What Is the IFS HPC (Personal Care and Cosmetics) Standard?

What Is the IFS H.P.C Personal Care and Cosmetics Standard?

IFS HPC is a standard used to audit suppliers of personal-care and household products against requirements for product safety, product quality and process control. The standard was developed jointly by the HPC industry, retailers and certification bodies, and is updated to reflect changing industry requirements. As a result, IFS HPC provides a consistent framework for assessing personal-care and household products and verifying that they pose no threat to consumer safety.

IFS H.P.C scope

The IFS HPC standard covers four product groups:

• Cosmetic products (for example lotions, make-up, shampoo, creams)
• Household chemical products (for example fabric softeners, detergents, air fresheners, cleaning agents)
• Everyday household products (for example baking paper, household gloves, aluminium foil, brooms)
• Personal hygiene products (for example tweezers, tampons, baby nappies, bath sponges)

IFS H.P.C objectives

The standard exists to help personal-care and household-product manufacturers deliver safe, compliant and quality-assured products to their markets. Meeting customer requirements this way strengthens customer confidence.

IFS H.P.C benefits

• A risk-management framework that lets companies evidence that their products pose no threat to consumer or health safety
• Coverage of most of the requirements of ISO 22716 (Cosmetics GMP)
• A controls emphasis on risk management, traceability, customer specifications and crisis management
• Alignment with customer expectations across the supply chain