BRCGS vs IFS: what each asks of training
Updated Facts as of September 2026
Short answer
BRCGS and IFS both demand that every worker, temps and contractors included, is trained before starting work, and that you can prove more than attendance. They differ in emphasis: BRCGS Issue 9 (clause 7.1) is specific about who, naming CCP staff and allergen awareness; IFS Food version 8 (clause 3.3) is specific about the written programme.
Two private standards on one legal floor
BRCGS and IFS are certification schemes that retailers ask their suppliers to hold, not law. Both sit on top of the legal duty in Regulation 852/2004 that food handlers are supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene. Clause numbers here are as of September 2026: BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 and IFS Food version 8.
Where they differ
BRCGS is specific about people. Clause 7.1.1 names agency-supplied staff, temporary staff and contractors. Clause 7.1.2 asks for a documented competency assessment for anyone working on critical control points and control measures. Clause 7.1.4 requires allergen awareness training for all staff.
IFS is specific about the programme. Clause 3.3.1 wants a documented training programme covering content, frequency, the employee's task, languages, a qualified trainer and the evaluation of effectiveness. Clause 3.3.3 defines the record: participants with signatures, date, duration, content and trainer, plus a procedure that demonstrates effectiveness. Clause 3.3.4 expects content to be reviewed when products, processes or legal requirements change.
What neither says
No clause in either standard prescribes a refresher interval. IFS makes you write your own frequency into the programme and then audits you against it. The guide to HACCP training in food production walks through the four points where sites usually fail the training part of the audit.
Sources
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