Skip to main content
          Skip to FDA Search
          Skip to in this section menu
          Skip to footer links


U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government

					Here’s how you know
          			Dot gov**The .gov means it’s official.**Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.
							      SSL**The site is secure.** The **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 
			U.S. Food and Drug Administration
				
        Search
            Menu
							
						Search FDA
									
									Submit search 
		Featured
							Contact FDA
	                FDA Guidance Documents
	                Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
	                Press Announcements
	                Warning Letters
	                Advisory Committees
	                En Español

					Products
            Food
							Drugs
							Medical Devices
							Radiation-Emitting Products
							Vaccines, Blood, and Biologics
							Animal and Veterinary
							Cosmetics
							Tobacco ProductsTopics
            About FDA
							Combination Products
							Regulatory Information
							Safety
							Emergency Preparedness
							International Programs
							News and Events
							Training and Continuing Education
							Inspections and Compliance
							Science and ResearchInformation For
            Consumers
	            Patients
	            Industry
	            Health Professionals
	            Federal, State and Local Officials 
 In this section:

                CFSAN Constituent Updates

CFSAN Constituent Updates Home
          Food
          News & Events from CFSAN
          CFSAN Constituent Updates
          FDA Issues Guidance for Industry about Model Accreditation Standards for Third-Party Certification BodiesCFSAN Constituent Updates FDA Issues Guidance for Industry about Model Accreditation Standards for Third-Party Certification Bodies
  
  	
    Share
    Post
    Linkedin

    Email
    PrintConstituent Update

December 6, 2016

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a guidance for industry entitled, “Third-Party Certification Body Accreditation for Food Safety Audits: Model Accreditation Standards.” The final guidance contains FDA recommendations on third-party certification body qualifications for accreditation to conduct food safety audits and to issue food and/or facility certifications under the voluntary third-party certification program established under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The FDA issued a draft version of this guidance in July 2015.

In November 2015, the FDA announced the implementing final rule “Accreditation of Third-Party Certification Bodies to Conduct Food Safety Audits and to Issue Certifications” that establishes a program for the accreditation of third-party certification bodies to conduct food safety audits and to certify that foreign food facilities and food produced by such facilities meet applicable FDA food safety requirements. This guidance serves as a companion document to the final rule and describes the standards for accreditation of third-party certification bodies as required by FSMA and the final rule.

In establishing the model standards, FDA looked to existing standards for certification bodies to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts and costs. We refer specifically to International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) recommendations.

**For More Information:**

Federal Register Notice: Guidance: Third-Party Certification Body Accreditation for Food Safety Audits: Model Accreditation Standards
	Guidance for Industry: Third-Party Certification Body Accreditation for Food Safety Audits: Model Accreditation Standards
	FSMA Final Rule on Accredited Third-Party Certification

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      12/12/2017
              
              
Regulated Product(s)
		 Food & BeveragesCFSAN Constituent Updates
 
 Footer Links
    FDA Archive
          About FDA
          Accessibility
      Visitor Information
          Website Policies / Privacy
          No FEAR Act
          Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
      FOIA
          HHS.gov
          USA.gov
    Contact FDA
      Follow FDA on Facebook
      Follow FDA on X
      Follow FDA on Instagram
      Follow FDA on LinkedIn
      View FDA videos on YouTube
      Subscribe to FDA RSS feeds
    FDA Homepage
    Contact Number
      1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) Back toTop