Doctrines serve as authoritative interpretations of how specific requirements should be understood and applied. They are not optional guidance. They define the expected approach during certification audits. In April 2026, IFS published updated doctrines across three of its core standards. Updates reflect accumulated audit experience, emerging regulatory priorities, and feedback from the certification ecosystem. When…
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Supplier audits and certification audits serve different purposes. A certification audit assesses a supplier’s system against a defined standard. A supplier audit, conducted by or on behalf of a buyer, evaluates whether that supplier relationship presents specific risks relevant to a particular product or process. The following reflects a general pattern observed across multiple audit…
Certima Blog
Most companies have a food fraud vulnerability assessment. Fewer have one that reflects how their supply chain actually operates.
Food fraud vulnerability assessment is a requirement under both IFS Food and BRCGS. It is designed to identify where fraudulent activity could enter the supply chain and to inform the controls put in place to reduce that risk. In practice, vulnerability assessments vary significantly in depth and relevance. Some reflect the supply chain as it…
Certima Blog
IFS or BRCGS. Both are internationally recognised. So why does the standard you choose matter?
IFS Food and BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 are both widely accepted by retailers and buyers across Europe and globally. Both assess food safety management systems against structured requirements. Both result in a certificate that supports market access. The differences lie in structure, emphasis, and how each standard approaches specific areas of risk. For some…
Certima Blog
Your supplier holds a valid certificate. Is that the same as knowing your supply chain is under control?
A certification audit confirms that a supplier’s food safety management system meets defined requirements at the time of assessment. It provides a structured, impartial evaluation against an international standard.Shruti Baa G A supplier audit serves a different purpose. It assesses whether a specific supplier relationship presents risks relevant to your own products, processes, and customer…
Certima Blog
Before you trust a certification body with your supply chain oversight, who is auditing them?
Retailers and manufacturers place significant trust in certification bodies to assess their supply chain honestly and independently. That relationship carries real weight, since certification decisions can directly affect commercial standing, regulatory compliance, and customer confidence. That trust deserves the same scrutiny any other supplier relationship would receive. Impartiality, accreditation, and auditor independence are not assumptions…
Certima Blog
You certify two hundred suppliers. How many of those audits are actually telling you the same thing?
As a supplier portfolio grows, so does the variation behind it. Different auditors, different regions, and different interpretations of the same standard can quietly enter a supplier program over time. On paper, every supplier holds a valid certificate. In practice, what that certificate represents can differ more than most procurement and quality teams realise. This…
Certima Blog
While a certificate confirms compliance on the day of the audit, it offers an opportunity to look beyond the immediate outcome and identify where potential risks may be building.
Certification is, by design, a point in time assessment. It answers whether requirements were met on the day of the audit. It does not answer where pressure is accumulating in a supply chain, or which findings are early signals of a larger issue still forming. Retailers and manufacturers relying solely on certificate status may be…
Have you been in a situation whereby a consultant and an auditor can review the same process and reach different conclusions? These differences are not unusual, but they can create uncertainty for companies preparing for certification and pressure for those responsible for implementation. To support greater alignment, Certima is bringing together the consultant community in…
A well-run recall is not defined by how quickly the issue is found but by how fast the message reaches consumers. Recent analyses by European food safety agencies have shown that communication delays remain one of the most common weaknesses during recall events. Even when non-compliant batches are withdrawn efficiently, incomplete or delayed consumer…