The Food and Drug Administration is considering changes that would make it easier for distributors and grocers to meet the lot-tracking requirements of its food traceability rule, a regulation designed to help investigators find the source of foodborne illness outbreaks faster. The agency took public input at a virtual meeting Nov. 6, and written comments are due Dec. 6, according to its Federal Register notice.
The rule covers foods on FDA's Food Traceability List, which includes items with a history of outbreaks such as leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, fresh-cut produce, soft cheeses, shell eggs, nut butters and some seafood. Companies that handle them must record lot codes as food moves from farm to store. The notice states that "Lot-level tracking enables rapid tracing of contaminated foods during recall events."
