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What GAO Found

Since 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued nine rules (regulations) that establish a framework for preventing foodborne illness under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) enacted in 2011. Separately, FDA has completed most but not all requirements that GAO identified in the law.

The nine rules are significant because they help clarify the specific actions that industry must take at different points in the global supply chain to prevent contamination of human and animal food. For example, one rule sets standards for businesses that grow, harvest, pack, or hold fruits and vegetables. Another rule addresses hazards that could cause illness, death, or economic disruption of the U.S. food supply.

In addition to issuing the rules, FDA has completed 41 of 46 requirements GAO identified in FSMA. For example, FDA has issued guides that are intended to describe in plain language what businesses need to do to comply with rules, and conducted various studies FSMA required. The requirements FDA has not completed are to

• issue guidance on hazard analysis and preventive controls for human food;
• issue guidance to protect against the intentional adulteration, or tampering, of food;
• report on the progress of implementing a national food emergency response laboratory network;
• publish updated good agricultural practices for fruits and vegetables; and
• establish a system to improve FDA’s capacity to track and trace food that is in the U.S.

FDA officials cited competing priorities and an October 2024 agency reorganization as reasons for not fully completing these requirements. In March 2025, FDA officials told GAO they intend to establish the system FSMA requires to help track and trace food by July 2028. However, they did not provide specific time frames for completing the other requirements. Doing so, and then taking action to complete them, would help ensure that industry and others have the information they need to effectively implement FSMA’s preventive framework.

FDA’s efforts to assess how the nine rules are helping to prevent foodborne illness have largely focused on monitoring industry compliance with three rules. This includes overseeing hazards that could affect food safety. However, FDA has not developed a performance management process to guide the agency’s efforts to assess the results of the nine rules.

Key practices for federal performance management emphasize the need for agencies to define what they are trying to achieve, collect relevant information, and use that information to assess how well they are performing and identify how they could improve. FDA officials said the agency prioritized implementing the rules over assessing the results. But developing a performance management process would better position FDA to assess the results of the rules, with the ultimate goal of helping prevent foodborne illness.

Why GAO Did This Study

Each year, foodborne illnesses sicken millions of Americans and cause thousands of deaths. In 2011, Congress enacted FSMA, which shifted the focus of FDA’s food safety program from reacting to, to preventing those illnesses. FDA helps ensure the safety of 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, including fruits and vegetables, processed foods, dairy products, and most seafood.

GAO was asked to review FDA’s efforts to implement FSMA’s preventive framework. This report examines the extent to which FDA has (1) issued rules and completed requirements included in selected sections of FSMA and (2) assessed how the rules are contributing to preventing foodborne illness.

GAO focused on sections of FSMA that provide a foundation for creating a modern, risk-based framework for food safety. GAO compared FDA’s efforts with requirements in FSMA and key practices for federal performance management, which GAO developed based on federal laws, guidance, and past GAO work. GAO also interviewed agency officials and 17 selected stakeholders, representing industry associations, consumer advocacy groups, and state and local regulators.

• 700,000 square-foot facility adds significant manufacturing capacity for aircraft production

• With manufacturing lines in California and Ohio, additional facility will expand Joby’s dual-site manufacturing strategy and leverage Ohio’s deep aerospace talent

• Marks a major step towards Joby’s commitment to double aircraft production in 2027

DAYTON, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire a manufacturing facility in the Dayton, Ohio area spanning more than 700,000 square feet. The facility, which is ready for immediate use, will initially support Joby’s plans to double production to four aircraft per month in 2027, while also providing space for significant future growth. The factory complements Joby’s existing production facilities in California and Ohio, with operations in the new facility expected to begin this year.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107709154/en/

“This site will not only support our near-term plan to double production, it can also serve as a base for significant future growth, as we turn a decade of engineering into the manufacturing scale the market is now demanding,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, Joby Aviation.

