U.S. Rep. Andy Harris Delays Food Traceability Rule, Impacting Food Safety
U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, the only Republican member of Congress from Maryland and chair of the U.S. House Freedom Caucus, has been instrumental in delaying a crucial food traceability rule. This rule, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act signed in 2011, mandates that approximately 323,000 food-handling businesses digitally track food using lot codes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was initially tasked with finalizing this rule by 2013, but it was only completed in 2022 after a judicial order. Industry groups subsequently pushed for a delay in compliance until January 2026, citing the rule's complexity and cost. When President Trump returned to office, his administration further postponed the rule until June 2028. Harris's House Appropriations subcommittee, which controls FDA funding, incorporated this delay into spending bills, effectively writing the new compliance date into the FDA budget and requiring the agency to develop a more flexible rule. This action has drawn criticism, particularly in...
