FDA Launches Reportable Food Registry

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched the Reportable Food Registry (RFR), an electronic portal that food industry officials are required to use when they discover their products contain potential cases of foodborne illness.

Facilities that manufacture, process or hold food for consumption in the United States must tell the FDA within 24 hours if they find a reasonable probability that an article of food will cause severe health problems or death to a person or an animal. The requirements apply to any person who has to submit registration information to the FDA for a food facility that manufactures, processes, packs or holds food for human or animal consumption in the United States.

The reporting requirement applies to all foods and animal feed regulated by FDA, except infant formula and dietary supplements, which are covered by other regulatory requirements. Some examples of reasons a food may be reportable include bacterial contamination, allergen mislabeling or elevated levels of certain chemical components.