The recall of more than half a billion eggs linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak highlights a need for better traceability in the food system, according to the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). IFT submitted recommendations on food product tracing to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March – proposals that it said could help detect the causes of disease outbreaks and contain them more quickly. Some of its recommendations, such as requiring companies to keep more detailed food safety records and allowing FDA more access to those records, are included the Food Safety Modernization Act, which is currently awaiting consideration in the Senate.