New regulations that require more recordkeeping for those who come in contact with food for human or animal consumption—including trucking firms—have been proposed by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Proposed records would mandate identification of previous sources and subsequent recipients in implementing the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. The FDA says additional records are needed to deal with genuine threats of sickness or death to humans and animals. The regulations would enhance FDA ability to respond to and contain threats of sickness or death to humans or animals from accidental or intentional food contamination.
Regulations would pertain to those who manufacture, process, pack, transport, distribute, receive, store, or import food meant for human or animal consumption in the United States. Transporters would be required to set up and keep records about their own activities, as well as those from whom food was received and to whom it was delivered. The records would permit the FDA to trace the chain of custody through each phase.
Parts of these rules would exempt retail facilities, farms, restaurants, and some fishing vessels. The FDA is also proposing to exempt transporters, distributors, and manufacturers that only handle food the US Department of Agriculture exclusively regulates.
