IFS Wholesale/Cash & Carry version 3

There must be a procedure for managing, implementing and maintaining documents and any changes to them. Only the most current versions should be used and changes to critical documents should be recorded with reason. The document management system should prevent manipulation and should only be managed by authorized personnel. Documents must be clear, complete and always accessible to appropriate employees. Records must also be legible, correct and authentic, with manipulation technically impossible.

Retention periods must comply with laws, regulations or customer requirements. In the absence of these, a minimum retention period of one year applies for non-food products and one year after expiration for food products. For products without an expiration date, the retention period must be substantiated and recorded. All information must be securely stored and easily accessible.

The food safety management system must consist of a fully implemented, systematic and documented risk management system applicable to the site. For food, this must be based on the HACCP principles of the Codex Alimentarius. The hazard analysis must include all relevant products, processes and potential risks such as allergens. The system must be substantiated by scientific sources or expert advice and comply with the legislation of both the producing and destination country. When changes in products, processes or equipment occur, the system should be reviewed to ensure product safety.

Risk analysis should be performed by knowledgeable individuals with specific knowledge. The team leader must be well versed in risk management and/or HACCP principles and be able to recognize, control and manage product safety risks. Also, those involved in the management of the system should be appropriately trained for this purpose and have knowledge of the products and processes. A team leader must be appointed with clear management support.

A flow diagram should be documented and maintained for each product or product group, and for all variations of the processes, including (if applicable) product handling, rework and reprocessing. The flow diagram should identify each step and each control measure. It should be dated and in case of changes, it should be updated.

A comprehensive hazard analysis should be performed to identify and assess all reasonably foreseeable physical, chemical (including allergens) and biological hazards. This includes hazards associated with packaging materials, contact materials and the work environment. The likelihood of occurrence and severity of possible health effects should be assessed, as well as the necessary control measures.

Based on this analysis, critical control points (CCPs) are identified using a decision-making tool, such as a decision tree. Validated critical limits must be established for each CCP and a monitoring system set up. This monitoring should be documented, implemented and maintained, including recording of results, to detect loss of control. Other key control measures, beyond CCPs, must also be controlled and monitored through measurable or observable criteria. Personnel monitoring CCPs and other control measures should be specifically trained to do so, and monitoring data should be reviewed in a timely manner by a responsible person within the company.

The hazard and risk management system must be validated to ensure that the HACCP plan is effective in controlling identified hazards. This validation must be performed again in the event of changes. Both validation and revalidation procedures must be in writing, properly implemented and maintained.

Agreed requirements between contract partners should be reviewed before entering into a supply contract. Customer feedback should be used for continuous improvement. All requirements regarding product safety and quality from customer agreements must be communicated to and implemented by all relevant departments.

Specifications must be available for all products for which the company is responsible. There must be a procedure for preparing, modifying, approving and managing these specifications. Employees should have access to the relevant specifications when needed.

Product development and changes must be documented, implemented and maintained, including a hazard analysis. When changes in recipe, reprocessing or packaging materials are made, process characteristics must be reviewed to ensure product requirements are met.

A documented and implemented procedure should be in place for purchasing raw, semi-finished and packaging materials, including supplier approval. This procedure should include raw material or supplier risks, performance requirements and exception situations, and risk-based additional criteria such as audits, test results and complaints.

When parts of processing, packaging or labeling are outsourced, these processes must be defined in the quality and food safety system and monitored to ensure safety, quality, legality and authenticity. If required, the customer must be aware and agree.

The purchasing procedure and supplier evaluation must be reviewed at least annually or in the event of major changes, with recorded results and follow-up actions. Purchased materials should be assessed for risk and serve as the basis for testing and monitoring plans.

In the case of claims on labels or exclusion of certain production methods, measures should be taken to demonstrate compliance, with attention to food safety and authenticity. Labeling services should ensure that packaging codes and labels match the product and comply with customer agreements; this should be regularly checked and documented. If applicable, online product information should also be available.

Buildings in which food is handled, processed or stored must be designed, constructed and maintained to maintain food safety. Loading and unloading areas must be appropriate for their function and made in such a way as to prevent risks such as the entry of pests, exposure to adverse weather conditions, waste accumulation, condensation and mold growth. In addition, these areas should be easy to clean and, if necessary, disinfect.

Buildings and processes that affect food safety and quality should take place under controlled environmental conditions. Parameters such as temperature and humidity should be established in advance and applied correctly. Process parameters essential to product safety and quality, such as temperature, time, pressure, and chemical properties, should be monitored and recorded regularly or continuously.

