IFS Food version 8 food safety and quality standard 

In the food industry, IFS Food stands out as the leading standard in Europe for ensuring quality and safety. It is widely accepted by major supermarket chains and retailers around the world. Becoming IFS Food certified is an effective way for companies in the food industry to demonstrate their commitment to quality, safety and continuous improvement, both to their customers and partners and to the end consumer. 

IFS Food version 8 brings exciting new features. One of these is the introduction of IFS Star status, which emphasizes that audits are unannounced, lending greater credibility to the assessment process. In addition, a new requirement related to food safety culture has been added. Companies must now establish objectives for each of the four key elements of this culture: communication of food safety policies and responsibilities, training, employee feedback and measurement of food safety performance. 

In terms of deadlines, from October 2023, it will be possible to carry out audits under IFS Food version 8, which will become mandatory as of January 1, 2024. 

• Introduction of the new Codex Alimentarius: In the latest update of the Codex Alimentarius, developed by WHO/FAO in 2020, the general principles related to food hygiene have been revised, incorporating the concept of “safety culture”. The aim is for all members of organizations involved in food production and marketing to adopt responsible habits and practices to ensure food safety.
• Incorporation of the future ISO 22003-2 standard: This standard will adopt the perspective mentioned above in the Codex Alimentarius, focusing on the education and competencies of the people involved in the processes, instead of focusing exclusively on compliance with requirements.
• Establishment of the obligation to have a signed contract between the company and the certification body, specifying the information to be included in the contract, among other details:
• Revision of the scoring system, especially in relation to the “B” score. The “B” score is assigned when compliance with a requirement is almost total, but some small deviation is detected. It is established that, for requirements designated as KO requirements (of major importance), such deviation cannot compromise the safety or legality of the product, nor the requirements of consumers.
• It is determined that the company and the certification body jointly decide whether audits should be announced or not, ensuring that at least the third audit is not announced.
• An adaptation of the certification process is proposed that includes the presentation of an action plan and a preliminary score instead of a preliminary report.