
years. That is to say, during the certifcation process, no other
commercial and/or personal relationships are permitted
between 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 certifca-
tion body for performing IFS audits and this for a period of not
less than 12 months. In special cases, IFS offces 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 updating
knowledge of legal requirements, and so on.
To performan on-site observation of an auditor under EN45011/
ISO IEC Guide 65- related standards to ensure the auditors
competence (see glossary) before he/she has applied for the
IFS examinations.The certifcation body shall state the date, the
name of the audited company where the on-site observation
IFS, February 2010
took place, and the name of the observer in the IFS examination
application fle. The minutes of the on-site observation shall be
provided on request to the IFS in English, French or German.
The trainer is responsible for 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 specifc on-site
IFS observation(s) according to chapter 4.7 of EN 45011/ISO IEC
Guide 65 on internal audits.
To be fully cognisant of the examination regulations provided
by the IFS offces.
The certifcation body is responsible for choosing an auditor with the cor-
responding scope(s), language, competence(s), etc. for each IFS audit.
2.5 Specifc requirements for IFS Food trainers
IFS Food trainers shall have the following profle:
audit experience to EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65 standards,
including IFS Food audits,
knowledge of the food sector,
knowledge of food legislation,
teaching skills,
have taken part in a Train theTrainer course organised by the
IFS,
be fuent in writing and speaking the languages they will use
during trainings; they shall inform the IFS offces 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 trainer
shall take part in an IFS training seminar every 2 years. These seminars
are organised by the IFS. It is recommended that the IFS trainer takes
part in the IFS written and oral examinations. The certifcation body is
responsible for selecting the relevant trainer.
2.6 Train theTrainer course
The Train theTrainer course for the IFS Food is provided by the IFS.
When a newversion of the standard is published, the certifcation bodys
trainer shall take part in the newTrain theTrainer course organised by
the IFS and carry out in-house training of all the IFS auditors before the
new IFS Food version comes into force.
In case of publication of new doctrines, the trainer shall train all IFS
auditors before the doctrine comes into force. The certifcation bodys
trainer shall use this training material for in-house training. Following
the Train theTrainer course, each trainer will receive a certifcate con-
frming his/her attendance at the course.
IFS, February 2010
3 Requirements for auditors for
In general, the auditors shall meet the requirements of chapters 7.2 and
7.3.1 of ISO 19011.
3.1 Requirements before applying for the
IFS examinations
Before applying for the IFS examinations, auditors shall have met the
following requirements:
They shall have signed a contract with the certifcation body
(see topic 4.4 of EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65),
They confrm to the certifcation body that, for a period of at
least 12 months, they will perform IFS Food audits only for the
respective certifcation body. They may, however, work for sev-
eral certifcation 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 certifcation body.
The certifcation body shall have observed and confrmed the
professional qualifcation and competence of the auditors.
3.2 General requirements for auditors
for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
Candidates applying for qualifcation 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.
a) Education in the food sector
1) A food-related university degree (bachelors and/or masters
degree equivalents) and 2 years professional experience in the
food industry close to food production areas (quality, production,
R & D, ).
or
2) If the candidate started directly as an auditor after completing his/
her food-related university degree then the candidate shall have
5 years professional experience in the food processing industry.
or
3) If the candidate has an university degree but not a food-related
one, (bachelors and/or masters degree equivalents) then the can-
didate shall have 5 years professional experience in the food
IFS, February 2010
industry close to food production areas (quality, production, R &
D, ).
or
4) Professional education in food processing (high degree) and
5 years professional experience in the food industry close to
food production areas (quality, production, R & D, ).
b) General audit experience
A minimum of 10 complete audits shall be performed by the auditor
in the food processing industry during the previous two years. The
audits shall have been carried out in different companies.
c) Food hygiene (including HACCP) training
Qualifed training on the basis of the Codex General Principles for
Food Hygiene.
d) Quality assurance and quality management knowledge
Practical experience (during job experience) and/or theoretical skills
(recognised training, part of the university degree, etc.).
e) Specifc and practical knowledge per product scopes auditors apply
for (ANNEX 1)
At 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 production
areas for each applied product scope.The audits shall have been car-
ried out in different companies.
To be approved as an auditor for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale, the
auditor shall always have the professional competence and the
approval for IFS Food auditor scope 1 (meat, poultry and meat prod-
ucts) or for IFS Food auditor scope 2 (fsh and fsh products; raw,
cooled and frozen).
Scope 1 or 2 are obligatory for audits in Cash & Carry markets.
For wholesalers who handle either one kind or several kinds of
unpacked goods the following is applicable: The (IFS Food-) scope
that contains the products with the highest risk potential has to be
applied. If solely one product is traded (e.g. fruits and vegetables),
the respective (IFS Food-) scope must be chosen.
For wholesalers who trade exclusively packed products approved IFS
Food auditors with all scopes are usable.
The applicable scope must be documented in the certifcate.
f) Language
If an auditor intends to apply for a professional language (different
from the auditors native language), the IFS offces may request that
he/she take an oral examination in the language concerned.
IFS, February 2010
g) IFS in-house training
The IFS in-house training materials shall be based on the materials
provided by the IFS.The auditor shall have taken part in the in-house
training (covering IFS, food-related legislation, food hygiene, )
undertaken by an authorised IFS trainer and organised by the certif-
cation body.The minimum duration shall be 2 days.The auditor shall
be competent in the language used during the training (native
language and/or languages declared by the auditor in the IFS exami-
nation application form).
Chart No 12: Requirements for application as an IFS auditor
Requirements IFS
auditor
Explanations/remarks
Pre-application requirements
Contract Comply with EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65
section 4.4 have signed a contract with
the certifcation body
Certifcation body Perform IFS Food audits for only 1 certifca-
tion body
Competence Supply the certifcation body with all
relevant information relating to his/her
competence.
Observation audit Pass a observation audit to confrm
professional qualifcation and
competence
Application requirements
Education and minimum
experience
1) A food-related university degree
(bachelors and/or masters degree
equivalents) and 2 years professional
experience in the food industry close to
food production areas (quality, produc-
tion, R&D, )
or
2) Candidates who started directly as an
auditor after completing their food-
related university degree shall show
that they have 5 years auditing
experience in the food processing
industry.
or
3) If the candidate has an university
degree but not a food-related one,
(bachelors and/or masters degree
equivalents) then the candidate shall
have 5 years professional experience
in the food industry close to food
production areas (quality, production,
R&D, ).
or
4) Professional education in food process-
ing (high degree) and 5 years profes-
sional experience in the food industry
close to food production areas (quality,
production, R&D, ).
IFS, February 2010
Requirements IFS
auditor
Explanations/remarks
General audit experience A minimum of 10 complete audits shall be
performed by the auditor in the food
processing industry during the previous
two years. The audits shall have been
carried out in different companies
Food hygiene (including
HACCP) training
Qualifed training on the basis of the Codex
General Principles for Food Hygiene.
Quality assurance and
quality management
knowledge
Practical experience (during job experience)
and/or theoretical skills (recognised
training, part of the university degree,
etc.).
Specifc and practical
knowledge for each
applied product scope
At 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 professional experience for each
applied product scope. To be approved as
an auditor for IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale,
the auditor shall always have the profes-
sional competence and the approval for
IFS Food auditor scope 1 (meat, poultry
and meat products) or for IFS Food auditor
scope 2 (fsh and fsh products; raw, cooled
and frozen).
Language Native language and other language(s)
(details of experience shall be provided, e.g.
audits performed in the language, trainings,
etc.).
In-house training Participation at an IFS in-house training
provided by the certifcation body.
Remark: For the auditors who intend to perform IFS Logistic audits see
IFS Logistic standard, Part III, chapter I, sub chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5.
The IFS is responsible for the technical validation of the auditors appli-
cation fles before they take part in the IFS examinations. If the auditors
CV does not meet the above-mentioned requirements, the IFS may
reject the auditors examination application. If the auditor does not
show suffcient evidences for the product scopes he/she is applying for,
the IFS may reject the applications for the product scopes concerned.
3.3 IFS examination process
Auditors who comply with the requirements mentioned in chapters 3.1
and 3.2 can take part in an IFS written examination and, if successful, in
an oral examination. If successful, the auditor is offcially authorised to
perform IFS audits. The auditor is registered on the audit portal, and a
personal IFS auditor certifcate 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 certifcate mentions the duration of
validity, the name of the certifcation body, and the auditors languages
and product scopes.
