Higher level IFS certification for Schouten
This year, we yet again succeeded in obtaining the IFS certificate at the higher level. An achievement to which everyone at Schouten has contributed and of which we are all extremely proud.
GFSI-certified partners
Our starting point: processes in areas such as food quality must always be robust and compliant. We not only pay attention to this within the walls of our company, we also pay attention to this in the intensive cooperation with our partners.
This means that all of our partners are GFSI-certified. In our experience, companies that work with certified management systems perform better.
IFS standard
Laura van Tiel – C&R Manager: “Schouten also takes its own responsibility and is also certified. Under the guidance of our quality department, we work hard all year round to meet the requirements of the IFS standard.”
“If we achieve a good result, we see that we can reduce the number of customer visits and audits or decrease their frequency.”
Laura van Tiel – C&R Manager
Certifications and IFS explained in more detail
Why a certification like IFS?
Certifications are there to exude confidence. Because an external independent auditor assesses the quality system annually, we as an organisation can show that we consider quality important. We can share the results achieved with our customers.
Having a food safety certificate is nowadays a minimum requirement from customers. If we achieve a good result, we see that we can reduce the number of customer visits and audits or decrease their frequency.
What requirements apply to certification?
In addition to the legal requirements from the government, certifications set requirements for the organisation, the product and the quality system. In the past, the focus was mostly on HACCP, nowadays the requirements have been expanded. For example, there are now requirements for the prevention of food fraud, for food security & defense and for increasing the quality culture within an organisation.
A certificate usually provides insight into the entire business operations. That is why the IFS certification does not only involve the purchasing and quality departments, but also management, supply chain, HR, R&D and administration.
What does IFS mean?
IFS stands for International Featured Standards. IFS has two goals:
- ensuring comparability and transparency for consumers throughout the chain;
- reducing costs for suppliers and retailers.
IFS is an accepted certification for retail. In this way we connect well with the customer base of our customers.
Would you like to know more about IFS or one of our other certifications?
Or do you have another questions about vegetarian or vegan products? We are happy to think along with you, without any obligation, on how you can successfully introduce plant-based products.
