FDA puts pending rule on tracing contaminated food on hold

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it would be placing a 30-month delay on the original January 20, 2026, compliance date for carrying out 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 a result, 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,” Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement. “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 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, Sorscher said, adding 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,” she said. “Unfortunately, this delay will only serve to keep the public in the dark.”