The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched a new electronic system that U.S. manufacturers and processors of milk products can use to request to be included on a list of eligible exporting facilities to facilitate meeting a foreign country’s requirements. Some foreign countries use a list to identify U.S. manufacturers and processors that are eligible to ship milk products to their countries.

The FDA has established and currently maintains country-specific lists for Chile, China, and the European Union (EU). Firms that are interested in exporting milk products from the United States to one or more of these countries can use the new electronic system to apply for inclusion on the applicable list(s), as appropriate. The foreign authority uses the FDA-prepared list to identify and publish its own list of approved firms. The FDA provides periodic updates that are shared with each country or region’s authority.

The FDA Unified Registration and Listing Systems (FURLS) Dairy Listing Module (DLM) allows U.S. manufacturers and processors of milk products to apply for inclusion on these lists, update listing information, and reapply for lists as necessary. The FDA will use the information collected through the DLM, the electronic application portal, to review the application and update the lists on a regular basis. The DLM improves the FDA’s ability to efficiently process firms’ requests to be added to the lists, monitor listed firms, and generate lists for foreign regulatory agencies.

Beginning July 25, 2016, new applications and biennial updates for currently listed firms will be processed using the DLM. Firms interested in exporting milk products to these countries may submit an application through the module to be considered for the applicable list(s). To ensure a successful transition to the electronic system, we strongly encourage U.S. manufacturers and processors of milk products that are currently listed on the Chile, China, or EU milk product lists to submit a new application via the DLM. Firms currently listed on the milk product list for Chile are due for a biennial update in September 2016. These firms should submit a new application for the Chile list via DLM.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm512735.htm