IFS, February 2010
The auditor cannot perform IFS audits when his IFS auditor certifcate
expires. The certifcation body is responsible to schedule the participa-
tions in the re-exams so that there are no gaps during the auditor
approval.
During the IFS certifcates period of validity, auditors shall be continu-
ously trained by the certifcation body on food-related legislation, stand-
ard requirements, audit practices, etc.This training shall be documented
by the certifcation body.
Auditors shall be re-examined after two years and thereafter at set inter-
vals. For the re-examination, auditors shall have performed a minimum
number of IFS audits (see current examination regulation). Further
requirements for the re-examination process are laid down in the exam-
ination regulation.
Detailed regulation for examinations and re-examinations and the inter-
national IFS examination schedules are provided by the IFS and are
available online on the audit portal within the specifc area which can be
accessed by certifcation bodies.
3.4 Scope extension for IFS-Food-approved auditors
Auditors may, during the validity of their IFS auditor certifcate, extend
their product scopes by providing the same evidences as for the initial
approval. Scope extension may not be requested in the frst 12 months
after the initial IFS Food auditor approval.The auditors can only perform
IFS Food audits according to the scopes stated by IFS.
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX 1: Auditor scopes for
The following auditor scopes are applicable for audits according to IFS
Cash & Carry/Wholesale by IFS Food-auditors.
Type of
Wholesaler
Example Auditor scope
(according to IFS Food)
1. Cash &
Carry
Cash & carry markets
according defnition
(see glossary), which also
handle unpacked fsh or
meat products
Red and white meat, poultry and
meat products (IFS Food, Scope 1)
Fish and fsh products
(IFS Food, Scope 2)
2. Wholesale
high risk
Either one kind or several
kinds of unpacked goods
are handled.
The (IFS Food-) scope that contains
the products with the highest risk
potential has to be applied.
If solely one product is traded
(e.g. fruits and vegetables),
the respective (IFS Food-)scope
must be chosen.
3. Wholesale
low risk
Exclusively packed
products are traded*.
IFS Food approval (auditors with all
scopes usable)
* a combined audit according to IFS Broker/IFS Logistics is also possi-
ble
IFS, February 2010
Part 4: Reporting, AuditXpress Software
and the IFSAuditportal
0 Introduction
After an IFS audit has been performed, a detailed and well-structured
audit report shall be completed. In general, the language of the report
shall be the native or working language of the company. In special cases,
where the native language of the retailers or purchasers is different
from the language of the company, an English language version of the
report 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 frst part of the audit report shall contain the following general
information:
Audit details
The cover page of the audit report shall include name and address of
the certifcation body the logo of the certifcation body the certifcation
bodys accreditation details name of the audited company or site/mar-
ket.
This frst page shall give a summary of the most important audit report
items and shall include:
name and address of the audited site/market
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 certifcation 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, February 2010
product category(ies)
list of key personnel present at audit
name and signature of the lead auditor
result of the audit
company profle (number of employees, size, structure etc.).
Further explanations regarding 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 5), 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 certifcation body describes and explains all established deviations
and non-conformities (KOs, Majors) in each chapter in the action plan,
which has a specifed format shown in the appendix.
1.4 Minimum requirements for IFS certifcate
(ANNEX 4)
Only one multi-site certifcate is issued (headquarter + sites/markets)
per country.
The certifcate is awarded to the headquarter and the duration is
12 months. All assigned cash & carry markets are listed in an annex of
the certifcate.
The reference of the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale shall be clearly men-
tioned on the certifcate.
IFS, February 2010
After successful completion of the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale, the cer-
tifcation body shall issue a certifcate. For the purposes of international
recognition, and so as to be understandable, IFS certifcates awarded by
the certifcation body shall include the following information at a mini-
mum:
the name and address of the certifcation 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 65
accreditation,
the name and address of the audited company
if the company is a subsidiary, the name of the companys
headquarters and, where possible, the packing code and the
veterinary agreement number
audit scope, type of wholesaler, auditor scope(s) (part 3, ANNEX 1)
level achieved
date of audit (last day of audit)
latest possible date for the next audit (renewal audit)
certifcate issue date
certifcate expiry date, i.e. 12 months after the date of issue the
certifcate
place and date of signature
name and signature of the director/the certifcation bodys per-
son responsible
IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale logo.
Please note: the AuditXpress software includes a certifcate format with
the minimum required content, but each IFS EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65
-accredited certifcation body may use its own layout, providing that it
includes these minimum requirements.
2 AuditXpress Software
In order to increase the standardisation of IFS reporting, AuditXpress
software 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 audit reports
automatic evaluation of the audit results by dynamic computa-
tion of all relevant items
automatic generation of a standardised audit report
IFS, February 2010
temporary storage of interim audit data for later completion
simple and secure export of completed audit reports to the IFS
Auditportal
simple exchange of audit fles between the auditors and their
competent certifcation body
offine working, i.e. no permanent Internet connection required
an update option provides constant access to the most recent
version of the IFS.
3 The IFSAuditportal and the IFS Database
(www.ifs-certifcation.com)
Every IFS audit shall be uploaded to the IFS auditportal by the certifca-
tion body.
There are 3 user groups which have access to the IFS database:
Certifcation bodies
Certifed companies
Retailers
The different groups access rights are as follows:
Certifcation bodies:
manage their certifed companies and upload audit reports and
action plans
may block certifcates in specifc 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.
Certifed 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 auditors on-site performance
IFS, February 2010
download the IFS logo
manage their certifcation bodies
manage company personnel access (create sub-accounts) to
the audit data
search for other certifed companies
manage their suppliers using a favourites option.
Access for the headquarters of certifed companies
A headquarter access for certifed companies can be set up which
allows a company headquarter to administer all of their certifed sites/
markets through a single access point.
Retailers:
search for certifed companies
manage their certifed companies via a favourites option.
The user manuals for the IFSAuditportal are available on the respective
secured for each user group.
Security of the database
The security system used for the database is based on international
recognised and mostly used security systems. The retailer and certifed
companies access provide general information about all certifed com-
panies. If no further authorisation is granted by the certifed companies
both user groups will be able to see the following information only:
the companys name and address
the certifcation bodys name and address
the auditors name
the scope of the audit
the date and duration of the audit
the level achieved at the audit
the IFS certifcates date of issue and its validity
By using their secure log-in access the certifed companies themselves
can give the authorisation for access to the following detailed informa-
tion:
scoring details
audit report and action plan.
The retailers/certifed companies automatically receive access to the
unlockeddata by the certifedcompany after the data has beenunlocked.
Communication to retailers is via a secure Web process which guaran-
tees that only authorised retailers/certifed companies can view specifc
data of the certifed companies/suppliers.
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX 1
Cover page of the audit report
Logo of the certifcation body
IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale, Version 1, February 2010
Final Audit Report
Supplier: Cash & Carry
Date of audit: 01. 02. 02. 02. 2010
Address of certifcation body
Accreditation number of certifcation body
IFS, February 2010
First page of the audit report
Audit overview
Audit details
Lead auditor:
Max Mustermann
Co-auditor:
Falk Lehmann
Signature of Lead
auditor:
Max Mustermann
Date/time of current
audit:
02. 02. 2010
(09:0018:00)
03. 02. 2010
(16:3020:00)
Date/time of previous
audit:
06. 02. 2009
(09:0018:00)
CB and auditor of
previous audit:
TEST GmbH/FrankTest
Name and address of the company (or headquarter)
Cash & Carry
Heinrich-Heine Allee
12345 Lachen
Germany
Name and address of the audited site/market
Cash & Carry
Musterstrae
12345 Berlin
Germany
EAN Code/ UCC Global Location Number
Phone:
0123456
Fax:
0123456789
Phone:
0123456
Fax:
0123456789
Scope of audit
Wholesale of bakery products, fruits and vegetables
audit scope, type of wholesaler, auditor scope(s)
Audit participants
Name: Position: Opening
meeting
Documentation
review
Site assess-
ment (Audit):
Closing
meeting
Mr. Quality QS X X X X
Mr. Manager General
Manager
X
X
Mr. Transport Transport
Department
X
X X
Final Result of Audit
As a result of the audit performed on 03. 02. 2010, xyz found that the
methods applied by Cash & carry GmbH for the above-mentioned scope
of production comply with the requirements set out in the IFS Cash &
Carry/Wholesale, at Foundation Level.
