US FDA reminds food firms on renewal of registration

Filipino food and beverage firms exporting to the United States must renew the registration of their facilities with the US Food and Drug Administration starting next month to continue serving the US market.

The biennial facility registration period will run from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.

Failure to register a facility during this period may limit the ability of importers to enter food products into the US.

“Shipments from the Philippines may be refused entry to the United States when the associated food facility registration is not renewed properly,” the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) said in an advisory.

The registration requirements apply to domestic and foreign facilities that that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for human or animal consumption in the US.

Among the facilities required to register with FDA are grain elevators, feed mills, flour mills, corn and oilseed processors, pet food manufacturers, renderers and others.

All food facility registrations must contain an assurance that the FDA will be permitted to inspect the facility at the times and in the manner permitted by the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.

The biennial registration renewal for food facilities is mandated under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was signed into law by then US president Barack Obama in 2011.

Facilities should be also aware that the compliance deadlines have passed for the FSMA Preventive Controls Rule for both small and large facilities.

“Such rule requires facilities to implement written Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) Food Safety Plans. Plans such as HACCP, BRC, ISO and SQF do not satisfy this new requirement,” the DTI-EMB said.

“Facilities that have not yet developed their plan should do so immediately. USFDA may request a facility’s food safety plan as part of a routine inspection,” it added.