Food safety will rely on blockchain traceability, says new FDA rule

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The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates nearly 80% of the nation’s food supply, is turning to blockchain technology to track food from farm to table.

Officials say the new Food Traceability Rule, released last month, will make it easier to track foodborne illnesses.

According to the FDA, tracking contaminated food via blockchain will take about a week, compared to the average month under the old model. The new tracking system is the latest mandate under the 2011 Food Safety and Modernization Act.

FDA officials discussed the new rule in a virtual town hall on Dec. 7.

“Congress has always anticipated the need for improved tracking and tracing of certain foods,” said Frank Yiannas, deputy commissioner for food policy and response at the FDA. “By complying with this rule, the anonymity that has shrouded the food system will dissolve.”

Thousands of people are hospitalized each year with foodborne illnesses and billions of dollars are spent on associated medical costs.

“There is a strong public health case for better traceability, we know that,” Yiannas said. “There is also a strong business case.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,172 outbreaks of foodborne illness from 2019 to 2020, resulting in 1,600 hospitalizations and 21 deaths. Foodborne illnesses fell significantly during the pandemic.

The updated food traceability list includes soft cheeses, tomatoes, deli salads, nut butters and other items more commonly associated with disease outbreaks and intended for consumption in the United States.

Under the new rule, each of these items will be assigned batch codes that can digitally track the food from origin to final destination.

Harvesters, processors, manufacturers, some restaurants and others in the food system that supply foods on the traceability list have three years to comply with the new record-keeping system, which takes effect next month. The rule applies to both domestic and foreign entities.

Georgia’s agriculture industry contributed about $69 billion to the state’s economy in 2020. The state’s top commodities include broiler chicken, cotton, peanuts and blueberries.

“We expect to hear more from FDA in the coming months about what roles states and localities can play in monitoring and/or enforcing the rule,” said Amir Sports, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

There are exceptions to the new rule for certain small farms, producers and food businesses, based on annual income. Farms that sell food directly to consumers are also exempt from the rule.

The FDA is encouraging entities to switch to digital recordkeeping under the new rule to make it easier to track contaminated food, although companies can still keep paper records.

Entities covered by the rule will have three years to comply with the new record-keeping system, effective next month.