Registrar Corp often receives inquiries about who needs to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many of which come from food importers. Food importers are not required to register with FDA unless they manufacture, process, pack, or store foods in addition to importing. For some importers, the confusion stems from the requirement for importers to obtain a Unique Facility Identifier (UFI), as FDA now also requires food facilities to submit a UFI when registering with FDA.

Importers need their UFI for a different purpose.  When filing customs entries for food shipments, Customs Brokers must input a UFI for the importer. This requires the importer to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS number) as these are currently the only UFIs that FDA accepts. Registrar Corp can help importers obtain DUNS numbers.

While food importers are not required to register with FDA, it is essential that they ensure their suppliers are registered. FDA requires that Prior Notice be submitted for all food imports, and Prior Notice cannot be filed without the manufacturer’s registration number.  If you are unsure whether your supplier is registered, Registrar Corp can help you verify a facility registration at no cost. Additionally, our ComplyHub allows importers to view suppliers’ compliance history and continuously monitor suppliers’ registrations to assure that they are valid. Importing from a supplier with a poor compliance history or failing to submit Prior Notice can result in costly delays or detentions.