FDA Stories #004 — A Brazilian Coffee Exporter's DUNS Number Had the Wrong Company Name for Two Years

A basmati rice mill in Karachi had been selling domestically and across the Gulf states for over a decade. When a buyer in New York expressed interest in importing their rice, the mill owner searched online for 'FDA registration service' and found a company that promised fast registration with a certificate.

He paid $2,400 by wire transfer. Two weeks later, he received a PDF: a certificate with the FDA logo, a registration number, a gold embossed seal, and the words 'FDA Approved Food Facility.' It looked impressive. He sent it to his New York buyer.

The buyer checked

The New York buyer was experienced. He knew that the FDA does not issue certificates for food facility registration. He knew that the FDA does not 'approve' food facilities. He searched the registration number on the FDA's public system. Nothing came up. The facility was not registered.

The buyer called the mill owner and told him: your certificate is fake, your facility is not registered, and I cannot import your rice. The mill owner was devastated. He had paid $2,400 and had nothing.

What actually happened

The company he paid was a scam operation — one of dozens that target food manufacturers in South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. They collect payment, generate a fake PDF with the FDA logo (which is a federal crime, incidentally — unauthorized use of a government seal), and disappear. They never filed anything with the FDA. The registration number on the certificate was fabricated.

The mill owner contacted us through a referral. We completed his actual FDA registration in 4 business days: DUNS number acquisition, FDA food facility registration through the real FDA FURLS system, and US Agent designation. Total cost: $449. The registration was verifiable in the FDA's own system. No fake certificate. No gold seal. Just a real registration number that his buyer could confirm.

How to tell if your registration is real

The FDA does not issue registration certificates. If someone gave you a certificate with an FDA logo, it is fake. The FDA does not approve food facilities — registration is a compliance filing, not an approval. The only way to verify a food facility registration is through the FDA's own system. If your provider cannot show you your registration in the FDA's system — not on a PDF they created, but in the actual government portal — you are not registered.

If you have any doubt about whether your current FDA registration is real, contact us at fdabridge.com/contact. We will check it for you at no cost.