With antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continuing to grow as a global threat, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it is granting cooperative agreement funds for 3 projects focused on the collection, analysis, and data reporting of antimicrobial use (AMU) in animals.

In September, the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA released a report on three industry roundtables regarding the ruling. The participants in the invite-only roundtables called out three major areas of concern: awareness of the rules, labeling, and warehouse management capacity.

The FDA’s Food Traceability Rule hits in January 2026. And a recent report from the Reagan-Udall Foundation found that retailers, suppliers, and distributors have no idea how it works.

The FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, or CTP, is responsible for reviewing these new products, but its process needs reform. According to a report from the Reagan-Udall Foundation, the CTP’s lack of transparency and communication has created significant challenges for companies attempting to navigate the regulatory landscape.

Officials said Friday during a panel discussion — hosted by the FDA and the independent nonprofit Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA — that, while new treatments and drug approvals are needed, existing treatments aren’t being used to their full capacity.

To help support implementation, FDA worked with the Reagan-Udall Foundation to host three roundtable discussions on the Food Traceability Rule.

Jones came to the FDA with intimate knowledge of the foods program, having served on the Reagan-Udall Foundation’s Independent Expert Panel, which evaluated it in 2022.

The Reagan-Udall Foundation also issued a report in September calling for staggered implementation of the traceability rule, starting with suppliers.

On November 16, 2023, the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA hosted a virtual meeting to outline the proposed label changes. These new markings intend to help consumers quickly identify the details of food packaging; it should be especially helpful for busy shoppers.

On Wednesday, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine announced that it is supporting a collaborative agreement to the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA to conduct a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis.