METRO Cash & Carry Serbia organized today presentation of IFS/GFSI standards, which represents the highest standards for control of food safety and quality, for over 400 suppliers from Serbia.

According to strategy, which predicts that in 2010 company’ activities are directed to producers and suppliers, METRO gave an insight to interested partners into advantages which introduction of these standards gives them, especially because of the fact that by expectations it will be obligatory for all METRO suppliers by the end of 2012.

As a partner of its suppliers, METRO C&C announced, during 5 years anniversary, that 2010 will be year of suppliers and producers from Serbia.

The first step in helping suppliers was participation of METRO in SECEP Project for development of competition and export promotion, and harmonization of Serbian suppliers with EU standards will be additionally improved with IFS certification.

In Grand Casino Hotel in Belgrade, METRO has organised last week presentation of IFS/GFSI European standards for all suppliers who wants to improve their business by certification for these standards of food safety and quality.

By introduction of IFS food standard and other standards accepted by GFSI (Global food safety initiative), which applies from 2003 in retail in German and France, Serbian producers will have a chance to be competitive on domestic and foreign markets, comparable within whole trade chain and to become part of international trade supply chain, as well as to export their products on other markets world wide.

Even though it was introduced mainly for control and harmonization of own brand products, today IFS is widely applied world standard for food safety and quality control of producers. These, highest food standards, are based on following principle, which means that in every moment, between producer and final user, you can follow correction and quality of product in every phase of production and distribution.

Suppliers which are ready to answer to high demands of this standard, IFS allows possibility to obtain customers trust and to ensure their protection by producing safe and quality products, and it also allows them to improve costs efficiency in producing and supply chain of food.

The aim of METRO is to certificate with IFS/ GFSI standards all own brand suppliers by the end of 2010, and by the end of 2012 all METRO suppliers. It’s predicted that by these dates IFS and other GFSI standards will be obligatory for achieving competitiveness, on domestic but also in international markets.

Potential for development of Serbian suppliers is base for their synchronization with EU legislation, and further placement of Serbian products on international markets will depend on individual resources, which suppliers have and on management determination to invest in development.

Through cooperation with METRO C&C Serbia, Serbian suppliers are enabled to make an easier contact with certification bodies, which will follow certification process, and to get through the process easier and with lowest price on market, only for METRO suppliers.