Do you sell, or plan on selling, products that are regulated by the FDA? If you sell anything meant to be consumed internally by a person or a pet, then the answer is probably “yes.” The FDA regulates a wide range of products, including foods, human and veterinary drugs, vaccines, medical devices intended for human use, radiation-emitting electronic products, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and tobacco products.
If you sell FDA-regulated products, there are a number of things you will have to do to ensure you are doing business in a way that complies with the FDA’s standards. First and foremost, you will need to make sure that any storage and shipment facilities you use are also in compliance. This is where your products are the most vulnerable. If you do not have the resources in-house to ensure compliance, you might need to look into outsourcing to a 3PL with the appropriate facility and procedures.
Here, then, is what you should look for:
Buyer beware: Any organization can claim that they are an “FDA facility.” But this phrase means next to nothing. Unless they have undergone a thorough check and received approval from the FDA, there is a potential that they are in violation of FDA regulations. Additionally, an approved facility will have certification of climate control within the facility, as well as being capable of carrying food-grade items.
Another key feature here is to look for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certification. OSHA certification will guarantee the facility can safely and securely store and ship perishable items.
Most products have a range in which they will stay maximally fresh and ready for consumer use. Temperatures outside of that range risk spoiling the product. If your products need to stay within a specific temperature range, it is well worth asking not only what temperatures are maintained, but how:
Again, your specific products will dictate the kind of temperature control that you need. Just be aware that there are more types of storage than just “refrigerated” or “unrefrigerated.” With many products, controlling the variance in temperature is much more important than keeping the products cool!
Pests are a constant worry, no matter where your facilities are located. In fact, most pests come in with products themselves! Every facility should have measures in place to ensure that these pests are contained and pose no risk to products. Some examples include:
There are several other policies that need to be in place (and enforced) to guarantee a clean, risk-free facility. While some of these are common sense, all of them need to have explicit safeguards in place to make sure anti-contamination policies are being followed. For example:
Even if your storage facility is perfect, there’s a chance that a given lot can go bad in the manufacturing or shipping process. This is when keeping adequate records is extremely important.
Tracking inventory by manufacturing lot or expiration date requires having the right kind of software. Items should be trackable at each stage, from receiving to storage to shipping.
This kind of tracking is crucially important in the case of returns or recalls on items. When looking at a facility, you should ask:
Many merchants will take the time to comply with FDA requirements in their own facilities but then fail to do their due diligence when it comes to their partners and vendors. Remember that any company with a role to play in shipping, logistics, or fulfillment also needs to meet the FDA’s requirements, if you are dealing with FDA-regulated products.
Our own company deals with such products all the time, and we have special facility and processes to bring these capabilities to our clients. If you would like to learn more about our FDA-registered facility, just reach out today!