SILVER SPRING, MD. — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a reminder for human and animal food processors to register and/or renew their manufacturing facilities before Dec. 31, 2022. All food facilities must be registered with the FDA to help ensure food safety.

Agents, owners or operators of human and animal food manufacturing facilities must renew or register their facilities with the FDA before the deadline. There is no fee for facility registration and renewal.

To register or renew a facility, the facility must have a unique facility identifier (UFI) accepted by the FDA. Currently, the FDA accepts the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), which can be accessed at Dun & Bradstreet’s website DNB.com, as a UFI.

The FDA requires food facility registration and renewal to help identify the location and potential sources of foodborne illness outbreaks and bioterrorism incidents. Registration requirements were initiated by the 2002 Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act and were later amended by the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2011. FSMA requires facility registration renewals every other year.

Find out more on registering food manufacturing facilities.