{"data":{"id":"us/21-cfr-1.641","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"21 CFR 1.641","heading":"What legal authority must a third-party certification body have to qualify for accreditation?","body":"(a) A third-party certification body seeking accreditation from a recognized accreditation body or from FDA must demonstrate that it has the authority (as a governmental entity or as a legal entity with contractual rights) to perform such examinations of facilities, their process(es), and food(s) as are necessary to determine compliance with the applicable food safety requirements of the FD\u0026C Act and FDA regulations, and conformance with applicable industry standards and practices and to issue certifications where appropriate based on a review of the findings of such examinations. This includes authority to:\n(1) Review any relevant records;\n(2) Conduct onsite audits of an eligible entity; and\n(3) Suspend or withdraw certification for failure to comply with applicable requirements.\n(b) A third-party certification body seeking accreditation must demonstrate that it is capable of exerting the authority (as a governmental entity or as legal entity with contractual rights) necessary to meet the applicable requirements of accreditation under this subpart if accredited.","path":["Title 21—Food and Drugs","CHAPTER I—FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","SUBCHAPTER A—GENERAL","PART 1—GENERAL ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS","Subpart M—Accreditation of Third-Party Certification Bodies To Conduct Food Safety Audits and To Issue Certifications"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-21.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:24:47Z","sha256":"ca423eb933c27c3847d4d91c820674721db4909f01512e4cf6b0c74953bd3306","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/21-cfr-1.640","next":"us/21-cfr-1.642"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}