• Decrease font size
  • Return font size to normal
  • Increase font size
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

About FDA

  • Print
  • Share
  • E-mail
-

What does FDA inspect?

En Español

FDA inspects manufacturers or processors of FDA-regulated products to verify that they comply with relevant regulations. Those inspected include

  • vaccine and drug manufacturers
  • blood banks
  • food processing facilities
  • dairy farms
  • animal feed processors

FDA also inspects

  • facilities that conduct studies in people (clinical trials)
  • laboratories that conduct studies in animals or microorganisms when these studies are used to apply for FDA approval of a medical product
  • foreign manufacturing and processing sites for FDA-regulated products that are sold in the United States
  • imported products at the border

FDA conducts several types of inspections to help protect consumers from unsafe products:

  • pre-approval inspection after a company submits an application to FDA to market a new product
  • routine inspection of a regulated facility
  • “for-cause” inspection to investigate a specific problem that has come to FDA’s attention

FDA makes available to the public certain frequently requested records of inspections in an electronic reading room. You would need to file a Freedom of Information request to obtain other records.

Basics Question toggle Show all related FDA Basics Questions

-

How helpful was this information?

                               

Not Helpful Arrow pointing to the rightVery Helpful


Please limit your feedback to 1000 characters.

Please limit your feedback to 1000 characters.

If you would like to ask a specific question, please visit our "Contact Us" page for more information about how to contact FDA.

Please note that any information you submit may become public or subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). For more information, read about our privacy policies and the FOIA.

-
-