The International Food Standard: Bureaucratic Burden or Helpful Management Instrument in Global Markets? Empirical Results from the German Food Industry

Abstract

At this point in time, quality assurance schemes in the food industry and the agricultural sector are becoming increasingly popular. The International Food Standard (IFS) is one of the most important means of certification. This article presents the results of an empirical study in the German food industry. In early 2005, 65 food manufacturers answered an extensive questionnaire and gave insights into their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of certification systems. The study focuses on the IFS, which has gained much relevance in the German food industry because all major German retailers have subscribed to the system and, for the most part, no longer accept suppliers that do not have IFS certificates. Three different groups were identified by using a cluster analysis, namely, the managers, the supporters, and the rejecters. These clusters show the different attitudes toward the IFS and are further specified in the following article.

Keywords:

• food industry
• International Food Standard
• certification