FDA will start requiring food facilities to provide a Unique Facility Identifier (UFI) as part of their registration renewals in 2022. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) numbers are currently the only UFIs FDA recognizes.    

You can submit a request to receive a DUNS number online. It is important that the information contained in DUNS number submissions be accurate and complete, as erroneous information can prolong the process and increase costs. Registrar Corp helps clients obtain their DUNS numbers for free.  

FDA’s UFI Deadline Extensions  

FDA is enforcing the UFI requirement in accordance with food facility registration provisions included in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics (FD&C) Act in 2016. Originally, food facilities were required to submit UFIs when registering or renewing with FDA during the 2020 renewal period, but the industry expressed concerns about obtaining numbers before the deadline.  

In response, FDA released a guidance in December 2020 with information on what facilities should do if they were unable to obtain a DUNS number before the December 31 deadline. The guidance also extended the deadline for facilities to update their registrations with UFIs to 90 days after a facility registered or renewed. In March 2021, FDA extended the deadline again to December 2022. 

What is a UFI?    

All food facilities registered with FDA must provide a UFI upon registering and as part of the renewal process.  In 2020, FDA announced that DUNS numbers were the only UFI accepted by FDA. DUNS numbers, assigned and managed by Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), are unique 9-digit codes that identify facilities. FDA uses UFIs to verify that the facility-specific address associated with the DUNS number is the same address associated with the facility’s registration. FDA requires a DUNS number per facility, not per company. Each company must have a separate DUNS number for each food facility.   

How to Obtain Your UFI  

Facilities can submit a request to receive their DUNS numbers through the D&B online portal. If you are a new user, you will need to complete the registration form.  Upon completion, you will receive an email that will allow you to activate your user account. 

The Cost of Inaccurate Information    

Requesting a DUNS number is free, but you are only allotted 4 requests per facility, which must be performed within 90 days of user registration.  After the 90-day window or the 4 requests, you must pay a fee for premium services for each request you submit. If D&B has the wrong information, you will need to use one of your allotted requests to change the information.  

Since FDA requires each facility to have a separate DUNS number, D&B may have an existing DUNS number for your company, but it might not be for the correct facility, or it might be old information. If your facility’s name changes, and D&B can’t find your facility, the search for your facility will count as a request. If you don’t respond in 48 hours, D&B will close out the request and you must submit a new inquiry.  

An Easier Way to Obtain Your UFI  

Although the standard service is free, changes in information or user errors can result in additional inquiries, which increases the overall cost of obtaining your UFI.  

When you work with Registrar Corp, we submit changes in information on your behalf, and you are not charged for those additional inquiries. We will respond to D&B’s questions regarding your open requests so that issues are handled in a more efficient and timely manner. We also provide assistance in different languages and can expedite your request at no cost as your FDA agent. 

Since many FDA-registered food facilities will be clamoring to request their DUNS numbers during the 2020 renewal period, companies should take care to minimize delays as much as possible. Outsourcing this task could improve efficiency and accuracy so that you receive your DUNS number before registering with FDA.