What is the primary objective of BRC?

The primary objective of BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety is to ensure organizations produce safe, legal, authentic, and quality-assured food products through a structured management system. It combines senior management commitment with a Codex HACCP-based food safety plan and prerequisite programs (GMP/GHP) to control contamination, mislabelling, food fraud, and operational risks across manufacturing, processing, and packing.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with BRC?

BRC compliance is professionally required for food manufacturers, processors, and packers supplying retailers and food service companies worldwide. It targets sites producing processed foods, ingredients, primary products like fruit/vegetables, and pet foods for domestic animals; certification is mandated by major retailers as a GFSI-benchmarked condition for supply chain access, though not legally imposed by statute.

Does BRC require an external audit or third-party certification?

Yes, BRC requires external audits by accredited certification bodies for third-party certification. Audits are site-specific, covering announced or unannounced options, with grading (AA/A/B/C/D, "+" for unannounced) based on non-conformities; certificates are issued annually upon successful demonstration of compliance with all nine clauses and fundamental requirements.

How often should an assessment for BRC be performed?

BRC requires annual third-party certification audits, supplemented by internal audits at least four times yearly. Internal audits must cover the full scope across different dates, with risk-based frequency; management reviews occur annually, and corrective actions/root cause analysis are verified at subsequent audits to maintain certification.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with BRC?

Non-compliance with BRC results in audit grading downgrades, certification suspension or withdrawal, and loss of retailer supply chain access. Fundamental clause failures (e.g., HACCP, traceability) trigger major non-conformities leading to non-certification; critical issues require full re-audit, with commercial impacts including contract delisting and reputational damage.

Can BRC be mapped to other international frameworks?

Yes, BRC can be mapped to other GFSI-benchmarked frameworks due to its aligned structure of HACCP, PRPs, and management systems. Its nine clauses (senior commitment, HACCP, FSQMS, site/product/process controls, personnel) provide foundational overlap, enabling reduced duplication in multi-standard environments while preserving site-specific audit integrity.

What is the first step to begin implementing BRC?

The first step to implement BRC is securing senior management commitment through a signed food safety policy and defining site scope. Assemble a multidisciplinary team, conduct a gap analysis against Issue 9 clauses using BRC tools like the Get Started Assessment, and prioritize fundamental requirements (e.g., HACCP plan, internal audits) for phased rollout.

What is the primary objective of IFS Food?

IFS Food's primary objective is to audit product and process compliance ensuring manufacturers produce safe, legal products meeting customer specifications. Version 8 (currently mandatory) uses a Product and Process Approach (PPA) with risk-based product sampling, traceability tests, and at least 50% audit time in production areas to verify food safety, quality, legality, authenticity, and governance through HACCP, PRPs, and operational controls.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with IFS Food?

IFS Food applies to food product manufacturers processing food or packing loose products where contamination risk exists. It is site-specific (one legal entity, one address, one certificate), covering all site products/processes with limited exclusions. Primarily demanded by European retailers for private-label suppliers; fully outsourced/traded products require IFS Broker. Scope must detail products/processes precisely, including partly outsourced activities.

Does IFS Food require an external audit or third-party certification?

Yes, IFS Food mandates certification by an IFS-approved body accredited to ISO/IEC 17065:2012. Audits include initial, annual recertification (full scope), follow-up (for Majors), and extension audits; unannounced audits required at least every third audit. Minimum duration: two days (16 hours) via calculation tool based on employees, scopes, steps; certificate issued at Higher Level (≥95%) or Foundation Level (≥75%-<95%).

How often should an assessment for IFS Food be performed?

IFS Food requires a full recertification audit annually. Internal audits (KO requirement 5.1.1) must cover the full scope over an annual cycle; management reviews occur at least annually. Unannounced audits: at least once every third audit. Follow-up audits within 6 weeks to 6 months post-Major; extension for scope changes/seasonal lines.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with IFS Food?

Non-compliance with KO requirements or Majors blocks certification; scores below 75% or KO "D" (-50%) prevent issuance. Recertification failures withdraw certificates within two working days, notifying database stakeholders. Unannounced access denial withdraws certificates immediately. Foundation Level only post-successful follow-up; repeated issues trigger "new initial" audits.

An IFS Food be mapped to other international frameworks?

Yes, IFS Food Version 8 is GFSI-benchmarked, enabling recognition alongside schemes like BRCGS, FSSC 22000, and SQF. It shares HACCP/PRP foundations but differs in annual audits (vs. surveillance cycles), ISO 17065 accreditation, points-based scoring (Higher/Foundation Levels), and voluntary unannounced frequency. Mapping requires gap analysis for governance, PPA, and KO controls.

What is the first step to begin implementing IFS Food?

The first step is conducting a comprehensive gap analysis against IFS Food Version 8 and Doctrine using the audit checklist. Appoint senior management sponsorship, define site-specific scope (products/processes), contract an accredited certification body, and perform risk-based product sampling/traceability tests. Operate at least three months before initial audit to gather evidence.

Standards Comparison

BRC vs IFS Food

BRC

Voluntary

2022

GFSI-benchmarked standard for food safety manufacturing

IFS Food

Voluntary

2023

Global standard for food manufacturing safety and quality.

