In 2016, as part of an amendment to food facility registration processes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would require food facilities to provide a Unique Facility Identifier (UFI) as part of their FDA registration. To date, DU-N-S® numbers are the only UFIs recognized by FDA.
Guidance for Industry: Enforcement Policy for Providing
Originally, facilities were required to submit the UFI number when registering or renewing with FDA as of October 1, 2020. However, in December 2020, FDA provided a 90-day extension from the time a facility registered or renewed to update its registration with a UFI number. The extension was in response to industry concerns that food facilities were unable to obtain a UFI in a timely manner.
On March 30, 2021, FDA again extended the deadline to Dec. 31, 2022. In an email to industry, FDA explained the reason behind this extension is that food facilities have continued to report that a UFI “has remained difficult to obtain.”
Don’t Wait to Get Your UFI
Given the long delays and significant difficulties the industry has faced in trying to obtain the UFI, we suggest you begin the process, if you have not already done so, as soon as possible. Failure to update your registration with a valid UFI before the deadline may result in cancellation of your registration.