U.S. flag An official website of the United States government
  1. Home
  2. Food
  3. Guidance & Regulation (Food and Dietary Supplements)
  4. Registration of Food Facilities and Other Submissions
  1. Guidance & Regulation (Food and Dietary Supplements)

Registration of Food Facilities and Other Submissions

The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act) directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as the food regulatory agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, to take steps to protect the public from a threatened or actual terrorist attack on the U.S. food supply and other food-related emergencies.

To carry out certain provisions of the Bioterrorism Act, FDA established regulations requiring that:

  • Food facilities register with FDA, and
  • FDA be given advance notice on shipments of imported food.

These regulations became effective on December 12, 2003.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), enacted on January 4, 2011, amended section 415 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), in relevant part, to require that facilities engaged in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding food for consumption in the United States submit additional registration information to FDA, including an assurance that FDA will be permitted to inspect the facility at the times and in the manner permitted by the FD&C Act. Section 415 of the FD&C Act, as amended by FSMA, also requires food facilities required to register with FDA to renew such registrations every other year, and provides FDA with authority to suspend the registration of a food facility in certain circumstances. Specifically, if FDA determines that food manufactured, processed, packed, received, or held by a registered food facility has a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals, FDA may by order suspend the registration of a facility that:

  1. Created, caused, or was otherwise responsible for such reasonable probability; or
  2. Knew of, or had reason to know of, such reasonable probability; and packed, received, or held such food. 

Food Facility Registration Statistics

Status of FDA Industry Systems

Questions Regarding Whether Food Facilities are Required to Pay Registration Fees and Private Businesses Claiming or Suggesting an Affiliation with FDA

Actions on Food Facility Registration

FDA Actions on the FSMA

FDA Actions on the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 Legislation

Topic Specific Systems and Submissions



SUBSCRIBE

Get regular FDA email updates on Food Facility Registration and Renewal delivered to your inbox.

Back to Top