FDA Publishes New FAQs and Additional Tools for the Food Traceability Rule

Constituent Update

June 26, 2023

Today, the FDA posted new frequently asked questions and additional tools to provide industry with more information about the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Food Traceability Rule. 

The Food Traceability Rule is designed to facilitate faster identification and rapid removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths. Foods subject to the final rule requirements appear on the Food Traceability List (FTL).

The new FAQs address questions to help clarify how the rule applies to specific situations and are largely based on questions received during the FDA’s regular interactions with industry and on questions sent via the Technical Assistance Network, a central source of information for questions related to the FSMA rules, programs, and implementation strategies.  

Along with the FAQs, additional tools developed to help further educate and inform industry subject to the Food Traceability Rule are accessible from the FDA’s traceability website, including:

• addition of the results for all foods and associated commodity-hazard pairs included in the Risk-Ranking Model for Food Tracing – beyond what appear on the food traceability list,
• additional description on the Food Traceability List webpage to clarify that “nut butters” include all forms of nut butters – shelf-stable, refrigerated, and frozen products,
• eight new supply chain examples that illustrate how the rule is applied in different scenarios for different commodities,
• What you need to know about the Food Traceability Rule fact sheets:
  • Recordkeeping Information for Produce Farms
  • Coverage and Exemption for Produce Farms
• guide to Getting Started with the Food Traceability Rule
• additional foreign language translations of the Critical Tracking Event and Key Data Elements interactive tool and supply chain examples.

The compliance date for all persons subject to the Food Traceability Rule is January 20, 2026. 

The rule is a key component of the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint and implements Section 204(d) of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Additional Information

• Traceability Rule: Federal Register Notice
• Full and Partial Exemptions to the Food Traceability Rule