The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has delayed an upcoming food traceability rule, which aims to make it easier to discover the source of foodborne outbreaks in combating illnesses and deaths.
Compliance with the rule has been extended for 30 months after it was previously slated to go into force in Jan. 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.
"The compliance date extension affords covered entities the additional time necessary to ensure complete coordination across the supply chain in order to fully implement the final rule’s requirements — ultimately providing FDA and consumers with greater transparency and food safety," the FDA said.
The food traceability rule, which the FDA first proposed in 2020, will require better recordkeeping and information sharing across the food supply chain and with regulators.
Its delay follows lobbying from the food businesses, including big grocery companies, that will see their compliance costs go up.
Food businesses were facing "complex information sharing requirements" and had concerns about the initial Jan. 2026 deadline, but now there will be extra time for companies to "establish comprehensive traceability systems," said the Food Industry Counsel, a law firm, in an emailed note.
But the delay of the rule is a step backwards on food safety, said Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, in a statement.
"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," she said. "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."