Does FDA provide an official FSVP supplier evaluation template?

FDA publishes a list of the records the FSVP regulation requires, and FDA guidance explaining each requirement, but the FDA pages cited here do not provide a fill-in supplier evaluation form. Importers build their own records or use third-party templates.

What must an FSVP supplier evaluation include?

Under 21 CFR 1.505(a)(1), the hazard analysis, the entity controlling each hazard, the supplier's food safety practices, its compliance with FDA regulations including warning letters and import alerts, its food safety history, and other relevant factors, all documented.

Who signs an FSVP supplier evaluation?

A qualified individual must perform FSVP activities under 21 CFR 1.503, and FSVP records must be signed and dated when completed and when modified under 1.510(a)(2). Only the importer may approve the supplier.

Can I use one FSVP evaluation for all foods from one supplier?

No. FDA requires an FSVP for each food and each foreign supplier, so each food from a supplier needs its own record, although supplier-level sections can be shared.

How often should I update the template for each supplier?

Whenever you learn new information about the evaluation factors, promptly, and at least every 3 years, under 21 CFR 1.505(c). Record each update with a new signature and date.

Guide

FSVP supplier evaluation template

Updated October 22, 20267 min read7 primary sources

A usable FSVP supplier evaluation template has one record per food and foreign supplier, with fields for the hazard analysis reference, the entity that controls each hazard, the supplier's food safety practices, its FDA compliance information (import alerts, warning letters, refusals, inspections and recalls), its food safety history, the approval decision, the verification activities and their frequency, the next reevaluation date, and the qualified individual's signature and date. SupplierRadar's free template follows that structure, which mirrors 21 CFR 1.505 and 1.506; it is a starting point for your own evaluation, not a substitute for it.

Key facts

One record per: Food and foreign supplier pair
Built on: 21 CFR 1.505 (evaluation, approval) and 1.506 (verification)
Must be: Signed and dated when completed and when modified (1.510(a)(2))
Reevaluate: On new information, and at least every 3 years (1.505(c))
Price: Free

Download the free template (PDF)Blank, 2 pages, sections A to K

What fields does an FSVP supplier evaluation template need?

The template has eleven sections. Each answers a specific requirement, so an FDA investigator reviewing your FSVP records can trace every field back to the regulation.

Template sections and the regulation each one answers

Section	Fields	Regulation
A. Supplier and food	Supplier legal name, address, country, FEI number, contact; the food, FDA product code, and whether you are the FSVP importer or rely on another entity	1.500 (foreign supplier, importer); 1.502(a)
B. Hazard analysis	Reference to the written hazard analysis, each hazard requiring a control, and who performed or reviewed it	1.504; 1.505(a)(1)(i)
C. Who controls each hazard	The supplier, its raw material supplier, or another entity in your chain, per hazard	1.505(a)(1)(ii)
D. Supplier's food safety practices	Summary of procedures, processes and practices; documents reviewed (food safety plan, certifications)	1.505(a)(1)(iii)(A)
E. FDA compliance information	Import alerts (number, list, date published), warning letters, import refusals (date, charge codes), inspection classifications, recalls; the source and date of each check	1.505(a)(1)(iii)(B)
F. Food safety history	Test results, audit results, complaints, and how the supplier responded to past problems	1.505(a)(1)(iii)(C)
G. Other factors	Storage, transportation and anything else relevant	1.505(a)(1)(iv)
H. Approval decision	Approved, not approved, or temporary use with verification before import; the reasoning	1.505(b); 1.506(a)(1)
I. Verification activities	Onsite audit, sampling and testing, records review or other activity; the frequency; for hazards with serious health consequences, the annual audit or a written justification	1.506(d), 1.506(e)
J. Reevaluation	Next reevaluation due date (no later than 3 years) and a log of new information and what you decided	1.505(c)
K. Sign-off	Qualified individual's name, qualifications, signature and date; your review and assessment if another entity did the work	1.503; 1.505(d); 1.510(a)(2)

How do you fill in the FDA compliance section?

Section E is the part that depends on public FDA records, which change after you file the evaluation. For each record type, write what you found, where you found it and the date you looked. An empty result is worth recording too: no listing found on a dated search is evidence you did the check.

