TÜRKAK Begins Accepting Accreditation Applications for the International Featured Standards (IFS) Program in the Field of Food Safety
TÜRKAK has started accepting accreditation applications under the International Featured Standards (IFS) program, which holds international recognition in the field of food safety.
IFS was jointly developed in 2003 by the German Retail Federation (HDE) and the French Federation of Retailers and Wholesalers (FCD). This standard aims to establish a common assessment system for food safety and quality audits, particularly for private label products, and to reduce the audit burden for both producers and retailers.
The IFS standard was first published in 2003 with the IFS Food version. In the following years, sector-specific standards were developed for logistics, brokering, personal care products, and wholesale. Since 2012, new programs such as IFS Global Market and IFS PACsecure for the packaging sector have been added. Today, IFS is managed by IFS Management GmbH, an independent organization headquartered in Berlin and Paris.
IFS standards aim to ensure transparency, comparability, and trust in the supply chain by evaluating product safety, legal compliance, traceability, hygiene, and the effectiveness of management systems as a whole. Products bearing the IFS logo not only guarantee quality to consumers but also assure that the producer operates within a reliable and internationally audited system.
With TÜRKAK including this program in its accreditation scope, the IFS standard has been officially incorporated into Turkey’s national accreditation system for the first time. In this context, conformity assessment bodies operating under the ISO/IEC 17065 standard can apply for accreditation via TÜRKAK’s website.
TÜRKAK Secretary General Banu Müderrisoğlu stated, “Starting to offer accreditation services in the IFS field is a sign that Turkey’s food safety and quality infrastructure is developing in full alignment with international standards,” and added, “This will allow both our certification bodies and producers to benefit from internationally recognized certification services without relying on foreign entities.”
With this new accreditation service, it is expected that IFS audit and certification bodies will gain access to domestic accreditation opportunities, leading to reduced costs and faster business processes in the food and logistics sectors, and increased reliability of Turkish products in international markets.
Through this initiative, TÜRKAK aims to strengthen international trust and enhance the competitiveness of Turkish producers.
