Standards Comparison

    IFS Food

    Voluntary
    2023

    GFSI standard for food safety and quality manufacturing

    VS

    ISO 19600

    Voluntary
    2014

    International guidelines for compliance management systems.

    Quick Verdict

    IFS Food ensures food safety certification for manufacturers via rigorous audits, while ISO 19600 provides CMS guidelines for broad compliance risks. Food firms adopt IFS for retailer access; all organizations use ISO 19600 for governance and risk frameworks.

    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 in production areas
    • Risk-based HACCP and fraud/defense requirements
    • Annual audits with unannounced Star status
    • KO criteria and scored certification levels
    Compliance Management

    ISO 19600

    ISO 19600:2014 Compliance management systems — Guidelines

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    12-18 months

    Key Features

    • Risk-based compliance obligations and assessment
    • Good governance principles with independence
    • PDCA cycle mirroring Annex SL structure
    • Proportionality scalable to all organizations
    • Integration with existing management systems

    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 framework for food manufacturers. It audits product and process compliance ensuring safety, quality, legality, authenticity, and customer specs. Uses risk-based Product and Process Approach (PPA) with on-site verification.

    Key Components

    • Governance, HACCP/PRPs, operational controls across 5 sections
    • 200+ checklist requirements, 10 Knock-Out (KO) criteria
    • Built on HACCP, IPM, food fraud/defense assessments
    • Annual site-specific audits with Higher/Foundation scoring levels

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandated by European retailers for private-label access
    • Reduces duplicate audits, builds supply chain trust
    • Mitigates recall/fraud risks, enhances resilience
    • Provides competitive Star status via unannounced audits

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, validation, training, internal audits
    • Targets global food processors, site-specific
    • Accredited CB audits mandatory annually

    ISO 19600 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 19600:2014 — Compliance management systems — Guidelines is a Type B guidance standard from the International Organization for Standardization. It provides recommendations for establishing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining, and improving a Compliance Management System (CMS). The risk-based approach applies universally across organization sizes, sectors, and geographies, using a PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) structure aligned with Annex SL.

    Key Components

    • 10 clauses covering context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement.
    • Core principles: good governance, proportionality, transparency, sustainability.
    • Focus on compliance obligations identification, risk assessment, controls, training, monitoring.
    • Non-certifiable; used for internal benchmarking.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mitigates legal, regulatory, reputational risks; reduces penalties and disruptions.
    • Drives operational efficiency, market access, cultural integrity.
    • Enhances stakeholder trust, competitive edge; precursor to ISO 37301 certification.

    Implementation Overview

    • **Phased roadmapleadership commitment, gap analysis, design, rollout, continuous improvement.
    • Scalable for SMEs to MNCs, all industries; integrates with ISO 9001/14001.
    • No formal certification; self-assessment and internal audits suffice. (178 words)

    Key Differences

    Scope

    IFS Food
    Food safety, quality, processes in manufacturing
    ISO 19600
    General compliance obligations, risk management across organizations

    Industry

    IFS Food
    Food manufacturing, primarily European retailers
    ISO 19600
    All industries, sectors, organization sizes globally

    Nature

    IFS Food
    GFSI-benchmarked certification standard, voluntary
    ISO 19600
    Non-certifiable guidelines, now withdrawn for ISO 37301

    Testing

    IFS Food
    Annual on-site product/process audits, traceability tests
    ISO 19600
    Internal audits, management reviews, no formal certification

    Penalties

    IFS Food
    Certification loss, no legal penalties
    ISO 19600
    No direct penalties, reputational/regulatory exposure

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about IFS Food and ISO 19600

    IFS Food FAQ

    ISO 19600 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