FMI urges HHS and FDA to revise Food Traceability Rule

July 15, 2025 Arlington, VA – FMI – The Food Industry Association BB #:162464 submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the agencies’ Request for Information (RFI): Ensuring Lawful Regulation and Unleashing Innovation To Make American Healthy Again.

The association emphasized revising the Food Traceability Rule and the proposed rule on front-of-package nutrition labeling.

FMI Chief Public Policy Officer Jennifer Hatcher offered the following statement:

“FMI strongly supports the work of HHS and FDA to identify and eliminate outdated or unnecessary regulations as part of a broader federal effort to reduce regulatory burdens and increase transparency. Deregulatory efforts will make it easier for the food industry to operate while at the same time ensure that food retailer, wholesalers and product suppliers are able to keep food costs as low as possible for consumers – a goal that both the Trump administration and the food industry support and prioritize.

“The Food Traceability Rule is one of the most complex, challenging regulations the industry has ever faced. While we appreciate the agency’s extension of the compliance timeline by 30 months, we also believe changes need to be made in a way that will improve the rule and the ability of companies to comply without negatively impacting food safety. Providing flexibilities on lot code tracing and exempting intracompany shipments will make the rule more workable for industry while still ensuring FDA is able to receive and utilize the data it is requesting to improve food safety.

“We also encourage FDA to reconsider its proposed rule on front-of-package labeling. As we have shared with the agency throughout the rulemaking process, the proposed rule is oversimplified and could lead to consumer confusion. The rule as written would also require a complete redesign of most packaged foods, imposing significant costs on American manufacturers and retailers without a proven added benefit to public health. Many packages already contain Facts Up Front nutrition labeling that was designed with the help of FDA more than a decade ago and meets FDA’s stated goals.

“Adopting reasonable revisions to these issues will improve food safety and access to nutrition information without unnecessarily increasing food costs for consumers. We stand ready to assist HHS and FDA in working toward improvements that benefit all Americans.”

About FMI
As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. www.FMI.org