“From the world’s first aircraft factory to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton has long been the epicenter of aerospace innovation and we’re proud to be building the next generation of flight right here,” Bevirt added. “The reindustrialization of Ohio has become central to Joby’s story and with unmatched governmental and policy support, we’re ready to make sure that the commercial and defense aircraft that define the future of flight are built right here in America.”

In July 2025, Joby announced the completion of an expanded manufacturing facility in Marina, CA and in October, confirmed the start of propeller blade production in Ohio. To support the planned doubling of production, Joby began procurement of the capital equipment required to double manufacturing capacity last month. At Joby’s site in California hiring is underway to support round-the-clock manufacturing operations.

Ohio Welcomes Joby’s Continued Investment

“From the Wright Brothers to Joby Aviation, Ohio has always been where the future of flight takes shape,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “Joby’s expanded manufacturing presence in Vandalia and the Miami Valley brings together our state’s rich aviation heritage with our world-class advanced manufacturing workforce to build the aircraft that will redefine how people and goods move through our cities.”

“Joby’s investment in Dayton, bringing thousands of good-paying blue collar jobs back to Ohio, is an incredible testament to Ohio’s long history as a leader in aviation and to the manufacturing renaissance happening all across the states. Thanks to President Donald Trump and private sector leaders like Joby, the United States is finally getting serious about reindustrializing and investing in American jobs after decades of outsourcing and neglect,” said Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio).

“Joby’s expansion builds on Dayton’s legacy as the birthplace of aviation while shaping the future of flight. This new, more than 700,000 square-foot facility will create new jobs for Ohioans and allow Joby to increase its aircraft production. Ohio remains proud to be a hub for companies investing in innovation. Ohio makes the things the world needs, and Joby’s work is an example of that. I’m excited to see what Joby accomplishes with this new facility and will continue advocating for their success,” said Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio).

“The announcement of the second Joby facility here in Ohio is great news for the Dayton area. Over 5 years ago I worked to ensure the FY22 NDAA included language to allow the Springfield Airport to apply for a program that brought Joby Aviation to our region. I had no doubt that this company would bring high-skill jobs and incredible innovation to our area. Joby Aviation continues to carry on the rich tradition of aviation innovation here in Dayton, Ohio that goes back to the time of the Wright Brothers, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds,” said U.S. Representative Michael Turner (OH-10).

“As the world’s leading advanced air mobility company, Joby’s decision to double down in Ohio speaks to the speed at which advanced technologies can scale in our state and the powerful and collaborative environment Team Ohio and the Dayton Development Coalition have built to support growth of emerging industries in the region,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “Since Joby first announced its massive air taxi facility in 2023, it is again demonstrating how this state delivers what companies need to move from innovation to production at scale.”

Joby’s manufacturing growth in Ohio comes at a time of significant policy momentum for advanced air mobility (AAM). US Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, recently announced a national strategy for advanced air mobility that provides a clear policy roadmap to accelerate AAM deployment and integration. This alignment comes as the Federal Aviation Administration and DOT prepare to deploy the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) in 2026. By validating operational use cases and flight routes across the country ahead of final Type Certification, the eIPP – paired with the strategy’s policy recommendations – enables regulators, local communities, and industry leaders to prepare for the arrival of advanced air mobility.

About Joby

Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi. Joby intends to both operate its fast, quiet, and convenient air taxi service in cities around the world and sell its aircraft to other operators and partners. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.

Forward-Looking Statements ​​

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, the growth of our manufacturing capabilities, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing; our plans to acquire an additional facility near Dayton, Ohio and planned manufacturing capacity at that location; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; plans for, and potential benefits of, our strategic partnerships; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations, including the expected benefits of our vertically-integrated business model. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. All forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our air taxi service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project; the acquisition of the additional facility in Dayton, Ohio is subject to certain closing conditions; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; and other important factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 27, 2025, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 8, 2025 and August 7, 2025, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates and beliefs as of the date of this release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107709154/en/

Media:

Charles Stewart

press@jobyaviation.com

Investors:

investors@jobyaviation.com

Source: Joby Aviation, Inc.