When air handling or cooling is required, the equipment used must be properly maintained and regularly cleaned. Air circulation should not adversely affect product safety or quality. An alarm system and an effective emergency plan must be available in case of malfunctions or deviations in temperature to ensure product safety. Dust extraction must be available in areas with high dust release.

The water supply must consist of potable water of suitable quality at the point of use, be present in sufficient quantity, and apply to hand hygiene, cleaning, disinfection, and to steam or ice that has direct contact with food or packaging, among other things. The quality of this water (including recycled water) must be regularly monitored based on a risk assessment. Non-potable water used in the process must not pose a contamination risk and must be transported through separate, clearly marked pipes.

Risk-based cleaning and disinfection plans should be established and implemented, with clear guidelines on objectives, responsibilities, resources used, frequencies, locations and documentation. Implementation should be effective and recorded, with monitoring by a designated person in charge. Cleaning of transport units must take into account product-specific risks, and food transport containers must be properly labeled and used exclusively for food. Only competent and trained personnel should perform cleaning.

If external cleaning services are used, all requirements must be contractually defined.

Waste management must be established, implemented and maintained to prevent cross-contamination. Food and other waste should be removed promptly from rooms and should not accumulate. Waste containers should be clearly marked, appropriately designed, well maintained, and easily cleaned or disinfected. Waste must be collected separately according to its intended use and disposed of only by approved parties, with disposal documented.

The site and equipment must be designed, constructed and maintained to prevent pests from entering. Risk-based control measures must be established, implemented and maintained, taking into account the environment, construction risks, resource use and inspection frequencies. If external pest control is used, all requirements must be contractually defined, with an internally appointed supervisor. Inspections, actions and any infestations should be documented and followed up. Effectiveness of measures should be monitored and recorded, including trend analysis.

Before transport vehicles are loaded, their condition should be checked for odor, moisture, mold, pests and other hazards, and measures taken and documented if necessary. Proper temperature should be maintained during loading and transportation, especially for temperature-sensitive products. Transport containers should be clean, dry and suitable and pre-chilled if required. Procedures should prevent cross-contamination. Cleaning and disinfection of transport equipment should be appropriate to product hazards and recorded. When using outside transportation services, all relevant requirements must be contractually defined. Drivers of these services must comply with hygiene rules. Appropriate precautions must also be taken for incidental use or package services to ensure product integrity and safety.

A maintenance plan must be in place covering all critical equipment and areas for transportation and storage with the goal of ensuring product safety and quality. This plan applies to both internal maintenance and external service providers and should include responsibilities, priorities and deadlines. During and after maintenance work, the safety, quality, legality and authenticity of the product must be maintained. All materials used must be suitable and pose no risk of contamination. Faults must be recorded, evaluated and addressed promptly to improve the maintenance system. Temporary repairs must not compromise product safety and must be short-term. When external maintenance services are used, all relevant company requirements must be clearly recorded to avoid contamination.

A traceability system must be in place, fully established, implemented and maintained so that all products and, where applicable, food contact packaging can be tracked from supplier to customer. This system must be tested annually or when significant changes occur with a mass balance, with the test showing both the origin and destination of products. This should be possible within a time frame of 4 hours or less when a more limited time frame has been imposed by customers.

The company must identify which processes require validation based on risk analysis. The criteria for validation and process control must be clearly defined. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity that affect product safety and quality must be defined and applied. Essential process parameters must be monitored, recorded and secured against unauthorized changes. Deviations and malfunctions must be promptly reported, recorded and followed up according to established procedures.

Measuring and monitoring devices required for product safety and quality must be identified, recorded and, if required by law, approved. These devices must be checked, calibrated and adjusted at specified times according to recognized standards.

Risk-based microbiological, physical and chemical analyses shall be performed for proprietary brands or self-produced products. A risk-based environmental monitoring program must be in place, documented, implemented and maintained. Analysis and monitoring plans for internal and external testing must cover all relevant stages of production and meet safety, quality and regulatory requirements.

There must be an effective procedure for managing recalls, withdrawals, incidents and emergencies affecting product safety and quality. The procedure should be tested annually through a full simulation, the results of which are evaluated for continuous improvement.

There must be a procedure for managing nonconforming products and packaging. This includes responsibilities, quarantine, risk analysis, labeling and decisions on follow-up actions. Employees must understand and apply the procedure.