The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will delay the compliance deadline for its Food Traceability Rule by 30 months to “ensure complete coordination across the supply chain”.
The regulator said it will formally start the process at a “later time” and publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register.
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Originally scheduled for 20 January 2026, the compliance date was established as part of the traceability rule introduced under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), a bipartisan law signed in 2011.
The rule, finalised in 2022, is aimed at enhancing traceability within the food system.
“The FDA remains committed to successful implementation of the full requirements of the final rule, as they will allow for faster identification and removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths,” the regulator said in a statement last week.
“Accordingly, the compliance date extension does not amend, nor do we intend to amend, the requirements of the final rule, which will improve food safety and protect public health.”
The regulation applies to domestic and foreign entities that produce food for US consumption, particularly those handling items on the Food Traceability List.
This list includes products considered high risk for contamination, such as cheeses, shell eggs, nut butters, leafy greens, herbs, sprouts, certain fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, and refrigerated ready-to-eat deli salads.
Recent listeria outbreaks have underscored the importance of enhanced traceability.
In September 2024, Boar’s Head closed its liverwurst manufacturing plant at Jarratt as deli meats produced at the site were linked to a listeria outbreak, which caused the deaths of nine people.
Meanwhile, in October, US cheesemaker Rizo Lopez Foods was forced to end production at its California facility following a listeria scare.
US vegetables supplier Grimmway Farms recalled more than a dozen brands of bagged carrots in November due to potential contamination with E. coli 0121.
The US regulator clarified that the extension only affects the compliance date and “does not amend the requirements of the final rule”.
According to the agency, the delay is necessary to give covered entities, including manufacturers, processors, packers, and holders, “additional time” to achieve full compliance, particularly given the level of supply chain coordination required.
FDA said: “Even those few entities who are well positioned to meet the final rule’s requirements by January 2026 have expressed concern about the timeline, in part because of their reliance on receiving accurate data from their supply chain partners, who are not similarly situated.”
The Food Industry Association (FMI) welcomed the proposed extension, stating additional time is required for compliance with the “overly complex rule” to prevent unintended food cost increases and a “burden” on the food supply chain.
However, FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin said in a statement that the FDA should “reexamine certain aspects” of the rule to allow “flexibility” for the industry.
Sarasin added: “The food traceability rule is the most complex FDA regulation our industry has ever faced. Our member companies are spending millions of dollars every day to try to comply with its complexity, even as it is clear the rule is unworkable in its current form and may not achieve the agency’s stated goals.
“While we fully support efforts to improve traceability, we must ensure that FDA can use the information required by the regulation to improve food safety before billions of dollars and millions of hours are invested that will drive up costs throughout the supply chain.
“We look forward to working with FDA to ensure there is a reasonable timeline and application of the regulation so that food companies of all sizes can comply and keep America’s food system the safest, most abundant and most affordable in the world.”
The delay drew criticism from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
CSPI Regulatory Affairs Director Sarah 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.”
She added: “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.
“In the year 2025, the US 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.”