Next audit in
12 months
Company profle
IFS, February 2010
Explanations regarding the audit report
Evaluation of requirements
Result Explanation Points
KO requirement
scored with a B
Almost full compliance 15 points
C (deviation) Small part of the requirement has been
implemented
5 points
D (deviation) Requirement has not been implemented 0 points
Major When there is a substantial failure to
meet the requirements of the standard,
which includes the legal requirements of
the production and destination countries.
A major can also be given when the
identifed non-conformity can lead to a
serious health hazard. A major can be
given to any requirement which is not
defned as KO.
15% of the
possible total
amount of points
is subtracted
KO requirement
scored with a D
Knock-Out
The KO requirement has not been
implemented
50% of the
possible total
amount of points
is subtracted
N/A Not applicable
Requirement not applicable for a
company
N/A requirements
are excluded from
the fnal scoring
IFS, February 2010
Scoring and awarding of certifcates
Audit Result Status Action company Report form Certifcate
At least 1 KO Not approved Actions and new
initial audit to be
agreed upon
Report gives
status
No
>1 Major
and/or <75%
of the
requirements
are fulflled
Not approved Actions and new
initial audit to be
agreed upon
Report gives
status
No
Max 1 Major
and 75% of
the require-
ments are
fulflled
Not approved
unless further
actions taken
Send action plan
within 2 weeks
of receiving the
preliminarily
report. Follow-up
audit max.
6 months after
the audit date
Report includ-
ing action
plan gives
status
Certifcate,
Depending
upon the
results of the
follow-up
audit
Total score is
75% and
<95%
Approved at
Foundation
IFS Cash &
Carry/
Wholesale
level after
receipt of the
action plans
Send action plan
within 2 weeks
of receiving the
preliminarily
report.
Report includ-
ing action
plan gives
status
Yes,
Certifcate at
foundation
level,
12 months
validity
Total score is
95%
Approved at
higher IFS
Food level
after receipt
of the action
plan
Send action plan
within 2 weeks
of receiving the
preliminarily
report.
Report includ-
ing action
plan gives
status
Yes,
Certifcate at
higher level,
12 months
validity
Audit frequency
Level of certifcate All products
Foundation level 12 Months
Higher level 12 Months
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX 2
Audit Report
Result:
The company Cash & Carry GmbH met the requirements.
They passed at:
Foundation (Higher) level
%
Date of renewal audit: 12 months
Summary:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Senior
manage-
ment
respon-
sibility
Quality
manage-
ment
system
Resource
manage-
ment
Production
process
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
Observations regarding KOs and Majors:
General summary table for all chapters:
General summary for all chapters
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Total
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
IFS, February 2010
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.
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX 3
Action plan
Name and address of the audited company
The Corrective Action Plan must be returned to the certifcation body
before: ___________________________________________________________
Requirement
number
IFS
requirement
Evaluation Explanation
(by the
auditor)
Corrective
action
(by the
company)
Responsibility/
Date/Status of
implementa-
tion (by the
company)
Release
by the
auditor
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX 4
CERTIFICATE
Herewith the certifcation body
Name of the certifcation body
being an EN 45011/ISO IEC Guide 65-accredited certifcation body
for IFS certifcation and having signed an agreement with the IFS owners,
confrms that the Ptoducts and processes of:
Name of the audited company
Address
(Packing code)
(Veterinary agreement number)
(Headquarter)
for the scope
Audit scope, type of wholesaler, auditor scope(s)
meets the requirements set out in the
IFS Cash & Carry/Wolesale, Version 1, February 2010
at Foundation level/Higher Level
Certifcate register number: ________________________________________________
Audit date: ________________________________________________
Date of issue of certifcate: ________________________________________________
Certifcate valid until: ________________________________________________
Next audit to be performed before: ____________________________________________
Date and place
Name and signature of the responsible person
at the certifcation body
Address of the certifcation body
Logo of the
accreditation body
IFS, February 2010
ANNEX
Checklist of the IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale
This checklist is only for internal use in the audited company. It is not
allowed to copy and to present it to other parties.
Number Requirement of IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale 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 and
implement corporate policy. This shall consider as
a minimum:
customer focus
environmental responsibility
ethics and personnel responsibility
product requirements (includes: product
safety, quality, legality, process and specifca-
tion).
The corporate policy shall be communicated to all
employees.
1.1.2 The content of the corporate policy shall have
been broken down into specifc objectives for the
related departments. The responsibility and the
time scale for achievement shall be defned for
each department of the company.
1.1.3 From the corporate policy, the quality objectives
shall be communicated to the employees in the
respective departments and shall be effectively
implemented.
1.1.4 The senior management shall ensure that the
achievement of all objectives is regularly
reviewed, as a minimum at least once a year.
1.1.5 The company shall ensure that all relevant
information is communicated effectively and in a
timely manner to the relevant personnel.
1.1.6 The company shall assign the responsible for the
external communication (crisis management,
authorities and communication with media).
1.2 Corporate structure
1.2.1 An organisation chart shall be available showing
the structure of the company.
1.2.2 Competences and responsibilities, including
deputisation of responsibility shall be clearly laid
down.
1.2.3 Job descriptions with clearly defned responsibili-
ties shall exist for employees, whose work has an
effect on product requirements.
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
1.2.4
KO
The senior management shall ensure that
employees are aware of their responsibilities and
that mechanisms are in place to monitor the
effectiveness of their operation.
1.2.5 Employees with infuence on product require-
ments shall be aware of their responsibilities, and
shall be able to demonstrate their understanding
of their responsibilities.
1.2.6 The senior management shall have nominated
an IFS representative.
1.2.7 The senior management shall provide suffcient
and relevant resources to meet the product
requirements.
1.2.8 The department responsible for quality manage-
ment shall have a direct reporting relationship to
the senior management.
1.2.9 The company shall ensure that all processes
(documented and undocumented) are known
by the relevant personnel and are applied
consistently.
1.2.10 The company shall have a system in place, to
ensure that it is kept informed of all relevant
legislation on food safety issues, scientifc and
technical developments and industry codes of
practice.
1.3 Customer focus
1.3.1 A procedure shall be in place to identify
fundamental needs and expectations of
customers.
1.3.2 The results of this procedure shall be evaluated
and considered by the determination of quality
objectives.
1.4 Management review
1.4.1 Senior management shall ensure that the quality
management system is reviewed at fxed periods.
1.4.2 This review shall include measures for the control
of the quality management system and for the
continuous improvement process.
1.4.3 The company shall identify and review regularly
(e.g. by internal audits or on-site inspection) the
infrastructure needed to achieve conformity to
product requirements. This shall include, as a
minimum, the following:
buildings
supply systems
machines and equipment
transport.
The results of the review shall be considered, with
due consideration to risk, for investment planning.
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
1.4.4 The company shall identify and review regularly
(e.g. by internal audits or on-site inspection) the
work environment needed to achieve conformity
to product requirements. This shall include, as a
minimum the following:
staff facilities
environmental conditions
safety and security at work
hygienic conditions
workplace design
external infuences (e.g. noise, vibration).
The results of the review shall be considered,
with due consideration to risk for investment
planning.
2 Quality Management System
2.1 HACCP (based on the Codex Alimentarius CA)
2.1.1 HACCP system
2.1.1.1 The basis of the companys food safety control
system shall be a fully implemented,
systematic and comprehensive HACCP system,
based upon the Codex Alimentarius principles.
It shall take into account any legal requirements
of the production and destination countries
which may go beyond such principles.
The HACCP system shall be implemented
at each market/site. The HACCP concept consider
the circumstances of the market.
2.1.1.2 The HACCP system shall cover all raw
materials, products or product groups as well
as every process from goods in to dispatch,
including product development and product
packaging.
2.1.1.3 The company shall ensure that the HACCP system
is based upon scientifc literature, or technical
verifed specifcations relating to the manu-
factured products and procedures. This shall be
maintained in line with new technical process
development.
2.1.2 Assemble HACCP team (CA Step 1)
2.1.2.1 The HACCP team shall have strong senior man-
agement support and shall be well known
and established across the whole company.
2.1.2.2 The HACCP team shall be multidisciplinary
and include operational staff. Personnel appointed
as HACCP team members shall have specifc
knowledge of HACCP, product and process
knowledge and the associated hazards.
