The Food Safety Modernization Act requires U.S. and foreign food facilities to renew their registration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) every even-numbered year between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 to indicate the types of foods produced or held at each facility and other information. 

FDA uses this information, when necessary, to provide quick and targeted responses to food-related emergencies stemming from accidental or intentional contamination or adulteration. IDFA encourages members to register early to avoid any system issues due to a last-minute registration rush.

Guidance Available 

FDA has several guidance documents available to help food facilities with the registration renewal process.

• Guidance for Industry, What You Need to Know About the FDA Regulation, Small Entity Compliance Guide was updated in 2018 to reflect changes to the food facility registration requirements made in the 2016 “Amendments to Registration of Food Facilities” rule. It contains information regarding who must register and who may be exempt, how often facilities must register and renew registrations, when FDA may suspend a registration and how facilities may submit their registrations and registration renewals to FDA.
• Guidance for Industry, Questions and Answers Regarding Food Facility Registration (Seventh Edition) was updated in 2018 and contains helpful questions and answers regarding food facility registration. This update includes several additions related to the 2016 Amendments to Registration of Food Facilities and the 2015 rules for Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventative Controls for Food for Animals and Human Food.
• The Guidance for Industry: Necessity of the Use of Food Product Categories in Food Facility Registration contains information regarding food-product categories included in the food facility registration form.

Members with questions may contact Danielle Quist, IDFA senior director of regulatory affairs and counsel, at dquist@idfa.org.