If you manufacture pet food in the United States, you are required to register your facility with the FDA? True or false?
False. Not all manufacturers are required to register with the FDA!
If you manufacture pet food in the United States and you sell directly to the consumer, you are considered a restaurant? True or false?
True! If there’s no middleman if you know exactly who is buying your food. You know Suzie. You know her Charlie. Then you basically are a restaurant, also known as a retail food establishment. You do NOT need to register with the FDA.
The food registration requirement was created to be able to track where food comes from and where it goes. True or false?
True. This is the reason not everybody has to register with the under the food facility registration. If you can document where your food went. Exactly. Down to the street address. Then you know how to trace your food. You don’t have to involve the FDA. This is bioterrorism prevention. If there’s a middleman, you don’t know who buys your food. Therefore, you are required to register with the FDA.
Why does this matter?
Apparently, there are some third-party businesses that are requiring pet food manufacturers to provide their food facility registration number. This is a fraudulent request. There is no requirement to do this. Possibly it’s some third-party trying to gain your personal information.
Your food facility registration number is private. It’s almost like your Social Security number. It’s just for your food business. So if you need to register your pet food business with the FDA, keep your number private. Including your PIN and any passwords. And if some third-party business or online reseller platform is asking for the information, you might want to avoid that platform.
If you want to read this information directly from the “horse’s mouth“ here are multiple links for you:
Constituent Update: FDA Advises Human and Animal Food Facilities to Protect their Food Facility Registration Information | FDA
Federal Law requiring Food Facility Registration
Federal Law allowing for certain exemptions
Food Facility Registration: Online Registration of Food Facilities | FDA
Animal Food Facility Registration and Qualified Facility Attestation FAQ: Animal Food Facility Registration and Qualified Facility Attestation: Frequently Asked Questions | FDA
