FDA Registration
All facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for human or animal consumption in the United States must register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food facilities that manufacture, process, or pack Acidified or Low Acid canned foods are considered to be Food Canning Establishments (FCE) and need additional registration.
Foods subject to FCE requirements are also subject to the Preventive Controls Rule and require a Food Safety plan unless an exemption applies to that particular food. Seafood and juice products are subject to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), so they do not require a Food Safety plan. USDA-regulated foods are not subject to the Preventive Controls Rule either.
The FDA requires most FDA-registered food establishments to create and implement a Food Safety plan. Companies subject to the Preventive Controls Rule (21 CFR 117) must designate a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) to develop the Food Safety plan.
AF/LACF manufacturers are required to register with LACF information including the name of the establishment, location of each establishment in which the processing is carried on, the processing method and a list of foods processed in each establishment (21 CFR 108.25(c)(1) and 21 CFR 108.35(c)(1)). After you register an establishment, FDA assign a Food Canning Establishment (FCE) number identifying the physical processing plant located at the address provided.
Acidified And Low-Acid Identification
Companies that produce Acidified or Low-Acid Canned Food (AF/LACF) products must complete their FCE registration and submit SID filings on each production process to FDA. Common examples of AFs/LACFs include canned tuna, canned roasted red peppers, and coconut water.
Food Coach’s specialist team can work with you to determine if your products qualify as AF/LACF and bring you into compliance with FCE-SID requirements.
Submission Identifier (SID) Verifier
Each unique process filing for AF/LACF gets assigned a unique Submission Identifier (SID) number. Verifying your FCE products’ Submission Identifier (SID) numbers before shipping helps avoid time-consuming detentions, entry errors, and low filer evaluations.