Quick Verdict

BRC provides prescriptive food safety certification for global manufacturers via structured clauses and grading, while IFS Food offers risk-based audits emphasizing product/process trails for European private-label suppliers. Companies adopt them for retailer access, recall prevention, and supply chain trust.

Food Safety

BRC

BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

GFSI-benchmarked certification for retailer supply chains
Senior management commitment and culture plan required
Codex HACCP integrated with prerequisite programs
Fundamental non-negotiable clauses for certification
Grading system AA/A/B/C/D with unannounced audits

Food Safety

IFS Food

IFS Food Version 8

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Product and Process Approach with audit trails
Risk-based HACCP and operational controls
Annual audits with 50% on-site evaluation
Knock-Out requirements for critical failures
Unannounced audits for Star status

Detailed Analysis

A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

BRC Details

What It Is

BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety (Issue 9) is a GFSI-benchmarked third-party certification framework for food manufacturers, processors, and packers. It ensures product safety, legality, authenticity, and quality through a structured management system combining senior leadership commitment and Codex HACCP-based plans with prerequisite programs.

Key Components

Nine core clauses: senior management, HACCP, FSQMS, site standards, product/process controls, personnel, risk zones, traded products.
Fundamental requirements (e.g., traceability, allergen management) that are non-negotiable for certification.
Built on HACCP principles, environmental monitoring, food defense; performance-graded (AA/A/B/C/D) via audits.

Why Organizations Use It

Provides market access to global retailers, reduces duplicative audits, evidences due diligence, mitigates recall risks from allergens/pathogens/labelling. Enhances operational resilience, regulatory alignment (e.g., FSMA), and supply-chain trust.

Implementation Overview

Phased approach: gap analysis, HACCP development, training, internal audits, certification audit (announced/unannounced). Suited for manufacturers of all sizes; requires 6-12 months, site upgrades, digital tools for SMEs via START program.

IFS Food Details

What It Is

IFS Food Version 8 is a GFSI-benchmarked certification standard for auditing product and process compliance in food manufacturing. It focuses on ensuring safe, legal, authentic products meeting customer specifications via a risk-based Product and Process Approach (PPA).

Key Components

Organized into governance, HACCP/PRPs, operational controls (e.g., allergens, fraud, defense), and performance monitoring.
Over 200 checklist requirements with 10 Knock-Out (KO) criteria.
Built on HACCP, PRPs, and annual audits emphasizing on-site verification (≥50% time).
Scoring system (A/B/C/D) with Higher/Foundation levels.

Why Organizations Use It

Meets European retailer demands for private-label supply.
Reduces duplicate audits, enhances market access.
Mitigates safety risks, builds trust via unannounced audits.
Drives continuous improvement and resilience.

Implementation Overview

Phased gap analysis, FSMS development, training, internal audits.
Applicable to food processors/packers globally.
Requires ISO 17065-accredited annual audits with PPA trails.

Key Differences

Aspect	BRC	IFS Food
Scope	Food manufacturing, packing, traded products, risk zones	Food processing/packing, product/process compliance, fraud/defense
Industry	Global food manufacturers, retailers worldwide	European-focused food producers, private-label suppliers
Nature	Prescriptive GFSI certification standard	Risk-based GFSI certification standard
Testing	Annual audits, announced/unannounced, grading AA/A/B	Annual full audits, PPA with 50% on-site, scoring levels
Penalties	Grade downgrade, certification loss, customer rejection	Score thresholds, KO failures block certification

Scope

BRC

Food manufacturing, packing, traded products, risk zones

IFS Food

Food processing/packing, product/process compliance, fraud/defense

Industry

BRC

Global food manufacturers, retailers worldwide

IFS Food

European-focused food producers, private-label suppliers

Nature

BRC

Prescriptive GFSI certification standard

IFS Food

Risk-based GFSI certification standard

Testing

BRC

Annual audits, announced/unannounced, grading AA/A/B

IFS Food

Annual full audits, PPA with 50% on-site, scoring levels

Penalties

BRC

Grade downgrade, certification loss, customer rejection

IFS Food

Score thresholds, KO failures block certification

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about BRC and IFS Food

BRC FAQ

IFS Food FAQ

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Quick Verdict

What It Is

Key Components

Nine core clauses: senior management, HACCP, FSQMS, site standards, product/process controls, personnel, risk zones, traded products.

Fundamental requirements (e.g., traceability, allergen management) that are non-negotiable for certification.

Built on HACCP principles, environmental monitoring, food defense; performance-graded (AA/A/B/C/D) via audits.

Key Components

Organized into governance, HACCP/PRPs, operational controls (e.g., allergens, fraud, defense), and performance monitoring.

Over 200 checklist requirements with 10 Knock-Out (KO) criteria.

Built on HACCP, PRPs, and annual audits emphasizing on-site verification (≥50% time).

Scoring system (A/B/C/D) with Higher/Foundation levels.

Aspect

BRC

IFS Food

Scope

Food manufacturing, packing, traded products, risk zones

Food processing/packing, product/process compliance, fraud/defense

Industry

Global food manufacturers, retailers worldwide

European-focused food producers, private-label suppliers

Nature

Prescriptive GFSI certification standard

Risk-based GFSI certification standard

Testing

Annual audits, announced/unannounced, grading AA/A/B

Annual full audits, PPA with 50% on-site, scoring levels

Penalties

Grade downgrade, certification loss, customer rejection

Score thresholds, KO failures block certification