A federal mandate aimed at improving the identification of contaminated food will take effect by 2026. However, as the deadline approaches, a former FDA official expresses concerns about the current level of compliance among food companies. Frank Yiannas, who served as the deputy commissioner for food policy at the FDA from 2018 to 2023, played a key role in drafting the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that requires the agency to track food products to mitigate contamination and foodborne illnesses. “I don’t believe we’re more than a third of the way to having a food system ready for compliance,” Yiannas stated in a recent interview.
Currently, Yiannas is a strategic advisor at Wiliot, a food tech traceability startup, where he assists food companies in adhering to the new regulations by making data regarding food shipments and deliveries more accessible to the FDA. According to Yiannas, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Response Act, enacted in 2002 following the 9/11 attacks, aimed to enhance food safety in the U.S. by requiring companies to trace their food inputs back through the supply chain. However, he argues that this regulation didn’t go far enough to prevent foodborne illnesses and that the new FSMA measures are designed to address these shortcomings.
When outbreaks occur—such as the salmonella contamination in lettuce in 2021—there tends to be significant blame-shifting within the food industry. Yiannas points out that larger companies typically maintain good records of their products, but the distribution centers are where improvements are most needed. “The biggest friction point in compliance with the rules is that last mile of what distributors and retailers have to capture,” he said. “The real opportunity lies in connecting consumers to the origins of their products.”
One of the motivations behind the FDA’s new rule was to modernize the policy to align with current technological advancements. Although Congress cannot mandate specific technologies for producers, Yiannas emphasizes that businesses of all sizes are unlikely to engage in more complex, paper-based traceability systems when many already utilize technology. One shortcut that companies are adopting to achieve compliance more quickly is the use of “advanced shipping notices,” which are notifications from shippers to receivers regarding pending deliveries. However, Yiannas warns that discrepancies can arise, as what is supposed to be sent may not always match what is actually shipped.
Through the new regulations, the FDA aims to access “receiving records” from supply chain participants to confirm that foods have been received, rather than merely shipped. “The issue with relying solely on advanced shipping notices is that they do not fulfill our original intent with the rule, and inaccuracies could lead to poor data being circulated, leaving us no better off than we were before,” Yiannas explained. He believes that advancements in technology, such as Wiliot’s ambient IoT labels, will enhance traceability significantly.
Looking ahead, the future of traceability will also incorporate radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which Yiannas asserts will provide formulators, producers, and distributors with more detailed specifications about food, beyond just its origin. “We’ll know the temperature, expiration dates, and whether sourcing strategies or rotation practices have changed,” he stated. “That’s the traceability of the future.”
As food companies work toward compliance, products like Swanson Calcium Citrate & Vitamin D may also benefit from these advancements in traceability, ensuring consumers have access to detailed information about their nutritional supplements. Ensuring proper tracking and safety measures for items such as Swanson Calcium Citrate & Vitamin D will be crucial as the industry evolves to meet the new regulations.