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Guidance for Industry: Determination of Status as a Qualified Facility

FinalCenter for Veterinary Medicine Human Foods Program09/17/2018

Description

Determination of Status as a Qualified Facility under Part 117: Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food and Part 507: Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals

Scope & Applicability

Product Classes

4
Human Food

Food intended for human consumption subject to Part 117; Food manufactured, processed, packed, or held

Animal Food

Food intended for animal consumption subject to Part 507; Food for animal consumption manufactured, processed, packed, or held; Subject of the preventive controls regulation; Product manufactured by contract feed mills

Qualified Facility

A facility status defined under part 117 subject to specific modified requirements.

Very Small Business

A business category defined by annual human food sales and market value thresholds.

Stakeholders

10
Qualified Facility

A facility subject to modified requirements based on size or sales; Status based on sales and market value thresholds; A facility that is a very small business or meets specific sales criteria to qualified end-users; Facility type eligible for modified requirements

Contract Feed Mill

Entity manufacturing animal food without sale

Receiving Facility

Manufacturer/processor covered by preventive controls requirements; Manufacturer/processor receiving ingredients from a supplier

Supplier

Facility supplying raw materials or ingredients; Facility providing raw materials to a manufacturer

Very Small Business

A business averaging less than $1,000,000 in annual sales of human food; Definition based on average annual sales plus market value; Business averaging less than $2,500,000 in annual sales of animal food

Qualified End-User

A consumer, restaurant, or retail food establishment meeting specific location criteria; Consumer of food or a restaurant/retail food establishment within specific distance

Subsidiary

An entity that may meet the definition of a very small business independently of its parent.; Company owned or controlled directly or indirectly by another company

Affiliate

An entity whose sales must be included in the calculation if it is related to the facility.; Facility that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with another facility

Contract Processor

A facility that processes food for a fee, such as spice irradiation.

Contract Packager

A facility that packages food for a fee.

Regulatory Context

Attributes

5
Market Value

Value of food held without sale used for status calculations; Value of food manufactured, processed, packed, or held; Value of food manufactured, processed, packed, or held without sale; Calculated based on commodity price for broiler feed

Inflation-Adjusted Value

Threshold posted on FDA website for status determination

Annual Sales

Financial metric for determining business size status

Inflation-Adjusted Annual Sales

Financial threshold for determining facility status

Inflation-adjusted threshold

The $1,000,000 limit used to determine very small business status.; The $2,500,000 limit for very small businesses adjusted for inflation

Identified Hazards

Hazards

1
Foodborne illness

Outbreaks of this hazard may trigger a for-cause inspection.; Outbreak associated with food produced at a facility; Outbreak associated with animal food triggering for-cause inspection; Risk associated with outbreaks triggering for-cause inspections

Related CFR Sections (13)

Related Warning Letters (10)

  • CGMP/Animal Food/Adulterated

    King Farm

    2025-12-23
  • CGMP/Food/Prepared, Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated/L. monocytogenes

    Compass Group USA

    2025-11-11
  • CGMP/Food/Prepared, Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated

    Gracie's Kitchens, Inc.

    2025-09-30
  • CGMP/Food/Prepared, Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated

    Hans Bakery Inc. d/b/a Andersen’s Bakery

    2025-09-30
  • CGMP/Food/Prepared, Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated

    Tan Nam Corporation

    2025-09-30
  • Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP)

    Eurobread Inc. dba First Harvest

    2025-08-26
  • Seafood HACCP/CGMP for Foods/Adulterated

    Chaohu Daxin Foodstuffs Co., Ltd.

    2025-08-19
  • CGMP/Food for Animals/Prepared, Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated

    J.D. Heiskell Holdings LLC

    2025-07-08
  • CGMP/Food for Animals/Prepared, Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated

    Lystn LLC dba Answers Pet Food

    2025-07-08
  • CGMP/Food/Prepared, Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated

    Marin Baking LLC

    2025-06-24

See Also (8)