PMA Comments on FSMA Traceability Rule

The Produce Marketing Association submitted comments on the proposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule ‘Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods’.

The intention of the rule is to establish recordkeeping requirements for foods on the Food Traceability List designed to improve the traceability information during foodborne illness outbreaks and to increase the speed and precision of trace-back and trace-forward investigations for recall events. 

The comments put forth by PMA were informed by the challenges the industry has faced in obtaining critical tracing information and the advancements in traceability approaches that industry has already begun to implement. PMA supports FDA efforts to use the proposed rule to reduce the harm to consumers caused by foodborne pathogens and limit adverse impacts on industry sectors affected by the outbreaks by improving the ability to trace the movement quickly and efficiently through the supply chain of foods recognized as causing illness, identify and remove products from the marketplace, and develop mitigation strategies to prevent future contamination. 

Overall, PMA commends the FDA on release of the proposed rule that we believe will strengthen the industry’s record keeping requirements for certain foods, some of which were linked to outbreaks of foodborne illness. The net result will be much stronger consumer confidence in products produced by the fresh produce and broader food industry.

In reviewing the proposed rule, PMA noted a number of areas where there were outstanding questions or additional guidance needed from FDA to properly communicate and enforce the regulations. 
To view the complete comments to FDA from PMA, follow this link