Food and Drug Unit | Louisiana Department of Health
Source: http://dhh.louisiana.gov/bureau-of-sanitarian-services/food-and-drug-unit
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:16
Food and Drug Unit | Louisiana Department of Health
Bureau of Sanitarian Services
Food and Drug Unit
Food and Drug Unit
The Food and Drug Unit of the Office of Public Health regulates a variety of activities and processes pertaining to food, drugs, and cosmetics in the state of Louisiana. Regulated facilities include food-manufacturing facilities; drug-manufacturing facilities; food and drug storage warehouses; ice-manufacturing plants; ice-vending units; bottled water facilities; acidified- and low-acid canned foods processors; food banks; breweries; wineries; wholesale producers of value-added seafood products (such as gumbos and etouffees); beef and poultry product storage warehouses; medical-gas manufacturers and trans-fillers; medical-gas distribution facilities; UV tanning facilities; commercial body art (tattooing, permanent makeup, and body piercing) facilities; and water-vending units.
FDU inspectors conduct inspections on behalf of the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of the Federal Inspection Program (FIP) contract. Staff members issue thousands of export certificates and certificates of free sale annually.
Please note that for assistance with retail operations like restaurants and grocery stores, you must contact your
local parish health unit sanitarian
.
As of July 1, 2025, all new plans or plans for substantial renovation of existing facilities require the submission of a plans-review fee of $100 for a standard (10 or fewer business days) or $1,000 for an expedited (5 or fewer business days) plan review. This fee must be paid at the time of submission, either electronically through our Digital Health Department software or by means of submitting a cashier's check or money order payable to "LDH" or "Louisiana Department of Health." Your inspector can give you additional information on this matter.
Resources
Food Manufacturing and Distribution
Online Permit Renewal Payment by Credit Card
:
This system is for permits to operate only.
You cannot renew a Certificate of Registration online. Also, this system cannot be used for UV Tanning or Commercial Body Art registration renewals.
FDU Revenue Worksheet
FDA Food Facility Registration Information and Form
: Contains the information a new food firm needs to register with FDA per FFD&C Act requirements
Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury
: Regulates the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages in the U.S.; this agency issues label approval documents for beverage products >6% ABV (alcohol-by-volume)
Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control
: Regulates the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages within the state of Louisiana
Post-disaster food handling information
: A listing of documents from various public and private sources characterizing best practices for handling food products after a hurricane or other disaster event
Color additive listing
: Approved color additives for foods and the uses for which they are accepted by the FDA
Major food allergen information for FALCPA compliance
: Food Facts document on major food allergens
FDA Food Defense Planning Tool
: Designed to help food facilities of all kinds develop food defense plans to prevent the possibility of intentional contamination of food products introduced into the supply chain
HARPC/FSMA Preventive Controls
Food Safety Plan Worksheets: Documents from the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance that may be used as templates for developing your firm's Food Safety Plan as required by Subpart C of Section 117 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations
HACCP
SSOP/HACCP record-keeping document templates
Seafood HACCP guidance/training information
Drug Manufacturing and Distribution
FDA Drug Registration Information and Form
: Contains the information a new drug firm needs to register with the FDA per FFD&C Act requirements
Louisiana State Board of Wholesale Drug Distributors
: Regulates the distribution of legend drugs and devices at wholesale in Louisiana
Louisiana State Board of Pharmacy
: Regulates the operation of retail pharmacies and the licensing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other allied professions in Louisiana
Labeling and Registration
FDA Food Labeling Guidance Document
: Useful information on basic label requirements
GS1 US
: Website for the firm formerly known as the Uniform Code Council; this is the entity responsible for issuing Universal Product Codes
Louisiana Secretary of State Commercial Division
: All companies doing business in Louisiana are required to register with the Secretary of State
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Agricultural Marketing Division
: Administers the "Certified Cajun" and "Certified Product of Louisiana" logo programs
The Ins and Outs of Food Labeling, Part 1
: A PowerPoint training presentation on food labels created by North Dakota State University
The Ins and Outs of Food Labeling, Part 2
: A PowerPoint training presentation on food labels created by North Dakota State University
Food Product Labeling Basics Fact Sheet
: A brief guide to food labels from Oklahoma State University
Label Layout Guide
: Label layout guidance from Food Consulting Company
Pet Foods/Animal Feeds
FDA Pet Food Facility Registration
: Information on the FDA's federal regulation of these products
LDAF Office of Agricultural Marketing and Chemistry
: Reviews and approves new animal and pet food formulations
Find Your Inspector
Find the inspector for food and drug firms in your area
Product Recalls
If you need to report a recall for a food or drug product you manufacture or distribute to the department, contact our recall
hotline
24 hours a day/7 days a week.
For more information, contact your regional inspector or choose one of the program areas below:
Acidified/Low-Acid Canned Foods
|
Bottled Water
|
Commercial Body Art
|
Cosmetics
|
Drugs
Export Certificates
|
Food Processing Plans and Recall Plans
|
Food Manufacturing
Food Storage and Distribution
|
Ice-Vending Units and Ice Plants
|
Product Registration
|
UV Tanning
Water Vending Units and Water Stores
To contact our permit unit, please call
225-342-7522
.
