BRCGS vs IFS: The Food Safety Cert Buyers Want¶

Say you make excellent preserved sauces. For years you've sold through delis and your own website. Then a supermarket chain comes calling — big volume, big excitement — and one line in the contract: "Supplier shall hold a GFSI-recognised certification, such as BRCGS or IFS."

For most food businesses, that's the moment certification stops being optional. Here's what the two standards actually are, what they cost a small producer, and how to pick.

The two standards, in one paragraph each¶

BRCGS (formerly BRC) publishes the Global Standard Food Safety, born out of UK retail requirements — Tesco and the British supermarkets built their supplier expectations around it. It's the default in the UK, Ireland, Commonwealth markets and much of North America's importing world. Audits grade sites from AA down to D, and the grade is printed on the certificate — which means buyers can, and do, compare your grade with a competitor's.

IFS Food grew out of German and French retail requirements — the Lidl and Aldi world — and dominates continental Europe. Instead of grades, it offers audit levels — the Higher Level audit and a Basic Level aimed at smaller or younger operations. Both are benchmarked against the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) criteria, which is why most retailers accept either one.

Both standards cover the same ground: HACCP, food safety culture, supplier approval, traceability, hygiene, site standards, management commitment. The differences are in audit style, geography of recognition, and how results are presented.

What it realistically costs¶

Let's talk money, because the sales brochures don't:

The audit itself: roughly €2,000 to €5,000 per year depending on site size, certifier and location.
Preparation: most small producers use a consultant for the first certification. Budget €3,000 to €10,000 depending on how much of the system you already have. The second year costs far less once the system exists.
Your time: this is the real expense nobody budgets. A first certification typically takes three to nine months of building procedures, training staff and closing gaps.

Ongoing costs include annual audits (some schemes allow every other year at basic levels), corrective action follow-ups, and keeping the documentation alive. Treat it as a permanent cost of doing business with supermarkets, not a project.

The SME on-ramp¶

BRCGS runs a programme called START!, designed for small sites and new entrants. It's recognised by GFSI and by some retailers as a stepping stone toward full certification. If a buyer accepts it, it gets you on the shelf while you build toward the full standard.

IFS's Basic Level serves a similar purpose. In both cases, the move is to ask your target buyer directly: "Do you accept START! / IFS Basic Level?" Retailer policy varies, and their answer determines whether the cheaper route is open to you.

Which one should you pick?¶

Follow the customer:

UK, Ireland, export to North America → BRCGS, and pay attention to your grade.
Germany, France, Benelux, Southern Europe → IFS Food.
Multiple markets → ask each buyer. Many producers hold one certificate and answer the other scheme's questionnaires for specific customers, which usually works.

One warning: certification is not the same as legal compliance. A BRCGS certificate doesn't replace FSMA 204 record keeping in the US (we covered that here) or food labelling law in any jurisdiction. It's the buyer's trust layer; the legal layer sits underneath it. We compared market rules in the US/EU/UK food guide.

After the audit, keep it visible¶

Here's what tends to happen after certification: a producer spends months achieving it, files the PDF, and then answers "can we see your certificate?" emails for the rest of the year — every buyer, every trade show, every export broker. Meanwhile the audit schedule, the corrective action deadlines and the renewal date live in one person's memory.

The fix is the same as everywhere else in compliance: make the certificate a living, verifiable page instead of an attachment. Sustalium does exactly that — €10 per document, one URL that always shows your current BRCGS or IFS certificate with its expiry date and grade — and the same system keeps your ingredient suppliers connected, so a batch or recipe change on their side shows up on yours before it shows up in an audit. When a German buyer asks at 16:30 on a Friday, the answer is a link, not a scramble.

Food safety certification is a cost, but it's also a key. Get the standard your buyers want, take the SME on-ramp if it's open, and make sure the certificate is doing sales work every day instead of sleeping in a folder.

How Sustalium Helps with Food Safety Certification¶

A living certificate — one URL that always shows your current BRCGS or IFS certificate, grade and expiry date.
Supplier-linked ingredients — a batch or recipe change on your supplier's side shows up on yours before it shows up in an audit.
Renewal tracking — the audit schedule and corrective action deadlines stop living in one person's memory.

Your Certificate Should Sell While You Sleep

Publish it once, keep it current, and let every buyer verify it in seconds. Start your declaration demo and publish once your evidence is ready.

Start Managing Your Certificates →

Frequently Asked Questions¶

Which standard should I pick?

Follow the buyer. UK, Ireland and North America lean BRCGS; continental Europe leans IFS. Ask each retail customer what they accept before paying for an audit.

Is START! or IFS Basic Level enough?

Sometimes. Both are recognised on-ramps for small sites, and some retailers accept them as a stepping stone. Ask your target buyer directly.

Does certification replace legal compliance?

No. FSMA 204 record keeping, labelling law and food contact rules still apply underneath. The certificate is the buyer's trust layer, not the legal layer.

FSMA 204 Food Traceability Software — the US record-keeping duty underneath
Food Compliance: US vs. EU vs. UK at a Glance — the market rules that surround the certificate

Last updated: September 15, 2026

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