2.1.2.3 Where competent knowledge is not available,
external expert advice shall be obtained.
2.1.3 HACCP analysis
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
2.1.3.1 Describe product (CA Step 2)
A full description of the product including all rele-
vant information on product safety exists such as:
composition
physical, organoleptic, chemical and microbio-
logical parameters
methods of treatment
packaging
durability (shelf life)
conditions for storage and method of transport.
2.1.3.2 Identify intended use (CA Step 3)
The intended use of the product shall be described
as seen from the expected use of the product by
the end consumer, taking into account vulnerable
groups of consumers.
2.1.3.3 Construct fow diagram (CA Step 4)
A fow diagram shall exist for each product, or
product group, and for all variations of the
processes and sub-processes. The fow diagram
shall be dated, updated and clearly identify each
CCP with the number assigned to it.
2.1.3.4 On-site confrmation of the fow diagram
(CA Step 5)
The HACCP team shall review the processes at all
operation stages against the fow diagram.
Amendments of the diagram will be made, where
appropriate.
2.1.3.5 Conduct a hazard analysis for each step
A hazard analysis shall be available of all physical,
chemical and biological hazards that may reason-
ably be expected.
2.1.3.5.1 The hazard analysis shall consider the likelihood
of harm to the consumer and the potential
severity of damage (effect, potential conse-
quences).
2.1.3.5.2 For all steps, which are not defned as CCPs but as
CPs, the company shall implement, maintain,
monitor and document specifc preventive
measures..
2.1.3.6 Determine critical control points
Relevant Critical Control Points (CCPs) shall be
determined, to which control can be applied
directly in order to prevent, eliminate or reduce a
food safety hazard to acceptable level(s).
2.1.3.7 Establish critical limits for each CCP
For each CCP, the appropriate critical limits shall
be defned and validated, in order to clearly
identify when a process is out of control.
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
2.1.3.8
KO
Establish a monitoring system for each CCP
Specifc monitoring procedures shall be estab-
lished for each CCP to detect any loss of control at
that CCP. Records of monitoring shall be main-
tained for a relevant period. Each defned CCPs
shall be under control. Monitoring and control
respectively of each CCP shall be demonstrated by
records. The respective records shall specify the
responsible person as well as the date and result.
2.1.3.9 Establish corrective actions
For each CCP, corrective actions shall be estab-
lished. In case the monitoring indicates that a
particular CCP is not under control, adequate
corrective actions shall be taken and documented.
Such corrective actions shall also take into
account any non-conforming products.
2.1.3.10 Establish verifcation procedures
Procedures of verifcation shall be established to
confrm that the HACCP system is effcient.
Verifcation of the HACCP system shall be per-
formed at least once a year. Examples of verifca-
tion activities include:
internal audits
analysis
sampling
evaluations
complaint by authorities and customers.
The results of this verifcation shall be incorpo-
rated into the HACCP system.
2.1.3.11 Establish documentation and record keeping
Documentation shall be available, covering all
processes, procedures, measures and records.
Documentation and record keeping shall be
appropriate to the nature and size of the company.
2.2 Documentation requirements
2.2.1 The quality system for quality assurance and food
safety shall be documented and implemented, and
shall be retained in one location.
2.2.2 A documented procedure shall exist for the
control of documents and their amendments.
2.2.3 All documents shall be clearly legible, unambigu-
ous and comprehensive. They shall be available to
relevant personnel at all times.
2.2.4 All documents which are necessary for compli-
ance with the product requirements shall be
available in their latest version.
2.2.5 The reason for any amendments to documents,
critical for the product requirements shall be
recorded.
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
2.3 Record keeping
2.3.1 All relevant records, necessary for the product
requirements shall be complete, detailed and
maintained and shall be available on request.
2.3.2 Records shall be legible and genuine. They shall
be maintained in a way that subsequent manipula-
tion of records is prohibited.
2.3.3 All records shall be kept in accordance with legal
requirements. If those are not specifed, records
shall be kept for the duration of the shelf life, to
make verifcation possible. For products which
have a very short or no shelf life, record keeping
shall be based on a hazard analysis.
2.3.4 Any amendments to records shall only be carried
out by authorised persons.
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 by education, work experi-
ence and/or training.
3.2 Human resources
3.2.1 Personnel hygiene
3.2.1.1 There shall be documented requirements relating
to personnel hygiene. These include, as a mini-
mum the following felds:
hand washing and disinfection
eating and drinking
smoking
actions to be taken in case of cuts or skin
abrasions
fngernails and jewellery
hair and beards.
The requirements shall be based on a hazard
analysis in relation to product and process.
3.2.1.2
KO
The requirements for personnel hygiene shall be
in place and applied by all relevant personnel,
contractors and visitors. Compliance with the
requirements shall be checked regularly.
3.2.1.3 Visible jewellery (incl. piercing) and watches shall
not be worn. Any exceptions shall have been
comprehensively evaluated by hazard analysis in
relation to product and process.
3.2.1.4 Cuts and skin abrasions shall be covered by
a coloured plaster (different from the product
colour) containing a metal strip, where appropri-
ate and in case of hand injuries, in addition to
a plaster, a single use glove shall be worn.
3.2.2 Protective clothing for personnel, contractors and
visitors
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
3.2.2.1 Company procedures shall exist to ensure that all
personnel, contractors and visitors are aware of
the rules regarding the management of wearing
and changing of protective clothing in specifed
work areas in accordance with product require-
ments.
3.2.2.2 In work areas where wearing headgear and/or
beard snood is required, the hair shall be covered
completely so that product contamination is
prevented.
3.2.2.3 Clearly defned usage rules shall exist for work
areas where it is required to wear gloves
(coloured differently from the product colour).
Compliance with these rules shall be checked
on a regular basis.
3.2.2.4 Suitable protective clothing shall be available in
suffcient numbers for each employee.
3.2.2.5 All protective clothing shall be thoroughly and
regularly laundered. In accordance with a process
and product hazard analysis, the clothing shall be
washed by a contract laundry, on-site laundry or
by the employee.
3.2.2.6 Guidelines shall exist for laundering of protective
clothing and a procedure shall be in place for
checking its cleanliness.
3.2.3 Procedures applicable to infectious diseases
3.2.3.1 There shall be written and communicated
procedures for personnel, contractors and visitors
for actions to be taken in the case of an infectious
disease or the suspicion thereof. Particular
consideration shall be taken in these areas where
product safety may be compromised.
3.3 Training
3.3.1 The company shall put in place documented
training programs in respect of the product
requirements and the training needs of the
employees. These programs shall include:
training contents
training frequency
list of participants
languages
qualifed trainer/tutor.
3.3.2 Those responsible for the development and
maintenance of HACCP system shall have
received adequate training in the application
of the HACCP principles.
3.3.3 The documented training programs shall apply to
all personnel, including seasonal and temporary
workers, employed in the respective work area.
Upon employment, and before commencing work,
they shall be trained in accordance with the
documented training programs.
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
3.3.4 Records shall be available of all performed
training events, stating:
list of participants incl. signature
date
duration
contents of training
name of trainer/tutor.
3.3.5 The contents of training shall be reviewed and
updated regularly and take into account compa-
nys specifc issues (nonconformities, failures),
food safety and food related legal requirements.
3.4 Sanitary facilities, equipment for personnel hygiene and staff facilities
3.4.1 The company shall provide staff facilities, which
shall be proportional in size and equipped for the
number of personnel. Such facilities shall be kept
in clean and good condition.
3.4.2 The risk of product contamination by foreign
bodies from staff facilities shall be evaluated and
minimised. Consideration shall also be given to
food brought to work by personnel and personal
belongings.
3.4.3 The company shall provide suitable changing
rooms for personnel, contractors and visitors.
Where necessary outdoor clothing and protective
clothing shall be stored separately.
3.4.4 Staff facilities shall be equipped with toilets,
which shall not have direct access to an area
where food products are handled. There shall be
at least one dedicated washroom separating
both areas.
3.4.5 Adequate hand hygiene facilities shall be provided
at access points to and within production areas,
as well as at staff facilities. Based on a hazard
analysis, further areas (e.g. packaging area) shall
be similarly equipped.
3.4.6 Such hand hygiene facilities shall provide as a
minimum:
running cold and hot water
liquid soap
single use towels.
