Comparison · food safety
IFS Food or BRCGS: whichever your customer asks for
Both are GFSI-recognised food safety protocols, both cover HACCP, prerequisites, traceability and food defence, and both are audited by an accredited body. The practical difference is almost never in the content: it is in which retailer demands it and in how each one scores you.
The short answer
In content they are equivalent for practical purposes: both are GFSI-recognised, so a customer asking for "a GFSI certification" will accept either. The choice comes down to the market — IFS carries more weight in German, French and Italian retail; BRCGS in the British market and anglophone markets — and to how you prefer to be assessed: IFS scores each requirement and gives a percentage, while BRCGS counts deviations and assigns a grade from AA to D.
- IFS Food
- Version 8Published April 2023; audits since October 2023
- BRCGS Food Safety
- Current issueIssue 9 audits began February 2023
Side by side
Where the real differences are
| Criterion | IFS Food | BRCGS Food Safety |
|---|---|---|
| GFSI recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Methodological base | Codex HACCP and prerequisites | Codex HACCP and prerequisites |
| Reference version | IFS Food v8, mandatory since 1 October 2023 | Issue 9 since 1 February 2023; new issues roughly every 3 years |
| Assessment | Score per requirement and a final percentage | Count of deviations and a grade from AA to D |
| Serious failure | KO requirements: one scored D prevents certification | Fundamental requirements: failing one prevents certification |
| Unannounced audit | Available option | Option with additional recognition on the certificate |
| Predominant market | Germany, France, Italy and Spain | United Kingdom and anglophone markets |
| Typical scope | Food processing and packing of loose product | Food manufacturing, with sibling standards for packaging and storage |
How to decide
How to decide without going in circles
IFS Food
A better fit if…
- Your main customers are German, French or Italian retailers
- You prefer an assessment with a percentage score per requirement
- You manufacture private label for the continental market
- You want a protocol with clearly separated Foundation and Higher levels
BRCGS Food Safety
A better fit if…
- You export to the UK or to anglophone markets
- Your customer treats the grade (AA, A, B…) as a commercial signal
- The additional recognition of the unannounced audit interests you
- You work with British retailers that ask for it by default
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
Can I hold both?
Yes, and some manufacturers keep both because they sell to continental and British retail. The groundwork is largely shared — HACCP, prerequisites, traceability, allergens — so the extra cost sits mostly in the audits, not in the system.
Which is more demanding?
Neither in general terms. Each presses harder in different places and both require the same underlying level, which is the one GFSI recognition imposes. Choosing on "which is easier" usually ends badly.
What if my customer just says "GFSI certification"?
Then either will do, and so will FSSC 22000. It is still worth asking, because many specifications say GFSI while the buying team is in practice expecting a specific one.
Where does FSSC 22000 fit in?
It is the third GFSI-recognised option and the only one built on an ISO standard, ISO 22000. It fits particularly well if the company already has other ISO systems, because it shares the Annex SL structure.
Does the same documentation work for both?
For the most part yes. HACCP, prerequisites, traceability, allergen control and mock recalls are common ground; what changes is how it is presented and some requirements specific to each protocol.
How often do the versions change?
Both publish revisions every few years and set a date after which the previous one is no longer audited. It is worth checking the current version on the protocol owner's site before preparing an audit.
One system for whichever protocol applies to you
We'll show you the module running with data similar to yours.
Sources
Where each figure comes from
References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.
- IFS Food, version 8 IFS Management GmbH · April 2023
- BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety BRCGS · Current issue
- Schemes recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative GFSI · Official list
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs EUR-Lex · 29 April 2004
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Differences between IFS Food and BRCGS Food Safety
IFS Food and BRCGS Food Safety are GFSI-recognised food safety protocols covering the same fundamentals: HACCP under the Codex Alimentarius, prerequisite programmes, allergen control, food defence, traceability and mock recalls.
Their differences lie in the assessment method — percentage scoring versus a count of deviations with a grade — and in the market that demands them, not in the underlying level of rigour, which is set by the GFSI recognition both share.