IFS BROKER

WHAT IS THAT

The IFS Broker Standard was created with the aim of providing a homogeneous system for evaluating the activities of brokers, importers and commercial agencies in the supply of products intended for large-scale distribution.

In times of globalization, procurement activities are carried out on a worldwide scale; brokers and importers are therefore becoming an important meeting tool between producers and retailers. These activities are not covered by existing food quality and safety standards, such as IFS Food , IFS Logistic and others.

The publication of the IFS Broker standard, therefore, fills an important gap in the controls of this delicate phase of the agri-food chain.

The first version of the IFS Broker Standard was published in December 2009, the result of the cooperation of:

• HDE and FCD , respectively representatives of German and French retailers,
• Federdistribuzione , the body that organizes and represents the Italian large-scale retail trade,
• ANCC (National Association of Consumer Cooperatives)
• ANCD (National Association of Cooperatives among Retailers).

The primary objective of the IFS Broker standard is to verify how brokers select their suppliers , which quality requirements have been implemented and finally to verify whether they are able to comply with the applicable legislative requirements .

KEY POINTS

The primary objective of the IFS Broker standard is to verify:

• how brokers select their suppliers ,
• which quality requirements have been implemented
• whether they are able to comply with the applicable legislative requirements .  

If the company has any production activity, the IFS Food standard or the IFS HPC standard must be applied, as well as if it also carries out transport, storage or distribution activities, the IFS Logistic standard must be applied.

ADVANTAGES

• Obtaining the certification allows companies considerable international visibility , thanks to the controlled publication of their audit report on the IFS portal : an IT platform that facilitates the exchange of information between suppliers and retailers and promotes commercial contacts.
• The possible synergies between the various schemes allow for a reduction in the time and costs required for the various inspections. In fact, having a single point of contact for all company certifications allows the optimization of possible synergies between this and other international standards; therefore the intervention of the certification body can be concentrated in a single check, avoiding having to check several times the aspects common to the various schemes, with evident savings in time, energy and costs.
• The international recognition of the Standard which allows us to respond to requests from customers from all over Europe .
• The reduction of second party inspections , i.e. those carried out on behalf of customers on the supplier company, with a reduction in costs to be incurred, both direct (expenses relating to inspections) and indirect (inevitable slowdowns in production activity coinciding with the numerous second party inspections).
• Choosing CSQA also means making use of a body with vast experience in supply chain certifications, and with numerous BRC and IFS Food certifications issued , thus summarizing the experiences and management skills of the GDO schemes.