3.4.7 Where highly perishable food products are
handled, the following additional requirements
regarding hand hygiene shall also be provided:
hand contact-free fttings
hand disinfection
approved hygiene equipments
signs/pictograms.
3.4.8 Changing rooms shall be arranged so that they
allow direct access to the areas where food
products are handled. Exceptions shall have been
considered within the hazard analysis. Where
appropriate, cleaning facilities for boots, shoes
and further protective clothing shall be available.
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4 Production Process
4.1 Contract review
4.1.1 All customer requirements relating to the prod-
ucts, their realisation and delivery shall have been
defned and understood before a written supply
agreement is concluded. The company shall
review whether all aspects of customers require-
ments have been satisfed.
4.1.2 There shall be records showing how changes to
the existing contractual agreements are agreed
and communicated.
4.2 Product specifcations
4.2.1 Specifcations shall be available for all fnal
products and, if necessary (e.g. retail brand) be
agreed upon in writing with customers. The
specifcations shall be up to date, unambiguous,
available and always in conformance with legal
requirements.
4.2.2
KO
Specifcations shall be available and in place for
all raw materials (raw materials/ingredients,
additives, packaging materials, rework). The
specifcations shall be up to date, unambiguous,
available and always in conformance with legal
requirements.
4.2.3
KO
The recipe mentioned in the customer fnished
product specifcation shall be complied with.
4.2.4 Specifcations and/or their contents are provided
in the relevant areas and accessible to all relevant
personnel.
4.2.5 There shall be a procedure for the amendment
and approval of specifcations for all parts of the
process.
4.3 Product development
4.3.1 A procedure for product development shall be in
place which incorporates the hazard analysis
principles, in accordance with the HACCP system.
4.3.2 Product formulation, manufacturing processes
and the fulflment of product requirements shall
have been ensured by factory trials and product
testing.
4.3.3 Shelf life tests shall be carried out taking into
account product formulation, packaging, manufac-
turing and storage conditions. Use by or Best
before dates shall be established accordingly.
4.3.4 The company shall conduct appropriate studies
and tests in order to investigate compliance with
microbiological criteria within the shelf life.
4.3.5 Recommendations for preparation and/or use of
the food products shall be established. If appropri-
ate, customer requirements shall be included.
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4.3.6 The progress and results of product development
shall be properly recorded.
4.3.7 Product development shall consider the results of
organoleptic assessments.
4.4 Purchasing
4.4.1 Purchased products and services shall conform
to current specifcations and contractual agree-
ments.
4.4.2 There shall be records to identify which product is
sourced from which supplier.
4.4.3 There shall be a procedure for approval and
monitoring of suppliers (internal and external),
outsourced production or part of it.
4.4.4 The approval and monitoring procedure shall
contain clear assessment criteria such as: audits,
certifcates of analysis, supplier reliability and
complaints, as well as required performance
standards based on a hazard analysis.
4.4.5 The results of suppliers assessments shall be
reviewed regularly. There shall be records of the
reviews and of the actions taken as a consequence
of assessment.
4.4.6 The purchased products and services shall be
checked in accordance with the existing specifca-
tions. The schedule of these checks shall take into
account the product requirements, supplier status
and the impact of raw materials on the fnished
product.
4.5 Product packaging
4.5.1 All packaging shall comply with the current
relevant legislation.
4.5.2 Detailed specifcations shall exist for all packaging
materials.
4.5.3 Certifcates of conformity or evidence shall exist
for all packaging in direct contact with food to
demonstrate that they are suitable for use. This
applies for packaging in direct contact with raw
materials, semi-processed and fnished products.
This includes containers, conveyor belts in
production areas for semi-processed products.
4.5.4 All packaging or packaging equipments shall be
suitable for its intended use and shall have been
tested for possible contamination and hazards
(interactions) towards products and consumers.
Adequate up-to-date test reports shall exist.
4.5.5 Based on a hazard analysis, the company shall
verify the capability of the packaging material for
each relevant product (e.g. organoleptic tests,
storage tests, chemical analysis).
IFS, February 2010

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4.5.6 Where packaging materials (e.g. glass) pose a risk
to the product, special procedures shall be in
place to avoid product contamination.
4.5.7 A system shall be in place to ensure storage and
handling of packaging materials and packaging
equipments both inside and outside of the
production areas, in order to minimise the risk
of contamination (interaction/correlation).
4.5.8 The conformity of the product with its labelling
shall be reviewed each time before a new label is
issued for use. Such review shall take into account
the product requirements and particular relevant
legislation in the designated countries, where the
product is to be marketed.
4.5.9 The conformity of the product with its labelling
shall be continuously ensured during the
production process.
4.6 Factory environment standards
4.6.1 Choice of location
4.6.1.1 The company shall investigate to what extent the
factory environment (e.g. ground, air) may have
an adverse impact on product safety and product
quality. In each case, appropriate measures shall
be established. The effciency of the established
measures shall be periodically reviewed
(examples: extremely dusty air, strong smells).
4.6.2 Exteriors
4.6.2.1 The factory exterior shall be sustainable main-
tained clean and tidy. The external condition of the
premises shall be considered within the internal
audit process.
4.6.2.2 All grounds within the site/market shall be in good
condition. Where natural drainage is inadequate,
a suitable drainage system shall be installed.
4.6.2.3 Outdoor storage shall be kept to a minimum.
Where goods are stored outside, a hazard analysis
shall be undertaken to ensure that there is no risk
of contamination or adverse effect on safety or
quality.
4.6.2.4 The production and storage areas of the site/
market shall be secured effectively by controlled
access in order to prevent unauthorised entry.
4.6.3 Plant layout and process fows
4.6.3.1 The process fow, from receipt of goods to
dispatch, shall be organised so that a contamina-
tion of raw materials, packaging, semi-processed
and fnished products is avoided. The risk of
cross-contamination shall be minimised through
effective measures.
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4.6.3.2 Segregation of processes shall take into account
internal fows (of product, waste, materials, plant
and equipment, personnel, water) and provided
services. A plan shall be available which clearly
defnes these fows.
4.6.3.3 Where production areas are identifed as
microbiologically sensitive (e.g. clean room
technology), a positive pressure system shall be
installed. Measurement of micro-organisms
shall be performed at regular intervals.
4.6.3.4 The system of working shall, where appropriate,
be such to reduce any potential physical, chemical
or microbiological contamination risk.
4.6.3.5 Location of laboratories at the factory shall not
affect product safety.
4.6.3.6 The cleaning of production tools shall be carried
out at specifc locations or specifc time periods
separated from the production process. If this is
not possible, these operations shall be controlled
as to not affect the product.
4.6.4 Buildings and facilities
4.6.4.1 Constructional requirements
4.6.4.1.1 Rooms where food products are prepared, treated,
processed and stored shall be designed and
constructed, so that food hygiene is ensured.
4.6.4.2 Walls and partition walls
4.6.4.2.1 Walls shall be designed and constructed to
prevent the accumulation of dirt, to reduce
condensation and mould growth, and to facilitate
cleaning.
4.6.4.2.2 The surfaces of walls shall be in a good condition
and shall facilitate cleaning and if necessary
disinfection. They shall be impervious, water-
repellent and wear-resistant.
4.6.4.2.3 The junctions between walls and foors and
corners respectively shall be designed to facilitate
cleaning.
4.6.4.3 Floors
4.6.4.3.1 Floors shall be designed to meet production
requirements (e.g. mechanical loads, cleaning
materials, temperatures).
4.6.4.3.2 The foor covering shall be in good condition and
shall facilitate cleaning and disinfection, where
required. They shall be impervious, water-repellent
and wear-resistant.
4.6.4.3.3 The hygienic disposal of waste water shall be
ensured. Drainage systems shall be designed to
facilitate cleaning and to minimise the risk of
product contamination (e.g. adverse impact,
ingress of pests, etc.).
IFS, February 2010

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4.6.4.3.4 Floors shall have adequate falls so that water or
other liquids can reach the drainage without
diffculty.
4.6.4.3.5 Machinery and piping shall be arranged so that,
where possible, process waste water goes directly
into a drain.
4.6.4.4 Ceilings/Overheads
4.6.4.4.1 Ceilings (or, where no ceilings are ftted, the
undersides of roofs) and overhead fxtures
(incl. piping, cables, lamps) shall be designed
and constructed to minimise the accumulation
of dirt, the detachment of paints of material,
condensation and mould growth. Ceilings and
overheads shall be designed to facilitate cleaning
and prevent product contamination.
