The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act’s Biennial Registration Renewal Period begins Saturday, October 1, 2016. The Amendments to Registration of Food Facilities final rule published in July 2016 updates FDA’s food facility registration requirements. This rule adds new provisions to the current regulations to codify certain provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that were self-implementing and effective upon enactment of FSMA and adds certain new requirements, including the requirement for registration submissions to contain the type of activity conducted at the facility for each food product category. Please visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FoodFacilityRegistration/default.htm for more information about food facility registration and the 2016 biennial renewal including guidance documents and user guides for our Food Facility Registration Module (FFRM).

This requirement applies to you if:

• If you register or updated your food facility before Oct. 1, 2016, you must renew your registration before Dec. 31, 2016 and provide us with any updated information, if applicable.
• If you are the new owner of a registered food facility, the previous owner is required to cancel the food facility’s registration within 60 calendar days of the change of ownership and you must re-register the facility reflecting the new ownership.

The owner, operator, or agent in charge of the facility, or a person authorized by one of them, can submit a facility’s registration renewal electronically at http://www.access.fda.gov/. Alternatively, you may submit your registration renewal via mail or fax using FDA Form 3537. http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/foodfacilityregistration/ucm073728.htm.

FDA encourages use of the electronic format at this time because it is more efficient, provides for immediate submission of the registration renewal. Please remember that this renewal process repeats every two years on even-numbered years.