The Food Safety Modernization Act mandated that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conduct two product tracing pilots, one including a produce item and another including a processed food and its ingredients. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), along with many stakeholders from industry, academia, state and federal regulatory agencies, and technology solution providers, led the efforts on these pilots, which were completed in the summer of 2012. The purpose of this session is to discuss the pilots, gain an appreciation for the scope of stakeholder input that was received, describe the methodology of the pilot process and the cost/benefit study conducted. In addition, the session will highlight the results and key findings of the pilots and IFT’s recommendations to FDA for improving product tracing, which will help inform any additional FDA regulatory recordkeeping requirements for high risk foods for product tracing. The cost and benefits discussion will span from social benefits realized by reduced public health impact due to better product tracing to the factors that influence costs in the private sector when adopting and implementing the recommendations from the pilots. Additional perspectives from technology solutions, industry, and regulatory agencies will also be presented on what the implications of the pilot recommendations mean to enhancing food safety and traceability.

Presentations