4.6.4.4.2 Where false ceilings are used, adequate access
to the void shall be provided to facilitate cleaning,
maintenance of services and inspection for pest
control.
4.6.4.5 Windows and other openings
4.6.4.5.1 Windows and other openings shall be designed
and constructed to avoid the accumulation
of dirt.
4.6.4.5.2 If windows may result in contamination, windows
and roof glazing shall remain closed and fxed
during production.
4.6.4.5.3 Where windows and roof glazing are designed
to be opened for ventilation purposes, they
shall be sealed by easy removable pest fences
or other measures in order to avoid any
contamination.
4.6.4.5.4 In areas where unpacked product is handled,
windows shall be protected against breakage.
4.6.4.6 Doors
4.6.4.6.1 Doors shall be in good condition (e.g. no
splintering parts or faking paints, no corrosion)
and easy to clean and disinfect, where
appropriate.
4.6.4.6.2 External doors which open to handling of raw
material, processing, packaging and storage areas
shall be self-closing and designed to prevent the
ingress of pests.
4.6.4.6.3 Doors and gates which are used to separate
productions areas shall be kept closed.
4.6.4.7 Lighting
4.6.4.7.1 All working areas shall have adequate lighting.
IFS, February 2010

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4.6.4.7.2 All lighting equipment and electric fy killer units
shall be protected by shatterproof coating (splinter
shields). The factory areas where this clause
applies are, as a minimum:
handling of unpackaged products,
packaging and raw material storage,
raw materials handling
changing rooms.
This does not preclude that other areas cannot have
protected lighting equipment or electric fy killer units.
4.6.4.8 Air conditioning/Ventilation
4.6.4.8.1 Adequate natural and/or artifcial ventilation shall
exist in all areas.
4.6.4.8.2 Ventilation systems shall be installed so that flters
and other components which require cleaning or
replacement are easily accessible.
4.6.4.8.3 The use of air in the production (e.g. compressed
air supply) shall avoid contamination and be
based on a process and product hazard analysis.
4.6.4.8.4 Dust extraction equipment shall be installed in areas
where considerable amounts of dust are generated.
4.6.4.9 (Drinking) Water supply
4.6.4.9.1 Water which is used as ingredient in the produc-
tion process, or for cleaning, shall be potable
water and supplied in suffcient quantity.
4.6.4.9.2 Recycled water which is used in the process shall
not pose a contamination risk. The water shall
comply with applicable legal requirements for
drinking water. Related records of testing shall be
available.
4.6.4.9.3 The quality of water, steam or ice that comes in
contact with food shall be monitored at all dis-
pensing stations on a risk assessed sampling plan.
4.6.4.9.4 Non potable water, which is used e.g. for fre
fghting, steam generation, cooling or similar
purposes, shall be transported in separate,
properly marked piping. Such piping shall neither
be connected to the drinking water system, nor
shall a possibility of refux to that system exist.
4.7 Housekeeping and hygiene
4.7.1 Cleaning and disinfection schedules, based on a
hazard analysis shall be available and imple-
mented. These shall specify:
responsibilities
the products used and their instructions for use
the areas to be cleaned and/or disinfected
objectives
cleaning frequency
documentation requirements
hazard symbols (if necessary).
Where external service providers are employed for
cleaning and disinfection, they shall fulfl all the
above requirements.
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4.7.2 Only qualifed personnel shall be used for
cleaning. The personnel shall be trained on
a regular basis to carry out the cleaning
schedules.
4.7.3 The effectiveness of the cleaning and disinfection
measures, based on a hazard analysis, shall be
verifed and documented according to a sampling
schedule by using appropriate procedures.
Resultant corrective actions shall be documented.
4.7.4 The cleaning and disinfection measures shall be
validated according to any changing circum-
stances (e.g. construction work, new products,
new machines, changes of climate etc.). Where
necessary, the cleaning and disinfection schedules
shall be adapted.
4.7.5 Current material safety data sheets (MSDS)
and instructions for use shall be available for
chemicals and cleaning agents. Personnel
responsible for cleaning shall be able to
demonstrate their knowledge of such
instructions, which shall be always available on
site/market.
4.7.6 Cleaning utensils and chemicals shall be clearly
marked and stored in a segregated area, to avoid
contamination risk.
4.7.7 Appropriate storage facilities shall be available
for the control and storage of chemicals needed
for the manufacture and treatment of food
products. Chemicals shall only be handled by
personnel trained in their use.
4.8 Waste/Waste disposal
4.8.1 All current legal requirements for waste disposal
shall be met.
4.8.2 Food waste and other waste shall be removed as
quickly as possible from areas where food is
handled. The accumulation of waste shall be
avoided.
4.8.3 Waste collection containers shall be clearly
marked, suitably designed, in good state of
repair, easy to clean, and where necessary
disinfected.
4.8.4 Waste collection rooms and containers (incl.
compactors) shall be designed to be kept clean
to minimise animal and pest attraction.
4.8.5 Waste shall be collected in separate containers
in accordance with the intended means of dis-
posal. Such waste shall be disposed by authorised
third parties only. Records of waste disposal shall
be kept by the company.
4.9 Risk of foreign bodies, metal, broken glass and wood
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4.9.1
KO
Based on a hazard analysis, potential foreign
body sources (e.g. raw material, packaging
material, packaging aids, in-house tools, machine
components etc.) shall be identifed. Procedures
shall be in place which shall avoid the
contamination with foreign bodies. Contaminated
products shall be treated as non-conforming
products.
4.9.2 In all areas, e.g. handling of raw material,
processing, packing and storage, where
a hazard analysis has identifed the potential
for product contamination, the use of wood
shall be excluded.
4.9.3 Where the use of wood cannot be avoided,
but the risk is managed, the wood shall be in
good order and clean. The condition of this wood
shall be subject to regular verifcation.
4.9.4 The need for metal and foreign body detection
equipment shall be established by hazard
analysis.
4.9.5 Where metal and/or foreign body detectors
are required, they shall be installed so that any
subsequent product contamination is avoided,
as far as possible. The detection shall not be
affected by interferences.
4.9.6 Contaminated products (including raw materials,
semi-processed and fnished products) shall be
isolated and treated as non-conforming products.
Access to these products and actions for further
handling or checking shall be carried out only by
authorised personnel. Only where an automatic
rejection process is technically not possible
(e.g. large trading units) will an automatic line
stop be accepted.
4.9.7 The accuracy of measurement of the detectors
shall be specifed. Qualifed personnel shall
regularly check the proper operation of detectors.
In case of defect or failure of a metal and/or
foreign body detector, corrective actions shall
be implemented, documented and verifed.
4.9.8 Any flters and sieves used for metal and/or
foreign body detection shall be regularly
inspected and properly maintained.
4.9.9 In all areas, e.g. handling of raw material,
processing, packing and storage, where a hazard
analysis has identifed a potential product
contamination, the presence of glass shall be
excluded.
4.9.10 Where the presence of glass cannot be avoided,
but the risk is managed, it shall be protected
against breakage.
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4.9.11 All objects of glass or similar material present in
areas of handling of raw material, processing,
packing and storage shall be listed in a glass
register including details of their exact location.
A comparison between the glass register and the
condition of such objects shall be regularly
performed and recorded.
4.9.12 In areas with unpacked goods, all glass breakages
shall be recorded. Exceptions shall be justifed at
the hazard analysis.
4.9.13 Procedures shall be in place describing the
measures to be taken in case of breakage of glass,
including glass packaging and similar material.
Such measures shall include identifying the scope
of goods to be isolated, specifying authorised
personnel, cleaning the production environment
and releasing the production line for continued
production.
4.9.14 Based on a hazard analysis, preventive measures
shall be in place for handling of glass packaging,
glass containers or other kinds of containers in the
production process (turn over, blow, rinse etc.).
After this process step no further contamination
shall be allowed.
4.10 Pest monitoring/Pest control
4.10.1 The company shall have pest control in place
taking into account, as a minimum:
the factory environment
(potential pests)
site plan with area for application
(bait map)
identifcation of the baits on-site
responsibilities, in-house/external
used products/agents and their instructions for
use and safety
the frequency of inspections.
4.10.2 The company shall have qualifed and trained
in-house staff, and/or employ the services of a
qualifed external provider. Where an external
provider is used the activities required on-site
shall be laid down in a written contract.
