FDA reminds Human and Animal Food Facilities to Register or Renew Registration between October 1 and December 31, 2024.  This is a renewal that occurs on all “EVEN” numbered years.

Owners, operators, or agents in charge of a domestic or foreign facility engaged in manufacturing/processing, packing, or holding food for consumption by humans or animals in the U.S., are required to register the facility with the FDA. The registration and renewal period are open between October 1 and December 31, 2022.  Cotton gins should be registered as a HOLDER of animal feed ingredients.

The FDA will consider the registration of a food facility to be expired if a facility’s registration is not renewed by December 31, 2024. There is no fee associated with registration or renewal. Owners, operators, or agents in charge of food facilities must submit their renewal information electronically through their FDA Industry Systems account, unless they have received a waiver that allows for paper submission.  The following link is for an FDA Registration of Food Facilities Users Guide. 

All facilities must include a unique facility identifier (UFI) recognized as acceptable to the FDA with the registration submission. The UFI is used to verify that the facility-specific address associated with the UFI is the same address associated with the facility’s registration.  You must have a UFI for each location.  You cannot use a general headquarters’ address for all location submittals.  Currently, the FDA recognizes the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as the only acceptable UFI. The DUNS number is assigned and managed by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) and can be obtained or verified by visiting D&B’s Website.

Food facility registration is critical to helping the FDA identify the location and source of a foodborne illness outbreak or potential bioterrorism incident. Food facility registration requirements were initiated with the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 and amended by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2011. FSMA requires facilities to submit additional information to the FDA and to renew their registrations every other year.

Food facilities with questions can contact the FURLS Helpdesk by phone at 1-800-216-7331 or by email at FURLS@fda.gov.