On Thursday, the government finally released new safety rules for food manufacturers following deadly foodborne illness outbreaks connected to peanuts, cantaloupes, caramel apples and ice cream.

After a heavy lag by the Food and Drug Administration, letting the August 30 deadline to release information to the public pass by as well as the long-time ignored original priority of the Obama administration, new guidelines will go into effect later this year, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The new rules will require all food manufacturers to demonstrate a clear understanding of the hazards specific to their products as well as a mandate for the businesses to provide plans to the government on how they will maintain their clean operations.

The new plans will outline how the manufacturers need to handle and process food and how to monitor and clean up dangerous bacteria like E. coli, listeria and salmonella that could be present.

The idea behind the new regulations is to bring awareness to prevention in the system that has been for decades only reactive to outbreaks after they have sickened and even caused deaths. Although the majority of farmers and food manufacturers are already following safe practices, the new law will ensure that it happens in 100 percent of them.

“The food safety problems we face have one thing in common — they are largely preventable,” said Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods.

It is estimated that 48 million people get sick every year from foodborne diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also reported that 3,000 people have died.

Investigators for the FDA said they have found dirty equipment in food processing facilities right after deadly outbreaks. In the case of Blue Bell ice cream who had an outbreak earlier this year, the FDA said they found multiple violations at their plant including dirty equipment, inadequate food storage and food held at improper temperatures.