Standards Comparison

    IFS Food

    Voluntary
    2023

    GFSI-benchmarked standard for food safety and quality manufacturing

    VS

    ISO 14064

    Voluntary
    2018

    International standard for GHG quantification, reporting, and verification

    Quick Verdict

    IFS Food ensures food safety and quality via GFSI audits for manufacturers; ISO 14064 quantifies GHG emissions for all organizations. Food firms adopt IFS for retailer access; others use ISO 14064 for credible climate reporting and compliance.

    Food Safety

    IFS Food

    IFS Food Version 8

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Product and Process Approach with traceability tests
    • Minimum 50% audit time on-site in production
    • Risk-based HACCP and operational prerequisite programs
    • Annual audits with unannounced every third for Star status
    • Auditable senior management governance and KO requirements
    Greenhouse Gas Accounting

    ISO 14064

    ISO 14064: Greenhouse gases

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Three-part structure: inventories, projects, verification
    • Five principles: relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency, accuracy
    • Scopes 1-3 organizational boundary classification
    • Risk-based validation and verification processes
    • Baseline scenarios and additionality for projects

    Detailed Analysis

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

    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 food safety, quality, legality, authenticity, and customer requirements using a risk-based Product and Process Approach (PPA) with on-site verification.

    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 principles, integrated pest management, and annual management reviews.
    • Annual site-specific certification via accredited bodies under ISO/IEC 17065.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Enables European retailer access and reduces duplicate audits.
    • Manages risks like recalls, fraud, and contamination.
    • Builds trust through transparent scoring (Higher/Foundation levels) and Star status.
    • Drives operational efficiency and continuous improvement.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased gap analysis, FSMS development, training, internal audits.
    • 6-12 months typical; suits food processors globally.
    • Requires PPA audits with 50% on-site time and traceability tests.

    ISO 14064 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 14064 is an international standard family (ISO 14064-1:2018, -2:2019, -3:2019) for greenhouse gas (GHG) quantification, reporting, and assurance. It provides specifications and guidance for organizational inventories (Part 1), project-level reductions/removals (Part 2), and validation/verification (Part 3). The principles-based approach emphasizes relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency, and accuracy.

    Key Components

    • Three interdependent parts covering measurement, projects, and assurance.
    • Five core principles mirroring GHG Protocol.
    • Scopes 1-3 for organizational boundaries; baseline/additionality for projects.
    • Third-party verification model under Part 3, with reasonable/limited assurance levels.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Enables regulatory compliance (e.g., CSRD, SB-253) and carbon market access.
    • Builds stakeholder trust via credible, auditable GHG statements.
    • Drives operational improvements, risk management, and green finance eligibility.
    • Enhances reputation and competitive edge in sustainability reporting.

    Implementation Overview

    • **Phased approachgovernance, boundary-setting, data collection, verification.
    • Applies to all sizes/industries; integrates with ISO 14001.
    • Requires training, software, and optional certification via accredited verifiers.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    IFS Food
    Food safety, quality, process compliance in manufacturing
    ISO 14064
    GHG emissions quantification, reporting, verification organization-wide

    Industry

    IFS Food
    Food manufacturing, packers, global retailers
    ISO 14064
    All sectors with GHG footprints, global applicability

    Nature

    IFS Food
    GFSI-benchmarked voluntary certification standard
    ISO 14064
    Voluntary international standard for GHG accounting

    Testing

    IFS Food
    Annual on-site product/process audits, traceability tests
    ISO 14064
    Independent validation/verification of GHG inventories

    Penalties

    IFS Food
    Certification withdrawal, market access loss
    ISO 14064
    No direct penalties, credibility/reputational risk

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about IFS Food and ISO 14064

    IFS Food FAQ

    ISO 14064 FAQ

    You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

    Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

    Transform your compliance journey with our AI-powered assessment platform

    Assess your organization's maturity across multiple standards and regulations including ISO 27001, DORA, NIS2, NIST, GDPR, and hundreds more. Get actionable insights and track your progress with collaborative, AI-powered evaluations.

    100+ Standards & Regulations
    AI-Powered Insights
    Collaborative Assessments
    Actionable Recommendations

    Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages