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 (mandatory from 1 January 2024) 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 customer requirements across post-farm supply chains.

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. European retailers (e.g., private label suppliers) professionally require it for market access; fully outsourced/traded products need IFS Broker.

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

Yes, IFS Food mandates external audits by ISO/IEC 17065-accredited certification bodies using approved auditors. Audits follow Part 1 protocol (initial/recertification/follow-up/extension), with annual full recertification, unannounced audits at least every third audit (since 1 January 2021), and PPA including traceability tests.

How often should an assessment for IFS Food be performed?

IFS Food requires annual full recertification audits covering all requirements. Internal audits (KO 5.1.1) must be performed continuously, typically quarterly on a risk-based schedule, feeding into annual management reviews (1.3). Unannounced audits occur at least once every three audits.

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

Non-compliance with KO requirements (e.g., governance, CCP monitoring, traceability) results in "D" scoring (-50% points), blocking certification. Majors cause -15% deduction and follow-up audits; certificate withdrawal occurs for failures, access denial in unannounced audits (within 2 days), or unresolved actions.

Can IFS Food be mapped to other international frameworks?

IFS Food, as a GFSI-benchmarked scheme, aligns structurally with other GFSI-recognized programs through shared HACCP, PRPs, and verification principles. It uses ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation (vs. ISO 17021 for some), annual audits (every 12 months), and scoring (Higher Level ≥95%, Foundation ≥75%), enabling equivalence for market access.

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 an IFS-approved, ISO/IEC 17065-accredited certification body, disclose site scope/products/outsourcing, and perform PPA-style internal assessment with product sampling and traceability tests after at least three months of operations.

What is the primary objective of ISO 19600?

ISO 19600 provides guidelines for establishing, developing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining, and improving an effective Compliance Management System (CMS). Published in 2014 as a Type B guidance standard, it follows a risk-based, PDCA structure across 10 clauses (context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement) grounded in principles of good governance, proportionality, transparency, and sustainability. Applicable to all organization sizes and sectors, it integrates compliance obligations—legal requirements, voluntary commitments, contracts—into governance without mandating certification.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with ISO 19600?

No organization is legally required to comply with ISO 19600, as it is non-mandatory Type B guidance. It applies voluntarily to any entity facing statutory, regulatory, contractual, or policy obligations, including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, tech, public sector, SMEs, and startups. Stakeholders like CCOs, boards, and risk officers use it to benchmark CMS against regulator expectations, demonstrating tone at the top and risk management to mitigate penalties from unrelated laws.

Does ISO 19600 require an external audit or third-party certification?

ISO 19600 does not require external audits or third-party certification, being a non-certifiable guidance standard. Organizations conduct internal audits per Clause 9.2 (using ISO 19011) and self-assessments for benchmarking. Withdrawn in 2021 and replaced by certifiable ISO 37301, it supports internal performance evaluation via KCIs, management reviews, and PDCA cycles.

How often should an assessment for ISO 19600 be performed?

ISO 19600 assessments should occur at planned intervals via internal audits, management reviews, and risk reassessments triggered by changes. Clause 9 mandates ongoing monitoring (Clause 9.1), audits (Clause 9.2), and reviews (Clause 9.3) considering obligations updates, nonconformities, and context shifts; quarterly CSC reviews and annual audits are typical best practices for dynamic compliance risks.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with ISO 19600?

Non-compliance with ISO 19600 carries no direct penalties, as it imposes no mandatory requirements. Indirect risks include heightened exposure to regulatory fines, operational disruptions, reputational damage, and insurance costs from weak CMS, as seen in cases like €12M bank fines for inadequate controls. Alignment reduces these by formalizing risk processes expected by regulators.

Can ISO 19600 be mapped to other international frameworks?

Yes, ISO 19600’s Annex SL structure enables mapping to management system frameworks sharing PDCA and high-level clauses. Its risk-based CMS integrates with existing systems for quality, environment, and risk, avoiding duplication via control matrices and unified documentation, while preparing for upgrades like ISO 37301.

What is the first step to begin implementing ISO 19600?

The first step is securing leadership commitment via a board resolution and appointing a Compliance Steering Committee (Clause 5). Define CMS scope (Clause 4.3), considering context, obligations, and risks, to establish governance, proportionality, and a gap analysis roadmap.

Standards Comparison

IFS Food vs ISO 19600

IFS Food

Voluntary

2023

GFSI standard for food safety and quality manufacturing

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 roadmap: leadership 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

Aspect	IFS Food	ISO 19600
Scope	Food safety, quality, processes in manufacturing	General compliance obligations, risk management across organizations
Industry	Food manufacturing, primarily European retailers	All industries, sectors, organization sizes globally
Nature	GFSI-benchmarked certification standard, voluntary	Non-certifiable guidelines, now withdrawn for ISO 37301
Testing	Annual on-site product/process audits, traceability tests	Internal audits, management reviews, no formal certification
Penalties	Certification loss, no legal penalties	No direct penalties, reputational/regulatory exposure

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

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What It Is

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

What It Is

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.

Aspect

IFS Food

ISO 19600

Scope

Food safety, quality, processes in manufacturing

General compliance obligations, risk management across organizations

Industry

Food manufacturing, primarily European retailers

All industries, sectors, organization sizes globally

Nature

GFSI-benchmarked certification standard, voluntary

Non-certifiable guidelines, now withdrawn for ISO 37301

Testing

Annual on-site product/process audits, traceability tests

Internal audits, management reviews, no formal certification

Penalties

Certification loss, no legal penalties

No direct penalties, reputational/regulatory exposure