Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the food and drug administration…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the food and drug administration (FDA) recently published the food traceability rule as part ofthe implementation of the food safety modernization act (FSMA), which requires additionalrecordkeeping for entities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold particular foods that are part offda's food traceability list. This means that FSMA now applies to retail establishments andrestaurants, entities that thus far have only been regulated under their jurisdiction's food code. Withthis rule requiring compliance in 2026, the retail food industry needs a rapid solution to learn aboutthe requirements for this traceability rule and the best way to implement practices to adhere to thenewly applicable legislation. This community outreach project aims to fill this GAP with thedevelopment and delivery of a hybrid educational program specifically for the retail food industry toimprove understanding and assist with implementation of the food traceability rule. This will beaccomplished using two objectives: 1) developing and implementing a traceability training programwith a focus on small retailers and 2) developing and implementing an evaluation plan to assesseffectiveness and impact of the training program. Successful completion of this project is anticipatedto reach approximately 525 retail and foodservice operators across the U.S, with a focus on smalland hard-to-reach operators. Those who attend the training will learn about the key details of thefood traceability rule, develop valuable skills to apply information to their establishment, andunderstand how to work with their supplier for mutual compliance with the new regulation.