Section E, one row per record type

Record type	Where to check	What to record
Import alerts	FDA import alert search, by firm name and by the supplier's country and product	Alert number, list (red, green or yellow), products, date published; or none found
Warning letters	FDA Warning Letters page	Date, subject, whether a close-out letter is posted; or none found
Import refusals	FDA Data Dashboard (refusals since 10/01/2016)	Refusal dates, products and charge codes; or none found
Inspections	FDA Data Dashboard inspection classifications	Inspection dates and NAI, VAI or OAI classification
Recalls	FDA Enforcement Report	Recall dates, classification and product; or none found

Then record what it means for this food. FDA's 2023 FSVP guidance says a warning letter or import alert should not necessarily disqualify a supplier, but you should consider the supplier's corrective actions. Cover every listing: in a warning letter dated October 9, 2025 (CMS 711329), FDA cited an importer whose evaluation documented one of a supplier's three import alerts but not the other two.

Do you need one template per food or per supplier?

Per pair. FDA's FSVP rule page says an FSVP is required for each food and each foreign supplier. If you buy one food from three suppliers, fill in three records; if you buy three foods from one supplier, also three. Sections A, D, E and F can be copied between records for the same supplier, but sections B, C and I depend on the food.

Does the template work for very small importers?

Partly. A very small importer that chooses the modified requirements in 21 CFR 1.512 is not required to perform the 1.504 to 1.508 steps. It must instead document its very small importer status before first importing and annually by December 31, and obtain written assurance from each supplier before importing and at least every 2 years. For that path, use sections A and K plus a written assurance record rather than the full evaluation.

What record-keeping rules apply to the completed template?

Keep it as an original, a true copy or an electronic record (1.510(a)(1)).
Sign and date it when first completed and whenever modified (1.510(a)(2)).
Make it available promptly to FDA on request; offsite records must be retrievable within 24 hours (1.510(b)).
Records may be in another language, but provide an English translation within a reasonable time if FDA asks (1.510(b)(1)).
Keep evaluation results for at least 2 years after you stop using them (1.510(c)(2)).

How do you get the template, and what does SupplierRadar fill in?

The blank template is free to download from this page. SupplierRadar's paid plans add a dated evaluation PDF for each watched supplier that covers section E for you: the supplier's details and FEI, the date and time of the check, every FDA source checked with its last update date, the list of events, and blank fields for your decision and signature. The PDF states that it summarizes public data and does not replace your own evaluation.

Download the free template (PDF)Blank, 2 pages, sections A to K

Frequently asked questions

Does FDA provide an official FSVP supplier evaluation template?: FDA publishes a list of the records the FSVP regulation requires, and FDA guidance explaining each requirement, but the FDA pages cited here do not provide a fill-in supplier evaluation form. Importers build their own records or use third-party templates.
What must an FSVP supplier evaluation include?: Under 21 CFR 1.505(a)(1), the hazard analysis, the entity controlling each hazard, the supplier's food safety practices, its compliance with FDA regulations including warning letters and import alerts, its food safety history, and other relevant factors, all documented.
Who signs an FSVP supplier evaluation?: A qualified individual must perform FSVP activities under 21 CFR 1.503, and FSVP records must be signed and dated when completed and when modified under 1.510(a)(2). Only the importer may approve the supplier.
Can I use one FSVP evaluation for all foods from one supplier?: No. FDA requires an FSVP for each food and each foreign supplier, so each food from a supplier needs its own record, although supplier-level sections can be shared.
How often should I update the template for each supplier?: Whenever you learn new information about the evaluation factors, promptly, and at least every 3 years, under 21 CFR 1.505(c). Record each update with a new signature and date.

Sources

Every legal and FDA-process claim above is cited to a primary source. Access dates show when each page was read.

0121 CFR part 1 subpart L, FSVP (eCFR)eCFR · accessed October 22, 2026
0221 CFR 1.505 (eCFR)eCFR · accessed October 22, 2026
0321 CFR 1.510 (eCFR)eCFR · accessed October 22, 2026
04FDA: FSVP Regulation Records RequirementsFDA · accessed October 22, 2026
05FDA FSVP Guidance for Industry (January 2023)FDA · accessed October 22, 2026
06FDA: FSMA Final Rule on Foreign Supplier Verification ProgramsFDA · accessed October 22, 2026
07FDA warning letter CMS 711329 (October 9, 2025)FDA · accessed October 22, 2026

Put it into practice

Let section E fill itself in

Watch your suppliers and download a dated PDF of each one's FDA import alerts, refusals, warning letters, inspections and recalls, with every source listed, ready for your FSVP file. Starter is free for 14 days, no card.

Get the evaluation PDF Check five suppliers free

SupplierRadar is not affiliated with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Data comes from public FDA records and may contain errors. This is not legal advice; importers remain responsible for their supplier evaluations.