Released January 7, 2026

Here are some more pointers I picked up in my month of cash-back app shopping.

Read the fine print

A week into my experiment, I was ready to throw in the towel after spending nearly 30 minutes carefully aligning my phone camera to capture a lengthy grocery store receipt and uploading it repeatedly to Ibotta, without getting credit for my purchase. On closer inspection, I discovered that the cash-back offer couldn’t be combined with the coupons I had used.

I had failed to heed an important tip from Strauss: “Pay attention to exclusions.” The apps’ retail and brand partners establish the parameters for cash-back offers, he says. For example, you might be able to earn cash back only on certain products rather than everything sold on a retailer’s site. And product-specific offers often require you to buy a certain quantity, dollar amount, size or variety of an item to earn the rewards.

Compare offers to find the best deal

Before making a purchase, I checked each app to see if it offered a cash-back reward for the retailer where I wanted to shop. Comparing offers paid off because cash-back amounts can vary greatly. 

For example, a recent check of offers showed that users could earn up to 12 percent cash back on purchases at Macys.com through RetailMeNot, 2.5 percent through Ibotta, 15 points per $1 spent through Fetch and four kicks per $1 spent through Shopkick.

Double-dip

There are ways to earn cash back from multiple apps on the same purchase. For example, I bought Native brand body wash and earned $2 from Ibotta and 3,750 points from Fetch by submitting the receipt on both apps. 

Natalie Van Raalte, senior business development manager at Ibotta, offers another strategy: When you purchase retail gift cards through Ibotta, you instantly receive the gift card numbers and PINs. This allows you to essentially double up on rewards when you use those gift cards to make purchases from online retailers that offer cash back through the app. More than half of my cash-back earnings on Ibotta came from purchasing gift cards.

Rack up rewards without shopping

You don’t have to make purchases to earn points through some cash-back apps.

Fetch lets you earn points by downloading and playing games. You have to allow the app to track your activity on the games so it knows what levels you’ve achieved and can award you accordingly, but if you’re OK with that, answer “yes” when Fetch asks you about tracking.

Shopkick also offers ways to earn points without making purchases. You can click on the “discover” tab and interact with content provided by retailers to unlock kicks. Or, you can get out of the house while earning points by entering select stores and scanning product barcodes; it’s the most common way Shopkick users earn points, Strauss says.

Know your privacy rights

To be clear, all of these apps collect data about you to evaluate your shopping habits and provide you with cash-back opportunities, personalized product recommendations and targeted ads from their brand and retail partners.  

Their privacy policies, available on their websites and in the apps (check the account settings), provide detailed information about the data they collect and how they use it. All four apps I tried allow you to customize your privacy settings. Fetch, Ibotta and RetailMeNot have easy-to-use forms to opt out of letting them sell or share your personal information. Shopkick allows you to opt in or out of information sharing, depending on the privacy laws in your state.

The apps claim to use security measures to protect users’ personal information from unauthorized access, but they acknowledge that data breaches can occur.

A worthwhile experiment

After my monthlong experiment, my husband asked why I was still scanning receipts using the apps. My response: “Why not? It’s an easy way to earn cash.”

I don’t expect to earn anywhere close to $50 a month through RetailMeNot going forward, but I plan to keep using the app to make a few bucks with eligible online purchases. Buying gift cards through Ibotta to pay for purchases has become one of my favorite shopping hacks. I also plan to continue using Fetch, as the app makes it easy to accumulate points by submitting receipts. And Shopkick, while not my favorite, could be great for retirees who have the time to visit multiple stores and scan barcodes to earn cash back without spending a dime.

A word of caution, though: It’s easy to get caught up in the appeal of earning cash back through these apps. If you’re not careful, pursuing rewards can lead to buying things you don’t need.