After a 4-month delay, the FDA has announced and released the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint. The blueprint frames a vision for the next decade with short and long terms activities, outlining a new approach to food safety. Leveraging technology and tools to create a safer and more digital traceable food system with an ultimate goal to bend the curve of foodborne illness in the US by reducing the number of illnesses.
The blueprint is centered around four core elements:
- Tech-enabled traceability
- Smarter tools and approaches for prevention and outbreak response
- New business models and retail modernization
- Food Safety culture
While there was a great emphasis on the use of technology, The FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, Frank Yiannas has been consistent in his message of "Smarter food safety is about more than just technology. It's also about simpler, more effective, and modern approaches and processes. It's about leadership, creativity, and culture."