4.10.3 Following pest control inspections, any actions
and resulting recommendations shall be
documented and storage, including the date.
4.10.4 Suffcient numbers of operational electric fy
killers shall be provided and positioned correctly.
There shall be no risk of contamination to open
production lines.
4.10.5 Incoming deliveries shall be checked on arrival
for the absence of pests. Any infestation shall be
documented and control measures taken.
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4.10.6 Raw materials, packaging, semi-processed and
fnished products shall be stored so as to
minimise the risk of pest infestation. Where stored
product and/or machines may attract pests,
appropriate measures shall be taken.
4.11 Receipt of goods and storage
4.11.1 Raw materials, semi-processed and fnished
products, as well as packaging, shall be checked
against the specifcations on receipt and in accord-
ance with determined inspection plan.
All results shall be documented.
4.11.2 Goods in documents and/or product labels shall
contain information on the appropriate storage
(e.g. refrigeration temperature).
4.11.3 The storage conditions of raw materials,
semi-processed and fnished products as well
as packaging shall in each case correspond
to product requirements (e.g. refrigeration,
protective covers) and shall not be detrimental
to other products.
4.11.4 Each item in storage shall be clearly identifed,
and the First In/First Out and/or First Expired/First
Out principles shall be applied.
4.11.5 Where a company hires a third-party storage
service provider, all the requirements specifed
in section 4.11 shall be clearly defned in the
respective contract or the service provider shall
subject to IFS Logistic requirements.
4.12 Transport
4.12.1 Before loading transport vehicles, their condition
(e.g. absence of strange smells, high dust load,
adverse humidity, pests, mould) shall be checked
and action taken, if necessary.
4.12.2 Where goods must be transported at certain
temperatures, before loading, the temperature
inside the vehicle shall be checked and
documented.
4.12.3 Procedures to prevent contamination during
transport shall be implemented (food/ non-food/
different categories of goods).
4.12.4 Where goods must be transported at certain
temperatures, maintaining the adequate range of
temperatures during transport shall be ensured
and documented.
4.12.5 A cleaning and, where appropriate, disinfection
schedule shall exist for all transport vehicles and
equipment used for loading/unloading (e.g. hoses
of silo installations). There shall be records of the
measures taken.
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4.12.6 Loading and unloading ramps shall have in place
protection devices to shelter the transported
products from external infuences (e.g. climate,
pollen).
4.12.7 Where a company hires a third-party transport
service provider, all the requirements specifed
within section 4.12 shall be clearly defned in the
respective contract or the service provider shall
subject to IFS Logistic requirements.
4.13 Maintenance and repair
4.13.1 A system of maintenance shall be in place,
documented, covering all critical equipment (incl.
transport) for compliance with product require-
ments. This applies both for internal and external
maintenance work.
4.13.2 Product requirements and prevention of
contamination shall be ensured during
maintenance and repair work. Records shall be
kept of maintenance and repair work and of
corrective actions taken.
4.13.3 All material used for maintenance and repair shall
be ft for the intended use (e.g. food-grade oils,
non-toxic paints).
4.13.4 Failures of plant and equipment (incl. transport)
covered by the maintenance system shall be
documented and reviewed with a view to adapting
the maintenance system.
4.13.5 Temporary repairs shall be carried out so that
product requirements are not affected. Such work
shall be documented and a short-term deadline
set for eliminating the fault.
4.14 Equipments
4.14.1 Equipments shall be suitably designed and
specifed for the intended use. Before
commissioning, it shall be verifed that the
product requirements are complied with.
4.14.2 Equipments shall be designed and arranged so
that cleaning and maintenance operations on and
located around the installations can be effectively
performed.
4.14.3 In the case of plant or equipment failures and/or
process deviations, appropriate procedures shall
be in place to ensure that, prior to release for pro-
duction, product requirements are complied with.
4.15 Process validation
4.15.1 The company shall ensure that in the event of
changes to product formulation, including rework,
processing methods and equipment or packaging,
that the process characteristics are reviewed in
order to assure that product requirements are
complied with.
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4.15.2 All rework operations shall be validated, moni-
tored and documented. These operations shall not
affect the product requirements.
4.16 Traceability (including GMOs and allergens)
4.16.1
KO
A traceability system shall be in place which
enables the identifcation of product lots and their
relation to batches of raw materials, packaging in
direct contact with food, packaging intended or
expected to be in direct contact with food. The
traceability system shall incorporate all relevant
processing and distribution records.
4.16.2 The traceability system shall be tested,
documented and, where appropriate, adapted at
defned intervals to verify traceability in both
directions of fow (from delivered products to raw
material, and vice versa), including quantity
checking.
4.16.3 Traceability shall be ensured at all stages,
including work in progress, post treatment and
rework.
4.16.4 The lot labelling rather labelling of best-before-
date of semi-fnished products or fnished prod-
ucts, to ensure a clear traceability of goods, shall
be made at the time when the goods are directly
packed. Where goods are labelled at a later time,
the temporarily stored goods shall have been
provided with a specifc lot labelling. The shelf life
(e.g. best before date) of the labelled goods shall
be calculated from the original production date.
4.17 Genetically modifed organisms (GMOs)
4.17.1 The company shall have in place systems and
procedures to allow the identifcation of products
consisting of GMOs, containing GMOs or pro-
duced from GMOs, including food ingredients,
additives and favouring(s).
4.17.2 Raw material specifcations and delivery
documents identifying products consisting of,
being made from, or containing GMOs shall be
available. The guarantees concerning the GMO
status of the raw materials shall be agreed by
contract with the supplier. The company shall
maintain a continuously updated listing of all
GMO raw materials used at its premises, which
also identifes all blends and formulas to which
such GMO raw materials are added.
4.17.3 There shall be adequate procedures to ensure that
products consisting of or containing GMOs are
manufactured, so that contamination of non-GMO
products is prevented. Adequate control measures
shall be in place to prevent GMO cross contamina-
tion. The effectiveness of these procedures shall
be monitored by random testing.
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4.17.4 Finished products containing GMOs shall be
declared in accordance with current legal require-
ments. Delivery documents shall include the
corresponding reference to GMOs.
4.17.5 Customer requirements concerning the GMO
status of products shall be clearly implemented by
the company.
4.18 Allergens and specifc conditions of production
4.18.1 Raw material specifcations identifying allergens
requiring declaration shall be available. The
company shall maintain a continuously up to date
listing of all raw materials containing allergens
used at its premises, which also identifes all
blends and formulas to which such raw materials
containing allergens are added.
4.18.2 The manufacturing of products which contain
allergens requiring declaration shall be carried out
so that cross contamination is minimised, as far as
possible.
4.18.3 Finished products containing allergens requiring
declaration shall be declared in accordance with
current legal requirements. For the adventitious
presence, the labelling of legally declared aller-
gens and traces shall be based on a hazard
analysis.
4.18.4 Where customers specifcally require that prod-
ucts are free from certain substances or ingredi-
ents (e.g. pork), or that certain methods of treat-
ment or production are excluded, verifable
procedures shall be in place.
5 Measurements, Analysis, Improvements
5.1 Internal audits
5.1.1
KO
Internal audits shall be conducted according
to an agreed plan. Scope (including outdoor
areas) and frequency shall be determined by
hazard analysis.
5.1.2 Internal audits shall be carried out at least once
a year in all departments.
5.1.3 The auditors shall be competent and independent
from the audited department.
5.1.4 Audit results shall be communicated to responsi-
ble persons of concerned department. Necessary
corrective actions and a schedule for implementa-
tion shall be determined and documented and
communicated to every relevant person.
5.1.5 It shall be documented, how and when the
corrective actions resulting from the internal
audits shall be verifed.
5.1.6 The audit results shall be communicated to the
senior management.
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5.2 Site factory inspections
5.2.1 Regular factory inspections shall be planned and
carried out (e.g. product control, hygiene, foreign
body hazards, personnel hygiene and housekeep-
ing).
5.2.2 Any deviation and the associated corrective
actions shall be documented.
5.3 Process control
5.3.1 In circumstances where the control of process and
working environment parameters (temperature,
time, pressure, chemical properties etc.) is
essential to ensure the product requirements,
such parameters shall be monitored and recorded
continuously and/or at appropriate intervals.
5.3.2 There shall be appropriate procedures for notifca-
tion, recording and monitoring of malfunction and
deviations.
5.4 Calibration and checking of measuring and monitoring devices
5.4.1 The company shall identify the measuring and
monitoring devices required to ensure compliance
with product requirements. These devices shall be
recorded on a document and clearly identifed.
5.4.2 All measuring devices shall be checked under a
monitoring system at specifed intervals and in
accordance with defned standards/methods. The
results of the checks shall be documented and
corrective actions carried out, where necessary.
5.4.3 All measuring devices shall be used exclusively
for their defned purpose. Where the results of
measurements indicate a deviation or damage,
the device in question shall be immediately
repaired or replaced.
5.4.4 The calibration status of the measuring devices
shall be clearly identifed (labelling at the machine
or on a list of test devices).
5.5 Quantity checking (quantity control/flling quantities)
5.5.1 The frequency and methodology of quantity
checking shall be determined so that the legal
requirements for nominal quantity are met.
5.5.2 For purchased, already pre-packed products from
third parties, there shall be evidence about the
compliance with the legal requirements for
nominal quantity.
5.5.3 All equipment used for quantity measurement
shall be calibrated regularly. All equipment used
for fnal checking shall be legally approved and
regularly calibrated.
5.6 Product analysis
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
5.6.1 There shall be procedures ensuring that all
specifed product requirements are met, including
legal requirements and specifcations. Microbio-
logical, physical and chemical analysis required
for that purpose shall be performed internally and/
or subcontracted.
5.6.2 Analyses, which are relevant for the food safety,
shall be performed by an accredited laboratory
(ISO 17025). If the analyses are performed by a
factory internal or non accredited laboratory, the
results shall be verifed on a regular basis by an
accredited laboratory.
5.6.3 Procedures shall exist which assure the reliability
of the internal analysis results on the basis of
offcial recognised analysis methods. This shall be
demonstrated by ring tests or other profciency
tests.
5.6.4 A test plan shall be drawn up for internal and
external analysis, based upon a hazard analysis
which covers raw materials, semi-processed and
fnished products as well as processing equip-
ments and packaging materials, and where
necessary environmental tests. The test results
shall be documented.
5.6.5 The analytical results shall be reviewed regularly.
Appropriate measures shall be introduced
promptly for any unsatisfactory results.
5.6.6 For the performance of internal analysis, qualifed
and trained personnel shall be available, as well
as appropriate equipment and premises.
5.6.7 For validation of fnished product quality, internal
organoleptic tests shall be carried out regularly in
accordance with specifcations and shall be
documented.
5.6.8 When establishing and/or validating the shelf life
of the product (including long shelf life product i.e.
labelled with a best before date), the results of
organoleptic tests shall be taken into account.
5.7 Product quarantine and product release
5.7.1 A procedure shall be in place, based on a hazard
analysis, for the quarantine and release of all raw
materials, semi-processed and fnished products,
processing equipment and packaging materials.
The procedure shall ensure that only products and
materials conforming to product requirements are
processed and dispatched.
5.8 Management of complaints from authorities and customers
5.8.1 A system shall be in place for the management of
product complaints.
5.8.2 All complaints shall be assessed by competent
staff. Where it is justifed, appropriate actions shall
be taken, if necessary, immediately.
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
5.8.3 Complaints shall be analysed with a view to
implementing preventive actions, which avoid the
recurrence of the nonconformity.
5.8.4 The results of complaint data analysis shall be
made available to the relevant responsible
persons and to the senior management.
5.9 Management of incidents, product withdrawal, product recall
5.9.1 A crisis management procedure shall be defned,
implemented and maintained. This includes as a
minimum the nomination and training of a crisis
team, an alert contact list, sources of legal advice
(if necessary), contacts reachability, customer
information, product withdrawal and/or recall and
a communication plan, including information to
consumers.
5.9.2
KO
There shall be an effective procedure for the
withdrawal and recall of all products, which
ensure that involved customers are informed, as
soon as possible. This procedure shall include a
clear assignment of responsibilities.
5.9.3 The product withdrawal and recall procedure shall
include updated emergency contact details (such
as names and phone numbers of suppliers,
customers and competent authorities).
5.9.4 The feasibility, effectiveness and timeliness of
implementation of the withdrawal procedure shall
be subject to regular internal testing, based on a
hazard analysis but carried out at least once a
year. This shall be carried out in a manner to
ensure the effective implementation and operation
of the procedure.
5.10 Management of non-conforming products
5.10.1 A procedure shall exist for the management of all
non-conforming raw materials, semi-fnished and
fnished products, processing equipment and
packaging materials. This shall include, as a
minimum:
isolation/quarantine procedures
risk assessment
identifcation (e.g. labelling)
decision about the further use (e.g. release,
rework/posttreatment,
blocking, quarantine, rejection/disposal).
5.10.2 The responsibilities shall be clearly identifed.
The rules of the procedure for the management of
non-conforming products shall be understood by
all relevant employees.
5.10.3 In case of presence of non-conformities
there shall be immediate action in order
to assure the product requirements are in
place.
IFS, February 2010

Major/
NA
A B C D Remarks/
Comments
5.11 Corrective actions
5.11.1 A procedure shall be in place for the recording
and analysis of the non-conformities with the
objective to avoid recurrences by preventive
actions and/or corrective actions.
5.11.2
KO
Corrective actions shall be clearly formulated,
documented and undertaken, as soon as possible
to prevent further occurrence of non-conformity.
The responsibilities and the timescales for
corrective action shall be clearly defned. The
documentation shall be securely stored, and easily
accessible.
5.11.3 The performance of the implemented corrective
actions shall be documented and the effectiveness
shall be checked.
GERMANY | BERLIN
IFS Management GmbH
AmWeidendamm 1A
D-10117 Berlin
Phone: +49(0) 3072625074
Fax: +49(0) 3072625079
E-Mail: ifs-berlin@ifs-certifcation.com
FRANCE | PARIS
IFS Offce Paris
FCD
12, rue Euler
F-75008 Paris
Phone: +33(0)144439916
Fax: +33(0)147205353
E-Mail: ifs-paris@ifs-certifcation.com
ITALY | MILAN
IFS Offce Milan
Federdistribuzione
Via Albricci 8
I-20122 Milano
Phone: +39(0) 289075150
Fax: +39(0) 26551169
E-Mail: ifs-milano@ifs-certifcation.com
POLAND | WARSAW
IFS Offce Central & Eastern Europe
ul. Serwituty 25
PL-02-233 Warsaw
Phone: +48601957701
E-Mail: marzec@ifs-certifcation.com
BRAZIL | DOURADOS
Representante IFS Brasil
Caroline Nowak
BR-79824 Dourados, MS
Phone: +55(67) 81514560
E-Mail: cnowak@ifs-certifcation.com
CHINA | HEFEI
StarFarm
Room 2301, C building,
Fortune Plaza No. 278 Suixi Road, 230041,
Hefei, Anhui, China
Phone: +86(0) 5515666069
Fax: +86(0) 5515681376
E-Mail: china@ifs-certifcation.com
asia@ifs-certifcation.com
USA | ST. LOUIS
IFS North America
1610 Des Peres Road, Suite 150
USA-St. Louis, MO 63131
Phone: +13146864610
Fax: +13146864602
E-Mail: ifs-us@ifs-certifcation.com
CONTACT DETAILS OFTHE IFS OFFICES The IFS publishes information, opinions and bulletins to its best knowledge, but cannot
take any responsibility for any mistakes, omissions or possibly misleading information in
its publications, especially in this document.
HDE Handelsverband Deutschland Der Einzelhandel e.V. (Germany)
FCD Fdration 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 use
is prohibited and subject to legal punishment. This also applies to the reproduction with a
photocopier, the inclusion into an electronic database, or the reproduction on CD-Rom.
No translation may be made without offcial permission by the IFS standard owners.
The IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale can be ordered online via www.ifs-certifcation.com
Or by Mail, Fax and E-Mail
HDETrade Services GmbH
AmWeidendamm 1A
10117 Berlin
Germany
Phone: +49-(0) 30-726250-74
Fax: +49-(0) 30-726250-79
E-Mail: info@ifs-certifcation.com
On behalf of the IFS standard owners, the HDETrade Services GmbH is assigned to take
over the commercial administration of the IFS, it cooperates with the IFSWorking Group.
IFS Cash & Carry
Wholesale
IFS, February 2010
Version 1
February 2010

IFS Cash &amp; Carry

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