The U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration is requiring all non-exempt food facilities, whether foreign or domestic, to register or renew their facilities by December 31, 2022, or their registrations will expire. ASC Software has compiled the following information snippets to help food manufacturers, suppliers, and warehouses to meet the FDA food facility registration deadline and remain compliant.
Why is food facility registration important?
The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, later amended by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) in 2011, requires food facility registration and renewals every other year for food safety purposes. Registration provides critical information to the FDA to help identify the location and possible source of food-borne illness outbreaks or possible bioterrorism occurrences, should they arise. Food facilities that do not register by the deadline will have their imports denied entry into the U.S. and domestic exports will be denied.
Who must register or renew with the FDA?
According to the FDA, owners, operators, or agents in charge of a domestic or foreign facility engaged in the manufacture/processing, packing, or holding of food for human or animal consumption in the U.S., are required to register their facility.
How do I renew my FDA registration?
Per recently updated FDA requirements most food manufacturing companies and warehouses must complete their registration renewal online through the FDA’s portal. An FDA Industry System (FIS) account is required to access program resources.
What information does the FDA require?
According to an article by international law firm Harris Bricken, all renewing food facilities are required to furnish a Unique Facility Identifier (UFI). The only facility identifier the FDA recognizes in this connection is the Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS number that is specifically assigned and managed by Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number associated with the PHYSICAL location of the food facility MUST be provided during renewal and the FDA will no longer offer flexibility. You can retrieve your DUNS number through the D&B Import Safety Lookup Portal.
The FDA requires that the name and contact information on the food facility registration must EXACTLY match the DUNS number contact information. The two must be an exact match to every character, otherwise, the FDA registration will be rejected.
Related: Understanding Food Traceability Requirements for Retailers
Where can I get more information about FDA food facility registration?
Interested food warehouses and manufacturers can find more information about registration renewal from the FDA’s Food Facility Registration User Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions for Registration page.
ASC WMS offers a competitive edge for beverage and food facilities
ASC Software’s innovative warehouse management software (WMS) solutions exceed FDA mandates all while helping you increase your productivity and inventory accuracy. ASCTrac® enables food facilities to track goods for quality, monitor expiration dates, and organize their warehouses to include multi-zone controls for frozen foods, cooler goods, dry goods, and chemicals. With true food-grade lot tracking, you can instantly handle recalls throughout your supply chain.All of which can help with your FDA food manufacturing or warehouse facility registration and renewal.
ASC solutions take into consideration that most food facilities are process-based, so we’ve included variance costing for manufacturing. With its lean costing process and seamless connectivity to financial software, ASCTrac® WMS was selected by Microsoft® as one of the best WMS systems in the food and beverage industry. To find out more about ASC Software, contact us today for a demo.
