FMI Urges HHS and FDA Deregulatory Efforts on Traceability and Front-of-Pack Labeling

Arlington, VA - FMI - The Food Industry Association 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"FMI strongly supports the work of HHS and FDA to identify and eliminate outdated or unnecessary regulations as part of a broader federal effort to reduce regulatory burdens and increase transparency.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."