AMES, Iowa – The Iowa Grain Quality Initiative (IGQI) and the Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) are partnering to offer a free informational class about Food and Drug Administration Food Firm registration. This course will be offered at 1805 Collaboration Place, Ames, Iowa on Oct. 30, 2017.
Animal and food firms, facilities and businesses are encouraged to attend this free, informational class that will run for two hours. Attendees will be provided information about the FDA and how to become registered.
“Food facilities need to update their registration with the Food and Drug Administration, as the federal government fiscal calendar begins Oct. 1," said Kimberly Anderson, food safety program manager with IGQI.
If a firm hasn’t registered or re-registered with the FDA since the Food Safety Modernization Act amended the Food and Drug Act, effective date of Oct. 1, 2012, the firm must re-register. The registration window is Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2017 on the FDA website. This change updated the requirements of food firms previously registered under the Bioterrorism Act of 2003.
“Many food firms don’t realize that firms were dropped in 2012 due to lack of re-registering after FSMA,” Anderson said. “Firms need to re-register every two years on even-numbered years. I recommend registering this year between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 if you are unsure if your firm is registered, since it is a prohibited act not to register with the FDA. Renew it again next year sometime between Oct. 1, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2018. Then your firm only needs to register every two years on the even years unless you have changes in your business.”
If needing more guidance on food safety registration please see the FDA’s article on “Food Facility Registration User Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions."
For more information on the event and to register, contact Kimberly Anderson at kandrson@iastate.edu.