It’s an even-numbered year. That means FDA food facility registrations must be renewed by December 31. If you are the owner, operator or agent in charge of a facility that processes, packs or holds food for consumption in the United States, the facility must be registered with FDA unless an exemption applies. Farms, retail food establishments, restaurants, and facilities regulated exclusively by USDA are exempt from this requirement. Such registrations must be renewed between October 1 and December 31 in even-numbered years.
The exemptions for food facility registration can be tricky to decipher, especially for farms and related facilities that handle farm products. It is important to know whether your facility is required to be registered, not only for purposes of complying with the registration requirement, but also because facilities that are required to be registered also are subject to the Preventive Controls Rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act. Contact us if you need help figuring out whether you are required to register.