In a win for some food industry groups, the Food and Drug Administration plans to extend the deadline for a major food safety rule by 30 months, punting the compliance date for food traceability until the final year of the Trump administration.
Currently, the compliance date for the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods rule is Jan. 20, 2026. However, the FDA plans to kick this deadline by 30 months, or until June 20, 2028.
The rule, commonly known as the food traceability rule, sets enhanced requirements for farm-to-table recordkeeping. The goal is to help FDA identify and remove contaminated foods from the market more quickly.
It was finalized in 2022, but during roundtable discussions with the agency last September, stakeholders along the food supply chain said there was still little awareness of the rule and the new requirements. Additionally, stakeholders raised concerns about various barriers to implementation like technology and costs.
“Disproportionately impacting smaller grocers, the traceability rule’s original timeline was nearly impossible to meet across the vast and dynamic food system,” said Stephanie Johnson, vice president of government relations at the National Grocers Association. “The FDA’s decision to delay compliance provides much-needed relief for independent grocers, who would have been forced to pass these burdensome costs on to consumers.”
In the announcement, FDA said it was taking this step because even entities prepared to meet the final rule by the original deadline were concerned that other pieces of the supply chain would not be prepared to share accurate data.
FDA noted that in extending the rule, it does not plan to change the traceability requirements. The agency said it will use the extended time period to continue engaging with stakeholders and fostering dialogue between different sectors of the supply chain.
The Food Industry Association called the traceability rule “overly complex” and welcomed the extended compliance deadline. However, FMI also said the rule is unworkable in its current form and urged FDA to reconsider parts of the rule to improve traceability without creating burdens on the supply chain.
“The food traceability rule is the most complex FDA regulation our industry has ever faced,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI in a statement. “Our member companies are spending millions of dollars every day to try to comply with its complexity.”
Consumer groups meanwhile called the FDA decision disappointing and said it goes against the administration’s goal of making America healthy again.
Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said the industry has had 15 years to prepare for the rule following the passage of FSMA in 2011. But still a “small segment of the industry” pushed for a delay. He said the move will continue to put consumers at risk of illness from contaminated food.
“Many retailers have already said that they expect their suppliers to follow the rule’s requirements in advance of the compliance date, but today’s announcement may interfere with this progress,” Ronholm said.
When fully implemented, the rule will reduce foodborne illness and prevent food waste, said Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in a statement. Both of these are key benefits for consumers and the food industry.
"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," Sorscher said. "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."
Nearly 1,400 people reported illnesses from the food they ate in 2024, an increase from the previous year, according to a report by U.S. PIRG Education Fund. The number of deaths related to foodborne illnesses doubled from 8 in 2023 to 19 in 2024.
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