BRC and IFS (and Organic): What Buyers Require
In short
BRCGS and IFS Food address production controls. Organic certification follows a separate regime. Compare their roles and prepare the right questions for your buyer.
BRCGS, IFS or organic: what should a food manufacturer check first?
BRCGS Food Safety and IFS Food assess food safety and production controls. Organic certification addresses the rules for producing and selling organic products. Start with your product, production site and intended buyer before choosing a certification route.
A country name alone is not a certification specification. Ask the buying company which standard, scope and supporting documents it accepts for the product you want to supply. Then check organic requirements separately if you intend to sell that product as organic.
This guide explains the difference and gives you a checklist for that conversation. It covers certification selection, rather than the customs and delivery steps in our first export order checklist.
Compare the three checks
| Check | Main purpose | What to confirm | What remains separate |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRCGS Food Safety | Controls for food safety, integrity, legality and quality in manufacturing, processing and packing | The relevant production site, activities and certificate scope | Organic status and the buyer's product requirements |
| IFS Food | Assessment of products and production processes against safety, quality, legal and customer requirements | The relevant production site, activities and certificate scope | Organic status and the buyer's product requirements |
| EU organic certification | Compliance with the organic production and labelling regime | The operator, activities and products covered, plus applicable labelling and trade requirements | Food safety obligations and the buyer's commercial decision |
The scheme descriptions come from BRCGS, IFS and the European Commission's organic guidance.
Use the table to separate three questions: what your site can demonstrate, what claims your product can carry, and what a particular buyer will accept.
BRCGS and IFS: check the certificate behind the name
BRCGS Food Safety provides a framework for controls in food and ingredient manufacturing, processing and packing. IFS Food evaluates a producer's products and production processes. Its assessment considers legal requirements and customer specifications. BRCGS overview, IFS Food overview.
Before sending a certificate, check that it describes the operation behind your proposed product. Use the site name, scope and expiry details from the document. Ask the issuing body to clarify any uncertainty about coverage.
Illustrative example: you propose a frozen vegetable product, but the certificate you have ready belongs to a separate packing site. Check the relevant site and activity before presenting it as evidence for that product. This is a checking exercise, not a client example.
If a buyer asks for a GFSI-recognised programme, check the programme version and scope. GFSI benchmarks certification programmes; certification bodies perform audits and issue certificates. GFSI does not issue a separate certificate for your factory. Its certification FAQ explains how to verify the connection.
Organic: verify the product and the trade route
Organic has its own production and labelling rules. In the EU, relevant operators are subject to checks by a control body or authority. Food safety and general labelling duties continue to apply alongside organic rules. European Commission: organic controls.
The EU organic logo has specific conditions. Its use requires certification by an authorised control agency or body. The control-body code and origin indication for agricultural raw materials accompany the logo. Check the full rules before finalising artwork. European Commission: organic logo.
For goods entering the EU from outside it, establish the origin, product category and applicable organic import route. The Commission states that organic imports require an electronic certificate of inspection, administered through TRACES. Exports from the EU to other countries follow the destination's requirements. European Commission: trade in organics.
Illustrative example: a manufacturer offers both conventional and organic versions of a snack. Prepare evidence for the exact version proposed, including its ingredients and artwork. A certificate for one activity should prompt a scope check, rather than an assumption about the whole range.
Ask the buyer for a usable requirement
We recommend getting a written answer to these questions before paying for an additional certification:
- Which food safety standard and version do you accept for this product and production activity?
- Do you require a particular audit result, additional module or separate supplier assessment?
- Which documents should accompany the certificate?
- If the product is organic, which organic evidence and label details do you need?
- At what point must each requirement be met: initial review, sample assessment or supply?
Keep the answers with the product specification. If the buyer's request is unclear, ask their technical team to define it before booking an audit.
This approach avoids turning broad advice such as “BRCGS for the UK” or “IFS for Germany” into a promise about an individual company. It also gives your quality team something specific to evaluate.
Prepare a short certification pack
Use this practical checklist when preparing for a buyer conversation:
- Name the exact product. Include its specification, intended use and proposed pack format.
- Identify the production operation. Record the site and any relevant outsourced activity.
- Check existing evidence. Confirm current certificate details and flag any scope question for the issuing body.
- Record the buyer's requirements. Separate confirmed conditions from points still awaiting an answer.
- Check organic status where relevant. Match the product, activities, label and trade route to the applicable requirements.
- Assign each open question. Give it an owner and a next step before making a supply commitment.
Keep unsupported claims out of the pack. A planned audit is a planned audit; it should not be presented as a certificate already held.
Common certification questions
Do I need both BRCGS and IFS Food?
Confirm this with your intended buyers before adding another audit. Give them your existing certificate and proposed product details. Ask which requirement it satisfies and what, if anything, is missing.
Does organic certification replace BRCGS or IFS Food?
No. These checks address different requirements. Organic status does not remove general food safety obligations. A buyer can also request evidence under a private food safety standard. European Commission: controls.
Can I describe my factory as “GFSI certified”?
No. State the certification programme shown on your certificate. GFSI says that “GFSI certified” is incorrect because it does not issue certificates. Check recognition for the relevant programme version and scope. GFSI FAQ.
Does a certificate guarantee a retail listing?
No. Treat certification as one part of the buyer's assessment. You still need to agree the product, price, quantities and delivery terms. Keep that commercial conversation separate from evidence about production controls.
What should I do if my certificate does not match the request?
Clarify the gap before choosing a new route. Ask the buyer what they require, then ask your certification body about scope and audit options. Build the next step around those answers.
Put your product in front of buyers who fit
With ProspectX, you define the buyer profile and company exclusions. We select suitable companies, and you approve the messages. You handle the product discussion, commercial terms and sale.
See how the buyer-meeting process works, then See if there are buyers for your product.
