HHS Food Facilities FDA Registration Letter - What Should You Do?

There has been some confusion regarding a form letter sent to food facilities by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.***

HHS is sending out a form letter to all food facilities with the subject Registration of a Food Facility - Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002*. The letter states,"Our records indicate that,to date, this facility has not been registered with FDA". It then provides information on the subject regulations and registration. It also states, "If you have already registered your facility, no other action is necessary". To view the entire text, please click the link above.

The letter has caused confusion among food processors. Some processors think their previous registration was deleted. Others think they must re-register by law. A few, in the process of re-registering, have been redirected (not by FDA) to third party registration services that charge a fee to register for you.

What should you do if your food facility receives this letter?

• Verify your food facility FDA registration. If your facility is registered, no other action is necessary.
• If your food facility is not registered, please register online at http://www.access.fda.gov. To learn about the registration process please click on What You Need to Know about Registration of Food Facilities. If you cannot register on line, please refer to the form letter for directions on registering via mail or fax.
• Note that third party registration services are not required and the FDA still allows free registration.
• Please direct questions or comments directly to FDA at 1.800.216.7331.

You may also direct questions to foodsafety@EISC.org or call 614.314.4627 and ask for Shari Plimpton

*** Grateful acknowledgement to Dr. Brian A. Nummer, Ph.D., Food Safety Specialist and Director of the Retail Food Safety Consortium, Utah State University for providing information on this issue.

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