Many European retailers and food-service groups will only buy fish from a supplier certified to a GFSI-recognised standard. IFS Food is one of the most widely used of these standards. Here is what it means in practice and what to check before you approve a seafood supplier.
What is IFS Food?
IFS Food is an international standard for auditing the safety and quality of food producers and processors. An accredited certification body audits the site against requirements covering senior management commitment, the HACCP-based food safety plan, resource management, production processes, measurement and improvement, and food defence.
Why it matters for fish and seafood
Fish is highly perishable and some species carry specific hazards: histamine in tuna, mackerel and other scombroid fish, parasites such as anisakis in fish eaten raw or marinated, and temperature abuse anywhere in the cold chain. An IFS-certified supplier must show that these hazards are identified, controlled and monitored, with records an auditor can verify.
What to check in a supplier's certificate
- Scope: does it cover the activities you are buying, such as freezing, processing or packing, and the product categories?
- Validity: check the expiry date and whether the last audit was announced or unannounced.
- Site: make sure the certified site is the one that will actually handle your product.
- Level: IFS distinguishes between Foundation and Higher level results.
How Gialmar applies IFS Food
Gialmar is certified to IFS Food and runs a HACCP system across receiving, freezing, processing, storage and dispatch. Fish bought at the auctions through our branches in Matosinhos, Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, Peniche, Sesimbra and MARL is chilled immediately, identified by lot and handled to the same standard as imported frozen product.
Customers can request our current certificate and discuss specific requirements, such as labelling, packing formats or additional testing, with our sales and quality teams.
Frequently asked questions
Is IFS Food the same as HACCP?
No. HACCP is a method for controlling food safety hazards; IFS Food is a full certification standard that includes HACCP plus management, traceability and product quality requirements.
How can I get Gialmar's IFS certificate?
Write to geral@gialmar.com and we will send the current certificate.
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