Trade Regulation Updates

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now enforcing the requirement that every Food Facility Registration (FFR) have a valid Unique Facility Identifier (UFI), or DUNS number. While the enforcement officially began January 1st, the agency provided a 60-day grace period before they began to verify that the facility associated with the DUNS number matches the facility associated with the Food Facility Registration.

The grace period is now over. FDA will be contacting Importers if the DUNS number does not match the facility location for the Food Facility Registration.

What Do I Do If My DUNS Number Is Not Accepted?

Step One: Is the food facility registration completed correctly?

Carefully review each section of the registration to ensure that the right information was provided. For example, Section 2 should contain the complete legal name of the facility subject to the registration. The address should be the exact physical address of the facility associated with the registration. Do not provide a preferred mailing address in this section. Do not provide the address of the company Headquarters.

Step Two: Is the DUNS number provided for the correct company and address? Check here

• Watch out for “Co” versus “Company,” or use of the trade name instead of the legal name
• If the name and address is correct in DUNS database, this should match the Food Facility Registration Section 2           

My FFR Was Cancelled! What Do I Do Now?

Do NOT re-register your facility! Instead, to reinstate your Food Facility Registration, follow these steps:

Step One: Obtain an accurate DUNS number (or confirm that your DUNS number is accurate for the specific facility location you’re seeking to register) by going here. If Dun & Bradstreet’s response is not complete, it can be forwarded to importsafetyregistrations@dnb.com for a secondary review. Include an explanation of your original request, such as, “address update because facility relocated.”

Step Two: Request FDA to confirm your FFR and DUNS number by emailing cfsanfoodfacilityregistration@fda.hhs.gov

In the subject line: UFI accuracy verification

In the body of the email, provide:

• FFR number
• DUNS number
• FFR Section 2 facility name
• FFR Section 2 facility address, city, state, zip code
  

Pointers From FDA:

• The No. 1 reason the Unique Facility Identifier (DUNS number) is not accurate: The DUNS Number is associated with a different location, such as the company headquarters.
  

• The No. 2 reason the DUNS number is not accurate: Section 2 of the Food Facility Registration does not include the complete legal name of the company or identifiers are added to the name, e.g. Rachel’s Bakery LLC – warehouse. No identifiers should be added.
  

• The No. 3 reason the DUNS number is not accurate: The FFR Section 2 address has too many variations from the DUNS information, such as:
  
  123 Main Street vs. 123 Main Street, Ste 100 or,
  Phila vs. Philadelphia

Here is a recent slide presentation from the FDA for your use.