UPDATE: Acceptable temporary Unique Facility Identifier
FDA announced that FSVP Importers who do not yet have a DUNS number will be allowed to submit entries using “UNK” (unknown) following the May 30, 2017 compliance date. FDA is allowing this on a temporary basis only. FSVP Importers should not wait to get a DUNS number.
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued guidance indicating that food importers can use DUNS numbers for Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) identification. DUNS is the Data Universal Numbering System created by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires that food importers must conduct verification activities to ensure that their foreign suppliers produce food according to safety standards. In implementing this regulation, FDA requires importers provide a unique facility identifier (UFI) with each entry through U.S. Customs – along with their legal business name and electronic mailing address. Since many food importers are not otherwise registered with FDA, this guidance recognizes that importers can use a DUNS number as their UFI. (See FSVP: Who Needs One? to understand how FDA defines an FSVP importer.)
Compliance with FSVP: May 30, 2017
Update 07-07-2017: The next compliance date is in March 2018. Importers should spend this time developing the programs as it takes time to work with Foreign Suppliers to build a robust FSVP program.
Some importers1 were subject to the new FSVP rules starting the end of May. Use of an UFI was required with each line entry of food imported into the U.S. and FDA can is reviewing importer records for compliance.
If importers do not have a DUNS number yet, we encourage them to contact D&B immediately to obtain a free number.
To hear more about FSVP, watch these videos:
- FSVP: Understanding FDA’s Foreign Supplier Verification Plan
- FSVP: What the Regulation Says and Who it Applies to
If you have questions about how well your plans meet FSVP requirements or how to check your suppliers’ compliance, contact us today.
1See FSVP Compliance Dates for a complete list of dates by category of importer.
