State and Federal Regulations for Food Processors

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA)

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Regional Offices

Contact the PDA main office in Harrisburg at 717-787-4315 or by email at RA-FoodSafety@pa.gov for questions on state food regulations and to make an appointment for an inspection.

Requirements for Commercial Food Establishments (FE)

Establishments under this program include a building, or place or part of a building, or vehicle that is maintained, used, or operated for the purpose of commercially storing, packaging, making, cooking, mixing, processing, bottling, baking, canning, freezing, packing or otherwise preparing or transporting or handling food.

• For specific product testing, record keeping, and minimum temperature/time processing requirements for acid, acidified, or low-acid canned foods and other food products, visit PDA's Commercial Food Establishments website.

Requirements for Limited Food Establishments (LFE)

The Department will allow some 'limited' types of commercial food processing to occur in a residential or home-style kitchen. There are certain modified requirements that may not meet all of those in the full state regulatory code. Read the Penn State Extension article "Home-Style Kitchen Food Processing (Limited Food Establishments)" for further information.

• For specific product testing, record keeping, and minimum temperature/time processing requirements for acid, acidified, or low-acid canned foods and other food products, visit PDA's Limited Food Establishment website. 

Registration of food business with PDA

All food businesses must register with PDA. There is a $35 fee (made payable to the "Commonwealth of PA") which must be renewable annually.

There are only two exemptions to this requirement;

1. Honey products produced or processed on the farm in which the food establishment is located are exempt from the fee, but still must register, and
2. Vehicles used primarily for the transportation of consumer commodities in bulk or quantity to manufacturers, packers, processors, or wholesale or retail distributors are not required to register.

You may obtain an application at your Regional Office. Once approved, you will be contacted for an on-site inspection of the establishment. Upon a compliant inspection, your registration fee of $35.00 will be collected.

Guidelines for Food Establishment Construction Sanitary Practices

Available at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) website.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)

All food manufacturing and processing businesses must comply with general food safety standards written in 21CFR Part 117 (GMPs). Use this Checklist from PDA to evaluate the extent to which your facility is in compliance with GMPs.

Federal Food Regulations

Federal Food Facility Registration

Under the federal Bioterrorism Act of 2002, all commercial facilities that manufacture, process, pack, receive, or hold food must register with the Food and Drug Administration. This requirement is in addition to state registration. Limited Food Establishments (homes), farms, retail operations, and USDA-regulated Meat and Poultry processors are not required to register. Registration online is quick and easy and there is no cost involved for creating an account and filling out the form.

Another option is to fill out the paper registration form and mail or fax it FDA. You may download the paper form and send it to FDA at U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Facility Registration (HFS-681), 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20740. Or fax it to (301) 436-2804.  

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 is the most sweeping change to how foods are regulated in the U.S. Under FSMA, all facilities required to register with FDA must comply with the "Good Manufacturing Practices and Preventive Controls for Human Food" (PC Human Food) regulation. The full requirements of the rule include attendance at an approved training course or knowledge otherwise obtained by experience, and a written food safety plan which includes a hazard analysis and preventive controls in place for safety.

Visit the Penn State Extension FSMA website for details on the regulation, possible exemptions, and where to find PC Human Food training.

For FDA guidance on federal nutritional labeling requirements, visit the FDA website.

Acidified and Low-Acid Food Regulatory Requirements

This article describes federal regulations issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for processors of low-acid and acidified shelf-stable foods.

Standards of Identity Regulations

Standards of identity describe what a food product must contain in order for it to be labeled and marketed under its generally recognized name. For instance, mayonnaise must contain a specified range of vegetable oil, egg yolks or egg yolk ingredients, and vinegar or lemon juice. If any of these ingredients do meet the standard, the product cannot be labeled as mayonnaise.

• Standards for Commercial Jam and Jelly manufacturing: Many small-scale processors manufacture jams and jellies. Uniform quality standards for fruit butters, jellies, preserves, and related products are specified in federal standards of identity.

USDA Food Composition Databases

This website allows you to search the USDA Food Composition Databases.

U.P.C., Barcodes, and GS1 Company Prefixes

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