subpart_subject: "Accreditation of Third-Party Certification Bodies To Conduct Food Safety Audits and To Issue Certifications"
section_number: "1.644"
section_subject: "What quality assurance procedures must a third-party certification body have to qualify for accreditation?"
cfr_reference: "21 CFR 1.644"
title_name: "Title 21"
title_subject: "Food and Drugs"
parts_covered: "Parts 1 to 99"
revised_date: "Revised as of April 1, 2019"
publication_date: "As of April 1, 2019"
contains_description: "Containing a codification of documents of general applicability and future effect"
publication_info: "Published by the Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration as a Special Edition of the Federal Register"
---
A third-party certification body seeking accreditation must demonstrate that it has:
(a)Implemented a written program for monitoring and evaluating the performance of its officers, employees, and other agents involved in auditing and certification activities, including procedures to:
(1)Identify deficiencies in its auditing and certification program or performance; and
(2)Quickly execute corrective actions that effectively address any identified deficiencies; and
(b)The capability to meet the quality assurance requirements of § 1.655, if accredited.