mdi Consultants
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today took a step towards ensuring the accuracy of its inventory of importers responsible for meeting the requirements of the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) rule. The FDA issued guidance formally recognizing the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as an acceptable unique facility identifier (UFI) for FSVP.
The final FSVP rule, mandated by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), requires that an importer provide its legal business name, electronic mailing address, and UFI recognized as acceptable by the FDA for each line entry of food product offered for importation into the United States. ◦For the purposes of FSVP, an importer is the U.S. owner or consignee of a food offered for import into the United States. If there is no U.S. owner or consignee, the importer is the U.S. agency or representative of the foreign owner of consignee at the time of entry, as confirmed in a signed statement of consent. Check the below link to see if you are subject to FSVP requirements: AM I SUBJECT TO FSVP?
The compliance dates for importers subject to the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) rule differ according to a number of considerations with the earliest date being May 30, 2017 for FSVP importer whose foreign supplier is not subject to the PC or produce safety rules
• Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals (collectively, “PC rules”)
• Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption (“produce safety rule”).
Important links
Please visit the below link for more information and Final rule on FSVP: FSMA Final Rule on Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals
The Federal Register Notice on Final Rule: Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals.
View the guidance document: “Recognition of Acceptable Unique Facility Identifier (UFI) for the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs Regulation: Guidance for Industry”.
How to obtain the DUNS number
The DUNS number, assigned and managed by Dun & Bradstreet, is available free of charge to importers. It can be obtained by contacting D&B by phone at 866-705-5711, via email at govt@dnb.com, by visiting D&B’s Website or fdadunslookup.com. If you anticipate being unable to provide a DUNS number to identify yourself as the FSVP importer of a food product at entry, you may contact FDA’s Division of Import Operations at 1-301-796-0356 or via email at FDAImportsInquiry@fda.hhs.gov prior to offering your product for import into the United States.
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