IFS Broker, BRCGS, or FSSC 22000: Which certification does the food trade need?
Trading food doesn't automatically mean you need your own production facility, but you do need a robust system for managing suppliers, specifications, traceability, and crisis situations. IFS Broker, BRCGS Agents & Brokers, or FSSC 22000? We’ll give you a quick overview of which standard is right for whom, who requires them, and what really matters when making your choice.
"We don't actually produce anything. Why should we get certified to a food safety standard?"
A perfectly valid question for traders, importers, agencies, and brokers.
The short answer: Because anyone who selects, specifies, purchases, and sells products bears responsibility. Supplier selection, specifications, traceability, food fraud, complaints, and recalls don't just disappear simply because you don't own a production line.
A legal requirement?
No. Certification to IFS, BRCGS, or FSSC 22000 is generally not a legal requirement.
In practice, the demand usually comes from customers: from food retailers, manufacturers, brand owners, or their specific supplier requirements. A voluntary standard can quickly become a prerequisite for winning a contract.
Which standards are available?
IFS Broker 3.2
Very common in the German-speaking and European markets. This standard is aimed at brokers, trading agencies, and other companies that trade products. Key focus areas include supplier approval, specifications, traceability, food fraud, product defense, and crisis management. Version 3.2 with Doctrine Version 3 is the current standard.
BRCGS Agents & Brokers Issue 3
The British-influenced counterpart. It is aimed at companies that buy, sell, or facilitate the trade of products without manufacturing, processing, or storing them at their own site. Here, too, the focus is on product safety, legality, authenticity, quality, and supply chain management. Updated position statements must also be observed as of August 2026.
FSSC 22000
Less common in this context, but still an option. FSSC 22000 includes the category FII has its own scope for brokering and trading without physical handling of products. The system is based on ISO 22000 and is structured more as a management system. FSSC 22000 Version 7 was published in May 2026.
And which one is the right one?
To put it pragmatically:
If a customer requires a specific standard, the decision has already been made.
If there is no specific requirement yet, you should first look at the business model: What products are being traded? Are they physically received or stored? Who bears the legal responsibility? What certifications do your target customers expect?
Only then should you decide whether IFS Broker, BRCGS Agents & Brokers, or FSSC 22000 is the right fit.
Because the goal is not just to hang any certificate on the wall.
The goal is a system that allows a trader to demonstrate that they know what they are buying, who they are buying it from, and how they manage the associated risks.
Publications & Technical Papers
Practical experience — passed on in specialist literature, training courses and contributions on food safety.
Director Food Safety Senior Experts, Microbiologist & Food Safety Expert
With decades of experience in audits, quality management and crisis situations, she combines scientific principles with operational practice. Her publications make complex topics such as HACCP, food safety culture and risk analysis understandable and directly applicable. For companies that not only pass certifications, but also want to sustainably improve their systems.
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