On April 23, 2026, new doctrines for the following standards were published:

• IFS Food v8
• IFS Broker v3.2
• IFS Logistics v3

The new documents will come into force two months after the publication date.

The doctrines are normative documents that complement the requirements of the standards by answering frequently asked technical questions and clarifying specific requirements. The documents are available in English only.

We encourage you to read the full content of the doctrines available on the IFS website.

---

IFS Food 8 – version 5 of Doctrine

The new version includes, among others:

• clarification of requirements regarding extraordinary information (obligation to notify within 3 working days),
• clarification of the use of exceptional circumstances (maintaining certificate visibility in the IFS Database),
• clarification of the Food Safety Culture definition (Annex 12),
• update of audit cancellation rules (calculation of the 6-week period),
• changes in training requirements for auditors and reviewers,
• guidelines on creating a new COID and updating data without contacting the customer.

---

IFS Logistics 3 – version 3 of Doctrine

Key updates:

• new guidance on cross-docking (definition and audit approach),
• clarification of requirements for reporting extraordinary information,
• clarification of the use of exceptional circumstances,
• update of the Product Safety Culture definition (Annex 12),
• changes in audit cancellation rules,
• guidelines for COID management and data updates.

---

IFS Broker 3 – version 3 of Doctrine

The new version includes:

• clarification of requirements regarding extraordinary information,
• clarification of the use of exceptional circumstances,
• update of Product Defence threat assessment,
• clarification of the Product Safety Culture definition,
• changes in audit cancellation rules,
• update regarding announced certificates,
• clarification of COID management rules,
• corrections to requirements for IFS Broker auditors and their training.

---

If you have any questions or need support in implementing the changes, please feel free to contact us.