On Friday I attended the first of FDA’s virtual public meetings about the proposed Food Traceability Rule. In fact on Nov 5, they released more resources to assist stakeholders in understanding and meeting the requirements of this rule. I am impressed with the effort that FDA is taking to share information and guide discussion in order to make this rule as helpful and transparent as possible.
The main reasons for food traceability are to make food safer and to increase transparency along the food supply chain. The business case for a harmonized food traceability rule is that currently whole commodities groups are recalled rather than only the contaminated products. For example, Romaine lettuce is pulled from supermarket shelves rather than the batch of lettuce directly involved in the foodborne illness outbreak. Enhanced traceability leading to rapid identification of the source of the illness means we can look at causes to prevent future outbreaks.
If you are concerned about how this proposed rule may affect your business and record keeping, book a call today.