IFS Food: Retailer Requirements, Product Approval and Outsourced Processes
IFS Food assesses the ability to manufacture safe, authentic products meeting specified requirements. Review customer product demands alongside the facility's certification scope.
Questions for your situation
Is IFS Food suitable for a company that only trades food?
Describe actual manufacturing, processing, packing or trading activities. Select the IFS standard by scope; “Food” does not automatically apply to every food business. Broker or logistics activities may use different programmes. Show where and how the product is physically handled.
Is the customer solely responsible for label errors when we manufacture its recipe?
Determine artwork approval and legal roles from contracts and applicable rules. Your process still needs correct labels on the correct products and management of recognised inconsistencies. Match recipes, allergens and packaging versions. Customer approval is not a reason to implement an obvious error without review.
How should a process performed by another company appear in the file?
Explain its nature, product effects and responsibility boundaries. Establish supplier controls, traceability and change notification. Confirm how current IFS scope addresses the arrangement with the body. Presenting the other site as your own or omitting the operation from the flow is not a sound scope solution.
Can a new customer's stricter foreign-body requirement change the plan?
Assess applicability to the product and process and determine required controls and verification. Demonstrate that equipment actually achieves the new sensitivity. Signing a specification does not create technical capability. Review trials, settings and investment before committing to delivery.
Does IFS certification mean every retailer will automatically accept us?
Verify each retailer's programme, level, product and supplier acceptance conditions. Certification can be important evidence but does not replace commercial product approval or the contract. Check current scope and status. General recognition should not be interpreted as unconditional acceptance by every customer.
How should an audit finding affecting a customer delivery be handled?
Determine its effects on safety, legislation and contract requirements. Manage correction, product decisions and customer notification separately. Schedule pressure cannot justify release without evidence. Verify and follow the programme's current correction and decision process with the relevant body.
Is the existing file sufficient when a chilled product will be sold at room temperature?
Review the new storage condition alongside formulation, process, packaging and shelf-life evidence. Removing the cold chain is more than a logistics cost decision. Complete hazard assessment and technical work before extending previous acceptance. Check specifications, labels and any scope-change needs before deciding on sale.
Share the subject, organisation or product, target market, current evidence and target date. The team can then separate consultancy, official fees, independent evaluation and realistic timing.