Small Farmers Being Weighed Down by Food Traceability Rule, New Paper Finds

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Traceability Rule requires producers and distributors of perishable foods to submit electronic data records during a contamination outbreak.

However, a new paper by a Georgia Tech-led research team suggests that the requirements can disproportionately burden family farms and other small food producers due to a lack of technological infrastructure, resources, or compliance expertise.

The rule is mandated by Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law in 2011. Intended to help the FDA quickly identify the source of contamination, the rule requires producers or distributors with more than $25,000 in annual produce sales to comply or face significant fines.

Earlier this year, the FDA extended its compliance deadline to July 2028. One reason for the extension may be the volume of feedback from stakeholders affected by the rule. The FDA received more than 1,200 comments during an open forum, with feedback from stakeholders ranging from major distributors to small farmers.