Frequently Requested Information

• How to Report a Problem with Food, Cosmetics, or Dietary Supplements

  • For all questions or problems related to meat and poultry, please contact USDA.

  • If you are a consumer and have a complaint or concern (you have not experienced an injury or illness) with a product, please contact a Complaint Coordinator.

  • If you are a consumer or health professional who wants to report an injury or illness related to a product, please complete an electronic Voluntary MedWatch form or paper Voluntary MedWatch form that can be mailed to FDA.

  • If you are an industry member and want to file a Voluntary Adverse Event Report, please complete an electronic Voluntary MedWatch form or paper Voluntary MedWatch form that can be mailed to FDA.

  • If you are an industry member and need to file a Mandatory Adverse Event Report about Dietary Supplements, please complete a Mandatory MedWatch Form. See Dietary Supplements - Reporting an Adverse Event for more information.

  • If you are an industry member and need to submit a Reportable Food Registry (RFR) report when there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals (excluding infant formula and dietary supplements), please visit the Safety Reporting Portal. For more information, visit the Reportable Food Registry page.

• What does FDA regulate?

• What doesn’t FDA regulate?

• Current Outbreak Information

• Resources from Other Government Agencies

• Contact Information for Other FDA Centers and Offices (Drugs, Tobacco, Devices, Biologics, and more)

For Industry

• Food Business Requirements - Starting a Food Business

• Guidance for Industry 

• Food Facility Registration

  • Facility Registration
  • What You Need To Know About Registration of Food Facilities; Small Entity Compliance Guide
  • Questions and Answers Regarding Food Facility Registration (Fifth Edition)

• Prior Notice

  • What You Need to Know about Prior Notice of Imported Food Shipments

• Reportable Food Registry

  • Reportable Food Registry for Industry
  • Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding the Reportable Food Registry as Established by the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 is a guidance document concerning submitting reports of instances of reportable food through the electronic portal and providing notifications to other persons in the supply chain of such articles of food.

• Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

• Retail Food Protection

• Generally Recognized as safe (GRAS)

• Food Contact Notices/Substances

• Bad Bug Book - Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook
   

For Consumers

• Current Outbreak Information

• Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts

• Food Facts for Consumers
  Fact sheets on key topics such as : 

  • Eggs
  • Raw Milk
  • Safe Food Handling
  • Eating Outdoors
  • Carbonated Soft Drinks
  • And much more!

• Education Resource Library
  Printable educational materials and videos on topics related to food safety, nutrition (including labeling and dietary supplements) and cosmetics.

Resources from Other Government Agencies

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Please contact CDC to ask questions about public health.
Toll-free Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) (Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MT)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
E-Mail: Contact CDC-INFO 

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Consumer & Food Safety Educators
  Please contact USDA to ask questions concerning meat and poultry and egg products.
  FSIS Virtual Representative available 24/7 at AskKaren.gov (English and Spanish)
  USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854)
     (Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; recorded messages available 24/7 in 
      English and Spanish)
  E-Mail: Meat and Poultry Hotline
• Business & Industry
  Please contact USDA to ask questions concerning meat and poultry.
  Policy Development Division
  Hotline: 1-800-233-3935 (Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT)
  Telephone: 402-344-5000
  Fax: 402-344-5005
  You may also use AskFSIS  to ask inspection/policy questions.  

Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Seafood Inspection Program
Please contact the Seafood Inspection Program to ask questions regarding inspection services for fish, shellfish, and fishery products.
Toll–free Telephone: 1-800-422-2750 (Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET)
Telephone: 301-427-8300
E-Mail: NOAA Seafood Inspection Program

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

Please contact CPSC for answers to questions regarding consumer products.
Toll-free Consumer Hotline: 1-800-638-2772 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET)
General Information: 301-504-7923 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET)
TTY: 1-800-638-8270, 301-595-7054 (Messages can be left at any time.)
E-Mail: CSPC Information Center

Department of Homeland Security

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• National Pesticide Information Center
  Please contact NPIC to ask questions regarding pesticides and pesticide-related topics.
  Toll-free Telephone: 1-800-858-7378 (Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PT; )
  Telephone: 541-737-6091
  Fax: 541-737-0761
  E-Mail: National Pesticide Information Center
• Safe Drinking Water Hotline
  Please contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline to ask questions regarding drinking water and groundwater programs.
  Toll-free Telephone: 1-800-426-4791
    (Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET; help is available in English and Spanish.)
  E-Mail: Ticket System

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Consumer Response Center
Contact FTC  to ask questions regarding fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace.
Toll-free Telephone: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) 
  (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET)
TTY: 1-866-653-4261
E-Mail: FTC Complaint Assistant

Department of the Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service
Please contact the Fish and Wildlife Service to ask questions regarding the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.
Toll-free Telephone: 1-800-344-WILD (1-800-344-9453)
  (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET; international calls can be made to this number
   although they will not necessarily be toll free.)
E-Mail: Office of External Affairs

Department of the Treasury

 By Phone:

  1-888-SAFEFOOD (1-888-723-3366)
 

 By Email:

  consumer@fda.gov and industry@fda.gov
 

 By Mail:

  Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
  Food and Drug Administration
  HFS 009
  5100 Paint Branch Parkway
  College Park, MD 20740