FDA’s delay of traceability rule is a step backwards on transparency, food safety

Today, the FDA announced it would be placing a 30-month delay on the original January 20, 2026 compliance date implementing a rule that promotes greater traceability in the food system and will facilitate solving foodborne outbreaks.  

The traceability rule was first proposed by the FDA in 2020, towards the end of President Trump’s first term in office, under authority of the Food Safety Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill signed into law in 2011. Designed to ensure better recordkeeping throughout the food supply chain, the rule will help solve outbreaks and facilitate efficient, targeted recalls. As such, it will help reduce foodborne illness and prevent food waste, key benefits for consumers and the food industry.

Today’s announcement will be welcomed by some members of the grocery store industry, which has lobbied President Trump to delay and gut the rule.  While some grocery stores are on track to comply with the rule, others have lagged behind and claim they will not be able to meet the new requirements, which were finalized in 2022.  

In the year 2025, the United States has access to some of the best technology in the world for keeping track of products moving through the food system, yet we still have a hard time figuring out where a bag of lettuce came from and getting contaminated peanut butter off the shelves. This rule, when fully implemented, will shed new light on the inner workings of our food system. Unfortunately, this delay will only serve to keep the public in the dark.