Regulatory changes in both food safety and sustainability are increasingly impacting organizations across the supply chain, from fruit and vegetable farmers to distributors and retailers.
On the food safety front, the US FDA traceability records rule takes effect in January 2026. Enacted to improve the FDA’s ability to rapidly track and trace food, the new US regulations raise the bar on traceability up and down the food supply chain.
Meanwhile, new sustainability regulations are emerging in regions including Europe and North America. Leaders during the event drew parallels between the upcoming food safety rules and rising policymaker and consumer interest in sustainable business.
Agribusiness experts shared the stage at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) conference last fall to talk about their leading-edge preparations for compliance.
One major learning from food safety efforts is the importance of giving everyone along the sustainability supply chain a seat at the table.
“Food producers were often left out of the conversation when it came to food safety,” said McIntosh, director of marketing innovation and sustainability at Naturipe Farms. “We need to bring everyone together, from retailer down to producers so we are on the same page, achieving something together to ensure the industry successfully moves forward.”
“As food safety professionals, we have a good eye on and understanding of what’s happening in the supply chain,” said Jennifer Pulcipher, director of food safety and compliance at North Bay Produce. “We’re plugged into different growing practices and have assessed their risks. Sustainability looks at different standards and reporting, and we’re already familiar with food safety audits.”
Just as IFPA has played an active role in industry food safety groups like the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the association is collaborating in the same way through its Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI).
The group is developing a proposal for harmonized sustainability certifications across the fruit and vegetable farming supply chain.
“Audit fatigue is running high and it’s a huge challenge,” said Dr. Emily Moyer, vice president of regulatory compliance and global food safety standards at IFPA. “If you’re going to develop a sustainability standard, we need to agree on what those standard components should include.”
Technology is critical for sustainable business.
“We see a broad need to operationalize the capture and generation data that supports auditability and reporting mandates,” said Gary Decker, SAP’s North American industry advisor for agribusiness. “Technology helps every member of the ‘grower-to-consumer’ food chain modernize systems with connected data automation that reduces costs and improves results for sustainable business resilience.”
Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy for us until they’re not. Growers, packers, processors, and retailers have always been focused on regulatory compliance along with protecting consumers and the environment. As food safety regulations evolve, the entire value chain will work even closer together connecting data from fields to retailers to deliver food with the healthiest nutritional and sustainable business value.
