Food Contact Notifications (FCNs) are an expedited way to obtain formal authorization from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for food packaging materials and other substances used in contact with food. Instead of waiting several years for the FDA to issue a food additive regulation, an FCN can become effective in just 120 days from the time it is filed, barring any FDA safety concerns.

It's important to note, however, that FCNs are not the only route to establishing FDA compliance for substances that touch food. Here are a variety of options for establishment of FDA compliance through various self-determination methods.