Lankan Embassy in US urges exporters to renew food facility registrations with FDA

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington DC, USA, is calling upon all Sri Lankan exporters of food and beverage products to USA to renew their registration with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before 31 December 2012.

This requirement has already been notified to all Sri Lankan exporters through the Sri Lanka Export Development Board and the Department of Commerce.

A seminar was also conducted by the EDB and the Department of Commerce in association with the US Embassy in Colombo in November 2012 highlighting the need for mandatory renewal of FDA registration for existing exporters to the US market.

The FDA may suspend the registration of those exporters who fail to comply with this requirement before the deadline of 31 December 2012. The Embassy wishes to reiterate that non compliance will result in a prohibition on the importation, distribution or sale of food from the exporters thus suspended.

The renewal of registration can be done online at http://www.fda.gov/

Food/Guidance Compliance Regulatory Information/RegistrationofFoodFacilities/default.htm

Furthermore, under the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA), it is essential that non-US companies designate a US agent to communicate with the FDA. The US agent thus appointed will serve as mode of communication between the FDA and the exporter.