The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released its “Blueprint for the Future” (Blueprint) as part of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative. Launched in April 2019, this effort seeks to build upon FDA’s work implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) by establishing a new approach to food safety that leverages technology and other tools to create a safer and more traceable food system. The Blueprint “envision[s] a framework that will enable food to be traced to its source in seconds and will utilize new data analytical techniques to strengthen prevention of foodborne illnesses, alerting consumers in real time before contaminated or misbranded foods are consumed.” In many respects, the Blueprint is a strategic plan that will guide FDA’s food safety priorities in the coming years. As such, there are no specific timelines or action steps set out in the document.