FDA emailed the food industry on Wednesday, warning against unscrupulous third-party food facility registration companies and U.S. Agent service providers. Apparently these companies present themselves as a face of FDA to food companies (mostly foreign) seeking to meet FDA’s new food facility registration renewal requirements; and they charge hundreds of dollars, implying at least some of the fee may be a government fee. FDA stated emphatically in its warning (now, for the second time; an original notice was issued in 2008) that these registration and U.S. agency companies are NOT affiliated with FDA in any way, do NOT speak for FDA, and are NOT accurately representing the food facility registration process.
Apparently (and we have heard this from our clients as well) some third-party registrars tell food companies that there are official government fees for registration – which FDA reminded industry is completely free. They charge hundreds of dollars for U.S. Agency – a position which exists primarily for the purpose of facilitating communications with FDA. They tell companies that they must have “Certificates of Registration” in order to import food – which FDA has specifically denied several times, even going so far as to say that FDA will not recognize any such certificates. They require companies to re-register if they’ve lost their information – which FDA condemns, stating that companies should instead contact FDA directly to be promptly provided their registration information. Third-party registrars could withhold the necessary information for renewing a registration from the food company, effectively holding the food registration hostage, requiring the food company to pay a high fee for the renewal.
“Contrary to any suggestion by [named registration company]…” FDA says three times in its recent email. Are these third-party registrars lying to their customers? Are they taking advantage of foreign food companies who are struggling with the new registration renewal requirements?
FDA food facility registration is free, and FDA does not require a certificate of registration for any purpose – much less officially for import. Do not be deceived!
FDAImports.com offers initial food facility registrations for free, and U.S. Agency for only $99/year. Come to us for straight talk about FDA requirements and regulations.
