Importing food into the United States can be a sticky process if you aren't up to date on government requirements. Here are the 5 major points you need to know to begin importing your food products into the
United States
to meet all major
FDA
guidelines.
1. Register Your Facility with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
According to the
FDA website
any importer can import their
food products
into the
United States
without prior sanction of the
FDA
if the facility as long as the facility is registered with the
FDA
and they give
prior notice
to the
FDA
of
food shipments
.
You can register your facility on the
FDA website
by visiting their website and filling out all required fields.
Click here
to register.
2. Designate a U.S. Food Agent to handle your U.S. Communications
All
importers of food
under U.S.
requirements
must have a
U.S. food
agent to act as a liaison for
FDA
communications regarding incoming
food shipments
. The
FDA
will communicate with your agent to schedule inspections and to verify that all
food safety
requirements are being upheld.
This particular step is of the utmost importance. While it may seem simple to designate your importer or even your
customs broker
as your agent, the
FDA
recommends using a stateside agent and even offers a company directly through the
FDA website
, called Registrar Corp, which can act as your agent. Below you can see a list of services pulled directly through the Registrar website that are provided through your agent that perhaps your importer may not be able to provide:
Registrar Corp’s U.S. Agent service includes:
- Registration Renewal: Mandatory Biennial FDA Food Facility Registration Renewal
- Certificate of Registration: Certificates issued by Registrar Corp provide confirmation of your facility’s registration to industry
- Registration Updates: Registrations must be updated within 60 days of a change in required information
- Prior Notice: Three free Prior Notice filings each year for your exports to the USA
- Detention Assistance: Communication with FDA on your behalf to seek the release of a detained shipment
- Mock FDA Inspection: Onsite expert assistance at a discounted rate
- DUNS Assistance: Obtain a DUNS number or update an existing DUNS record
- FDA Compliance Monitoring: A unique system that continuously monitors your company’s FDA compliance status
You can see this list and more on the Registrar Corp Website.
3. Obtain all Required Permits
According to the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
,
food products
that are imported into the
United States
may require additional permits, health certificates and/or other specialized certifications. These foods include but are not limited to: meat, milk, poultry, eggs, and other products that are from animal origin.
The
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
assigns an Import Specialist at each
port of entry
that you may consult with regarding the requirements for your particular
food product
. They also highly recommend hiring a
customs broker
that can assist with your
CBP
entry.
Food products
must have a PN (
Prior Notice
) filed with the
FDA
to alert them of the shipment of your product for receipt at the
port of entry
. Once your
food shipment
(s) is received, it will be subjected to a thorough inspection to pass all
food safety
requirements. These inspections can be detailed to you by the Import Specialist so that you can ensure your
imported food products
will be readily received and will not be detained for not passing inspection.
4. Understand the FDA Requirements for Your Food Product
Each
food shipment
being imported into the
United States
, from
fresh fruit
to livestock, has particular requirements that must be met to pass inspection and be permitted to pass through the
port of entry
.
For further questions regarding the
FDA
regulations regarding your
food product
here is a list of helpful links and numbers that can direct you to the department that handles your particular item:
Plant and Animal Items
U.S. Department of Agriculture
: www.
usda
.
gov
Food Safety
and Inspection Service, Import Division, at (202) 720-9904
(This number is helpful to inquire as to the admissibility of your product into the
United States
. Particularly in regards to livestock, poultry and the products derived from these sources.)
Fruits and Vegetables
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information
You may also call the
APHIS
Plant Division at (301) 734-8295
5. Make Sure Your Product is Labeled Appropriately
According to the
FDA
,
food items
that are canned, packaged, baked goods or seafood must be labeled with the appropriate information. This information includes but is not limited to:
country of origin
, nutrition information and ingredient information.
Depending on the size of your product and product packaging, the
FDA
has issued multiple formats that are permissible for use for labeling.
Various formats can be used to label your product when importing food into the United States.
For more information on
FDA
approved labeling, click here for required criteria.
You can also call the Office for Food Labeling for specific questions on labeling your product at : (202) 205-4606.
If your
food item
falls into the category of products that require labeling, LabelCalc is an intelligent cloud-based software that provides
FDA
approved labels for your
food products
.
Please contact us
for all of your labeling needs to assure you are ready to import your product into the
United States
.