To help improve food safety in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering a mandatory traceability system. While some produce firms have voluntary traceability programs, lawmakers are saying that a mandatory program is overdue and would help U.S. regulators improve safety and restore consumer confidence, which has plummeted because of contamination events with tomatoes, pet food and peanut butter. David Acheson, the FDA’s associate commissioner for food protection, says that he does not believe the FDA has explicit authority to mandate a tracking system or a specific technology (such as radio frequency identification).