FDA 483 OBSERVATION · #26 OF 1,000 MOST-CITED
Lack of or inadequate process validation
FDA cited this observation 771 times across 672 firms in recent inspections. Below: how it breaks down by program area and fiscal year, and real examples of how FDA worded it on Form FDA 483.
What this observation is associated with
Firms cited for this observation also appear in FDA compliance actions — warning letters, injunctions, or seizures — at 1.7× the rate of the average FDA-cited firm (13.4% vs 7.7%), across 672 FEI-matched firms.
This is an association, not causation, and reflects co-occurrence in FDA's records — not a claim that the observation caused or preceded the action.
How FDA worded it — real examples
A process whose results cannot be fully verified by subsequent inspection and test has not been adequately validated according to established procedures.
A process whose results cannot be fully verified by subsequent inspection and test has not been adequately validated according to established procedures.
A process whose results cannot be fully verified by subsequent inspection and test has not been adequately validated according to established procedures.
A process whose results cannot be fully verified by subsequent inspection and test has not been adequately validated according to established procedures.
A process whose results cannot be fully verified by subsequent inspection and test has not been adequately validated according to established procedures.
A process whose results cannot be fully verified by subsequent inspection and test has not been adequately validated according to established procedures.
Related SPEQ references
Where to read the requirements behind this observation area on SPEQ. These are SPEQ's topic and audience pages — not an FDA classification of the citation.
Examples are a representative sample of FDA's published inspection observations. SPEQ is not affiliated with the FDA; this is a reference view of public FDA data.
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