FDA Facility Registration for Cricket Flour: Step-by-Step Guide

Every facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for human consumption must be FDA registered. That includes cricket flour facilities. This isn't a requirement only for large operations, any facility producing cricket flour for human consumption, regardless of size, must be registered with FDA through the FURLS portal before selling commercially.

This guide walks you through the registration process step by step, explains when registration is required, and covers the biennial renewal obligation that catches many small producers off guard.

TL;DR

• FDA assigns a unique facility registration number (in the format 3XXXXXXXXXX for domestic facilities)
• FDA facility registration must be renewed every two years during the October 1-December 31 window in even-numbered years
• Registration lapses if not renewed during the October 1-December 31 window in even-numbered years
• Exemptions that may apply (but often don't for cricket flour producers)
• Does every cricket flour producer need to register with the FDA?
• How do I register my cricket flour facility with the FDA?
• What happens if I forget to renew my FDA facility registration?

Step 3: Complete the Food Facility Registration (Form 3537)

In the FURLS portal:

1.

• Select "Register a Food Facility" from the registration options

2.

• Choose "Domestic Facility" if your facility is in the US

3.

• Enter the facility information, DBA names, contact information, and product categories

4.

• Complete the emergency contact information (required)

5.

• Every facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for human consumption must be FDA registered.
• Most cricket flour producers who sell to human food markets do need to register.

Does Every Cricket Flour Producer Need to Register with the FDA?

Most cricket flour producers who sell to human food markets do need to register. The key question is whether your facility "manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for human consumption."

If you're producing cricket flour, even at a small scale in a shared commercial kitchen, and selling it for human consumption, registration is almost certainly required if your sales cross state lines.

Exemptions that may apply (but often don't for cricket flour producers):

• Farms that are not engaged in manufacturing or processing activities (a farm that sells live crickets only, not processed flour)
• Retail food establishments (restaurants that make food directly to consumers on-site, not manufacturers)
• Certain very small operations that qualify for the "qualified exemption" under FSMA

Most commercial cricket flour producers do not qualify for meaningful exemptions. When in doubt, consult an FDA regulatory attorney familiar with FSMA.

How to Register Your Cricket Flour Facility with the FDA

Step 1: Gather Required Information

Before starting the FURLS registration, have the following ready:

• Legal name and address of the facility
• All "doing business as" (DBA) names used by the facility
• Name and contact information of the owner, operator, or agent in charge
• FDA product categories covered by your registration (for cricket flour: "Bakery Products / Mixes and Prepared Doughs" or "Other Food Ingredients", confirm the most current categorization at time of registration)
• US agent contact information (required for foreign facilities; not required for domestic facilities)

Step 2: Access the FURLS Portal

Go to the FDA's FURLS (Unified Registration and Listing System) portal at https://www.access.fda.gov. Create an account if you don't have one. FDA.gov login credentials work for the FURLS portal.

Step 3: Complete the Food Facility Registration (Form 3537)

In the FURLS portal:

1. Select "Register a Food Facility" from the registration options
2. Choose "Domestic Facility" if your facility is in the US
3. Enter the facility information, DBA names, contact information, and product categories
4. Complete the emergency contact information (required)
5. Review the registration for accuracy before submitting

Step 4: Receive Your Registration Number

FDA assigns a unique facility registration number (in the format 3XXXXXXXXXX for domestic facilities). This number must appear on your food labeling for products covered by the registration. Keep it in your facility records.

The initial registration is free and typically processed immediately for online submissions.

Step 5: Submit Biennial Renewal

FDA facility registration must be renewed every two years during the October 1-December 31 window in even-numbered years. Set a reminder in your calendar. Missing the renewal window means your registration lapses, which is a violation that can result in FDA refusing food from your facility.

Renewal requires confirming or updating your facility information and attesting to accuracy. It's a straightforward process through the same FURLS portal.

What Happens If You Don't Register?

FDA has authority to require immediate cessation of distribution of unregistered facilities' food products. More practically, FDA inspectors checking shipping records can identify interstate cricket flour sales from facilities without matching FDA registrations. This is an increasingly common compliance issue as FDA's tracking of novel food categories, including insect protein, has increased.

FSMA Preventive Controls Connection

FDA facility registration is required before FSMA Preventive Controls compliance can be completed. You can't implement a food safety plan under FSMA for a facility that hasn't registered. Registration is the first step.

After registration, you need a written food safety plan, PCQI designation, and the full record-keeping system described in the FSMA record-keeping guide for cricket flour and the FDA compliance checklist for cricket flour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every cricket flour producer need to register with the FDA?

Any facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds cricket flour for human consumption and engages in interstate commerce must register with FDA. This includes most commercial cricket flour producers who sell outside their home state. Very small operations that qualify for FSMA Qualified Facility status still need to register, the modification is to some food safety plan requirements, not to registration itself.

How do I register my cricket flour facility with the FDA?

Register through FDA's FURLS portal at access.fda.gov. You'll need your facility's legal name and address, DBA names, contact information for the owner/operator, and your product category. Domestic facility registration is free and processed online. You'll receive a unique registration number that must appear on your product labels.

What happens if I forget to renew my FDA facility registration?

Registration lapses if not renewed during the October 1-December 31 window in even-numbered years. A lapsed registration means your facility is technically unregistered, which FDA treats as a violation. FDA can require you to cease distribution of your product from an unregistered facility. Set calendar reminders for renewal, this is a compliance obligation that cannot be delegated to "when I get around to it."

Do federal regulations differ from state regulations for cricket farming?

Yes. Federal oversight of insect production for human food falls primarily under FDA authority, including Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements. State regulations vary widely -- some states have specific insect production permits, others treat cricket farming under broader agricultural licensing frameworks. Operations selling across state lines must comply with both their state of production and the destination state's requirements. Check with your state department of agriculture and an attorney familiar with food law for current requirements.

What documentation should I keep to demonstrate regulatory compliance?

Maintain records of feed ingredient sourcing with supplier documentation, batch production records, environmental monitoring logs (temperature, humidity), mortality records, sanitation logs, and any third-party audit results. Buyers from food manufacturing companies increasingly require these records as part of their supplier qualification process, so keeping them organized from the start saves significant effort later.

How often should a cricket farm conduct internal food safety audits?

A minimum of one formal internal audit per quarter is a reasonable starting point for a commercial operation. The audit should cover environmental monitoring records, sanitation log completeness, pest control documentation, and critical control point records for your HACCP plan. Operations seeking third-party certification (SQF, BRC, or similar) should align internal audit frequency and format with the standard's requirements.

Sources

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) -- Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security
• North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture (NACIA)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
• USDA National Organic Program
• Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)

Get Started with CricketOps

Maintaining organized compliance records is much easier when you build the system from day one rather than reconstructing it before an audit. CricketOps keeps your batch records, environmental monitoring logs, and traceability data in one place so that responding to a buyer documentation request or a regulatory inquiry does not require hunting through spreadsheets and paper files.