IFS Certification

NSF Food Safety Certification, LLC is accredited to certify to the International Featured Standard (IFS), a GFSI benchmarked standard for auditing food safety and quality of processes and products of food manufacturers. It is most relevant for companies that manufacture, process or handle food or food ingredients. We can also certify to IFS Logistics for the storage and distribution industry.

IFS includes requirements for senior management responsibility, quality and food safety management systems, resource management, production process, measurements, analysis, improvements and food defense.

Benefits of Certification

Certification to GFSI benchmarked standards such as IFS increases brand protection and minimizes risk. Achieving NSF certification to the IFS Food standard provides independent certification that a product or process complies with specific international standards. It enables a food supplier to give assurances that food has been produced, prepared and handled according to the most recognized standards.

It also demonstrates a commitment to quality processes and continual improvement, and enables access to top retailers.

We certify to the IFS Food standard and the IFS Logistics standard for the storage and distribution sector.

Why Work With NSF?

NSF International is the leading global certifier to GFSI benchmarked standards, with exceptional technical expertise, consistently calibrated auditors and capacity for a timely path to certification. Backed by nearly 70 years of food safety expertise and a current average of 35,000 GFSI certification audits performed annually, we enable companies around the globe to demonstrate compliance with the most recognized food safety standards in the world.

NSF companies are accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI-Accredited Product Certification Body - Accreditation #1181), United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB), and have a worldwide network of highly skilled and experienced auditors to help organizations of all sizes implement complex food safety solutions.

IFS Logistics

IFS Logistics is a standard for auditing all logistics activities for food and nonfood products, such as transport, storage, distribution, loading and unloading. It applies to all types of transportation methods (including road, rail and ship) and food products (including packed, loose, frozen, refrigerated and nonperishable).

This standard covers logistics activities of companies that have physical contact with pre-packaged products that handle transportation, packaging, storage and/or distribution.

IFS Logistics version 2.2 is in force from June 1, 2018. To read the standard, please visit the IFS standards web page.

IFS PACsecure

IFS PACsecure is a packaging material safety and quality standard for manufacturers of packaging materials. It is a product/process certification that checks the safety of packaging materials and compliance with customer requirements. The standard was developed through cooperation between IFS and the Packaging Association of Canada (PAC) with the support of leading food and packaging material companies in North America.

The standard specifically applies to all forms of primary and secondary packaging materials. The standard was designed to identify potential hazards associated with common packaging manufacturing processes, resulting in more cost-effective solutions. In addition to being GFSI benchmarked, IFS PACsecure has been accepted by the U.S.-based Food Safety Alliance for Packaging (FSAP), which includes many companies seen as leaders in the food to managing costs. IFS PACsecure version 1.1 is in force from July 2, 2018. To read the standard, please visit the IFS standards web page.

IFS PACsecure was developed for manufacturers of the following materials:

• Flexible packaging
• Rigid plastic
• Paper
• Metal
• Glass
• Other natural materials

Certification Process

Certification to IFS Food generally takes an average of six to nine months, depending on a facility’s level of readiness. The process follows eight basic steps:

1. You apply to NSF for certification.
2. We identify your training needs/you receive training.
3. You perform a self-assessment of compliance with the standard.
4. We perform an optional pre-assessment (gap analysis).
5. We perform an onsite certification audit and identify corrective actions.
6. Your facility addresses the corrective actions.
7. We verify/approve corrective actions.
8. We issue the certificate.

To maintain IFS certification, companies must re-certify every year.