William Kanitz, President of Scoring Ag (www.ScoringAg.com) has released a Q-and-A regarding the new FDA Facility Registration that will be mandatory, starting Oct. 1 and ending Dec. 31.
Q. Who is required to register as food facilities, which farms or Food/Feed handlers are required to register as food facilities with the Food and Drug Administration?
A. All domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption in the U.S. are mandated to register with FDA. http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FSMA/ucm314178.htm.
Q. What do I have to do if my facility is already registered?
A. All facilities that are required to register must renew their registrations during the period beginning on October 1 and ending on December 31 of each even-numbered year.
Q. What is a food/feed facility?
A. A food facility includes any factory, warehouse (course grain/hay storage, drying or grain cleaning or mixing or conditioning facility) or establishment that manufactures, (mills, or feed grinding/mixing operation) or processes, packs or holds (bin storage) food or feed. Manufacturing/processing activities include making food (feed or rations) chopping from one or more ingredients, or synthesizing, preparing, treating, modifying or manipulating food or feed crops or ingredients.
On farm washing, trimming off outer leaves and cooling produce are considered part of harvesting and would not require classification as a facility if done on the same day as harvesting. If you hold the harvest in a storage/cooler or warehouse you are a facility.
Q. Which farms are required to register as food facilities with FDA?
A. If you grow it, store it, pack it and ship it. Farms must register as food facilities with the Food and Drug Administration if they:
1) Manufacture, process, pack, or hold food/feed beyond what is considered harvesting.
2) Direct market less than 50 percent of their product (Tester Amendment). In this instance, direct marketing means direct farmer-to-consumer sales and does not apply to stores, restaurants and schools.
Complete list:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodDefenseandEmergencyResponse/ucm315290.htm#introduction
For more info, visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/RegistrationofFoodFacilities/default.htm