Summary of the FDA Requirements for Food Facility Registration

The FDA has updated the registration process for food facilities and that registration is now open. According to the FDA, “Biennial Registration Renewal for Food Facilities began at 12:01 AM on October 22, 2012. The updated food facility registration system is accepting food facility registration renewals.” The registration, initially required under the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 was updated as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011.  

· It is required for any facilities, domestic or foreign that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for human or animal consumption in the US, including those companies who produce products that do not enter interstate commerce.

· If you registered before, you must re-register

· Facilities must register from Oct 1 to Dec 31 of even numbered years (2012, 2014, etc) 

· Who does not need to register? Farms (that do not process), retail food establishments, restaurants, and non-profit that complies with 21 CFR 1.227(b) (7) and facilities that are regulated exclusively, throughout the entire facility, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Federal Meat Inspection Act the Poultry Products Inspection Act or the Egg Products Inspection Act.);

· Email address for facility contacts now must be included.

· Registration information http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FSMA/ucm314178.htm


Food Facility Registration Requirements under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm324801.htm
October 19, 2012

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued further information and guidance regarding registration requirements for domestic and foreign manufacturers, processors, packers or holders of food for human or animal consumption based on changes made by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). The updated food facility registration system will become available at 12:01 a.m. Monday morning, October 22, 2012.

Food producers and manufactures have long been required to register with the Food and Drug Administration. There is no fee to register or renew the registration of a food facility. Facilities can register online, via mail or fax. FDA encourages online registration as a quick and efficient means for food facility registration.

The Food Safety Modernization Act improves the registration process by ensuring, among other things, that the FDA has accurate contact information for each facility. The new registration form also includes new categories of foods. These new categories will help FDA rapidly communicate with the right facilities in the event of an emergency.  

Biennial registration renewal will become available at 12:01 a.m. Monday morning, October 22, 2012. To submit a registration renewal to FDA, a food facility is required to submit required registration information to FDA, including the additional registration information described above. To facilitate this process, the agency is offering technical assistance online and through the help desk. Please check FDA’s food facility registration website for more information and to register online.