The FDA’s Human Foods Program (HFP) recently released its 2026 Priority Deliverables, outlining a broad set of activities focused on food safety, nutrition, prevention and public health. The priorities span a wide range of topics, including contaminants in food, microplastics, the Closer to Zero initiative and other emerging scientific and regulatory issues. For the fresh produce industry, these priorities highlight opportunities to support healthy diets and maintain an abundant and safe food supply; they also underscore the value of continued public-private collaboration to advance this work. 

Western Growers has been advancing work across multiple fronts, with a focus on three priority areas for the fresh produce industry: oversight of imported produce, fresh and processed produce safety and food traceability. 

Oversight and Safety of Imported Food 

This priority area focuses on strengthening oversight and safety of imported foods, including fresh produce, through risk-based approaches, improved data use and cross-border collaboration. Recently, Western Growers released a report examining oversight of imported fresh produce, highlighting challenges and opportunities to enhance transparency, consistency and risk-based oversight. Click here for more information on the report’s findings and recommendations.

Fresh and Processed Produce Safety 

FDA plans to advance multiple produce-focused safety initiatives, including expanded grower training, updated guidance for sprout producers, targeted research, commodity-specific safety initiatives and continued data-sharing efforts. Specifically, the FDA noted the national cantaloupe/netted melon guidance and Western Growers data-sharing efforts as expected deliverables. 

Food Traceability 

FDA’s priorities also include continued implementation support for the Food Traceability Rule, with an emphasis on stakeholder engagement, education and readiness activities. Western Growers has been actively engaging with a range of stakeholders, including through the Food Traceability Partnership and will continue providing feedback on implementation challenges affecting growers and shippers as this work moves forward.  

Looking Ahead 

As FDA’s 2026 priorities advance, Western Growers will continue working with members and other stakeholders to support prevention-focused efforts, data-sharing projects, advance the development of guidance and best practices and assist with the implementation of FDA’s regulations. We will also remain engaged on other broader scientific priorities identified by the FDA—including contaminants in food, microplastics and other emerging issues—as these efforts evolve. 

Members are encouraged to contact Western Growers to share feedback about FDA’s priorities or participate in current and future Western Growers produce safety initiatives. Contact Sonia Salas at [email protected] with any questions. 

To access the full announcement on FDA’s 2026 Priorities, click here