IFS Food Version 8: The Most Important Changes

It all started as a joint venture between two of the largest retail associations. Meanwhile, most retail and wholesale companies rely on the quality and reliability of this certification.  The requirements of the food industry are constantly changing, which is why continuous adjustments and improvements to the standards are necessary.

The new adjustments to the IFS (IFS version 8) were published in April 2023: The new version is state-of-the-art in terms of food safety.  The background is the adaptation to the new Codex Alimentarius and the future ISO 22003-2 for product and process standards.

Audits according to the new IFS version 8 are possible from October 2023 and will be mandatory from January 2024.

1. The B-Score* is again classified as a deviation

It is more understandable for all parties involved, and by defining a correction or remedial action, your system is continuously improved.

The IFS scoring system provides the audited company and its customers with differentiated feedback on its performance and indicates where it can improve. In this way, it promotes continuous improvement and supports achieving a higher score. The reports and results are standardized, making them comparable and easily understandable for business partners. 

2. There is an IFS star status indicating that the audit was unannounced.

Unannounced audits increase the credibility of the audit process. The status shows that your company implements the IFS requirements on a daily basis and is introduced to indicate that the audit was conducted unannounced. It shows that the company always produces with the highest safety standards. A star is noted in the IFS database and on the IFS certificate. There is also a special logo for this purpose. 

3. It is possible to include the EU PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) on the IFS certificate with a disclaimer. 

4. Certified companies must set goals for each of the four dimensions of food safety culture:

• Communication about company policy and responsibilities in the area of food safety
• Training
• Employee feedback on food safety issues
• Performance measurement.

In Chapter 2 of the standard, you will find the corresponding requirements. The Food Safety Culture Factsheet, available on the IFS website, also provides an overview of this topic. 

5. The time required for reporting, the number of doctrine rules, and the administrative requirements have been significantly reduced, but still meet the documentation requirements of GFSI benchmarking and accreditation. 

6. The newly structured checklist follows the audit process more consistently and increases the efficiency of the audits. 

IFS offers a comparison for the checklists of versions 7 and 8. The document lists the changes for each requirement. This gives companies a quick and easy overview and supports them in preparing for their first audit according to version 8. 

7. The IFS standard is aligned with the Codex Alimentarius, ISO 22003-2, and the GFSI benchmarking requirements. 

8. The wording in the checklist is more consistent and clearer to better clarify the intent of the requirements. Additionally, the word "assessment" is reverted to "audit," in accordance with ISO 22003-2.

IFS Food Version 8 audits are possible from October 1, 2023, and will be mandatory for all certified companies from January 1, 2024. In general, the applicability of Version 7 ends on December 31, 2023. In some exceptional situations, IFS Food Version 7 can also be applied after January 1, 2024. The general approval of these exceptions ends on December 31, 2024. Here is an overview:

• For unannounced audits: Version 8 applies if the audit window begins on or after October 1, 2023.
• For audits involving multiple sites: You must audit the sites and the headquarters according to the same version. After January 1, 2024, Version 8 applies to all audits conducted at the headquarters.
• For supplementary audits: If the associated main audit took place according to Version 7 before January 1, 2024, Version 7 applies to the supplementary audit.
• For extension audits: If the connected main audit took place according to Version 7 before January 1, 2024, Version 7 also applies to the extension audit.

IFS is working on comparison documents of IFS Food Version 7 and 8 so that certified companies can understand the changes. Various guidelines, such as for foreign body management, currently still refer to IFS Version 7 but remain relevant for IFS Food 8. IFS will update the references to the requirements in these documents to Version 8.

It is important that companies familiarize themselves with the new requirements to ensure that they meet the standards and that their food production is safe and of high quality. IFS is convinced that version 8 sets a new standard and will help establish a vibrant culture of food safety.

For more information, visit the IFS website directly at  www.ifs-certification.com/en/food-standard