CSMS Message: 17-000085

FDA ACE interface outage, Saturday, February 18, 2017, 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM EST

FDA ACE interface system will be down for maintenance on Saturday February 18, 2017 starting at approximately 12:30 PM, and finished by 3:00 PM. As a result, FDA's Division of Food Defense Targeting will be operating under the prior notice scenario 2 contingency. This scheduled maintenance will prevent submitters who filed via ABI from receiving prior notice confirmation and will prevent CBP from auto-checking the prior notice confirmation for ABI filers. If prior notice has not already been submitted, ABI filers may decide to wait-out the system downtimes if they determine that the timeliness of prior notice will not be adversely affected. Filers who choose this option should understand that they remain responsible under section 801(m) of the act and under the prior notice final rule for filing timely prior notice. ABI transmissions received by FDA during the downtime will be queued and processed once the maintenance is completed. Prior notice (PN) confirmation numbers will not be transmitted back to ABI filers during the downtime.

Alternatively, filers may submit prior notice via PNSI (http://www.access.fda.gov/). Prior notice confirmation numbers must accompany articles of food (21 CFR 1.279(g)). If prior notice is submitted through PNSI, FDA and CBP recommend that the PNSI confirmation page, including the prior notice confirmation number and time stamp, be presented to CBP officers for cargo release. If the PNSI confirmation page is not presented, this may delay cargo release while the CBP officer contacts FDA for verification of the prior notice confirmation number(s) and time of submission.

If prior notice has already been submitted via ACS/ACE prior to the interface outage and confirmation has already been received, the submitter may proceed with prior notice using the standard process. If prior notice has already been submitted via ACS/ACE and confirmation has not been received prior to the interface outage, FDA and CBP recommend that, rather than resubmitting via PNSI, submitters should provide to CBP officers an endorsed (signed) copy of the ABI transmission or some other evidence adequate to show that prior notice has been submitted via ACS/ACE. Questions regarding prior notice during this downtime should be presented to the FDA's Division of Food Defense Targeting at (866) 521-2297.

During this two-and-a-half-hour maintenance period, FDA will not process incoming 801(a) submissions. Entries will be processed and messaging sent after the maintenance period has completed. Entry Review, OASIS and ITACS will be available during this period. All ITACS functionality will be available.

Please continue to contact FDA ACE Support 24/7 at ACE_Support@fda.hhs.gov or 877-345-1101 for ACE inquiries.