Surgeon General
Evelyn Griffin, MD
Secretary
Bruce D. Greenstein
Powered by
Cicero Government
Bureau of Sanitarian Services
Food and Drug Unit
Food and Drug Unit
The Food and Drug Unit of the Office of Public Health regulates a variety of activities and processes pertaining to food, drugs, and cosmetics in the state of Louisiana. Regulated facilities include food-manufacturing facilities; drug-manufacturing facilities; food and drug storage warehouses; ice-manufacturing plants; ice-vending units; bottled water facilities; acidified- and low-acid canned foods processors; food banks; breweries; wineries; wholesale producers of value-added seafood products (such as gumbos and etouffees); beef and poultry product storage warehouses; medical-gas manufacturers and trans-fillers; medical-gas distribution facilities; UV tanning facilities; commercial body art (tattooing, permanent makeup, and body piercing) facilities; and water-vending units.
FDU inspectors conduct inspections on behalf of the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of the Federal Inspection Program (FIP) contract. Staff members issue thousands of export certificates and certificates of free sale annually.
Please note that for assistance with retail operations like restaurants and grocery stores, you must contact your
local parish health unit sanitarian
.
As of July 1, 2025, all new plans or plans for substantial renovation of existing facilities require the submission of a plans-review fee of $100 for a standard (10 or fewer business days) or $1,000 for an expedited (5 or fewer business days) plan review. This fee must be paid at the time of submission, either electronically through our Digital Health Department software or by means of submitting a cashier's check or money order payable to "LDH" or "Louisiana Department of Health." Your inspector can give you additional information on this matter.
Resources
Food Manufacturing and Distribution
Online Permit Renewal Payment by Credit Card
:
This system is for permits to operate only.
You cannot renew a Certificate of Registration online. Also, this system cannot be used for UV Tanning or Commercial Body Art registration renewals.
FDU Revenue Worksheet
FDA Food Facility Registration Information and Form
: Contains the information a new food firm needs to register with FDA per FFD&C Act requirements
Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury
: Regulates the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages in the U.S.; this agency issues label approval documents for beverage products >6% ABV (alcohol-by-volume)
Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control
: Regulates the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages within the state of Louisiana
Post-disaster food handling information
: A listing of documents from various public and private sources characterizing best practices for handling food products after a hurricane or other disaster event
Color additive listing
: Approved color additives for foods and the uses for which they are accepted by the FDA
Major food allergen information for FALCPA compliance
: Food Facts document on major food allergens
FDA Food Defense Planning Tool
: Designed to help food facilities of all kinds develop food defense plans to prevent the possibility of intentional contamination of food products introduced into the supply chain
HARPC/FSMA Preventive Controls
Food Safety Plan Worksheets: Documents from the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance that may be used as templates for developing your firm's Food Safety Plan as required by Subpart C of Section 117 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations
HACCP
SSOP/HACCP record-keeping document templates
Seafood HACCP guidance/training information
Drug Manufacturing and Distribution
FDA Drug Registration Information and Form
: Contains the information a new drug firm needs to register with the FDA per FFD&C Act requirements
Louisiana State Board of Wholesale Drug Distributors
: Regulates the distribution of legend drugs and devices at wholesale in Louisiana
Louisiana State Board of Pharmacy
: Regulates the operation of retail pharmacies and the licensing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other allied professions in Louisiana
Labeling and Registration
FDA Food Labeling Guidance Document
: Useful information on basic label requirements
GS1 US
: Website for the firm formerly known as the Uniform Code Council; this is the entity responsible for issuing Universal Product Codes
Louisiana Secretary of State Commercial Division
: All companies doing business in Louisiana are required to register with the Secretary of State
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Agricultural Marketing Division
: Administers the "Certified Cajun" and "Certified Product of Louisiana" logo programs
The Ins and Outs of Food Labeling, Part 1
: A PowerPoint training presentation on food labels created by North Dakota State University
The Ins and Outs of Food Labeling, Part 2
: A PowerPoint training presentation on food labels created by North Dakota State University
Food Product Labeling Basics Fact Sheet
: A brief guide to food labels from Oklahoma State University
Label Layout Guide
: Label layout guidance from Food Consulting Company
Pet Foods/Animal Feeds
FDA Pet Food Facility Registration
: Information on the FDA's federal regulation of these products
LDAF Office of Agricultural Marketing and Chemistry
: Reviews and approves new animal and pet food formulations
Find Your Inspector
Find the inspector for food and drug firms in your area
Product Recalls
If you need to report a recall for a food or drug product you manufacture or distribute to the department, contact our recall
hotline
24 hours a day/7 days a week.
For more information, contact your regional inspector or choose one of the program areas below:
Acidified/Low-Acid Canned Foods
|
Bottled Water
|
Commercial Body Art
|
Cosmetics
|
Drugs
Export Certificates
|
Food Processing Plans and Recall Plans
|
Food Manufacturing
Food Storage and Distribution
|
Ice-Vending Units and Ice Plants
|
Product Registration
|
UV Tanning
Water Vending Units and Water Stores
To contact our permit unit, please call
225-342-7522
.
Surgeon General
Evelyn Griffin, MD
Secretary
Bruce D. Greenstein
Powered by
Cicero Government