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  1. HFP Constituent Updates

FDA Proposes to Extend Compliance Date for Food Traceability Rule and Issues New FAQs and Other Resources

Constituent Update

August 6, 2025

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing to extend the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months.  

The FDA remains committed to successful implementation of the full requirements of the final rule, which establishes additional traceability recordkeeping requirements, beyond what is already required in existing regulations, for persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods found on the Food Traceability List. The requirements in the rule will allow for faster identification and removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths. The final rule requires a higher degree of coordination between members of the food industry than has been required in the past, including the sharing of accurate data with supply chain partners. Therefore, to achieve the full public health benefits of the final rule, all covered entities must comply.

The FDA is aware that even among those few entities who are well positioned to meet the final rule’s requirements by January 2026, there are challenges to meeting this timeline, in part because of their reliance on receiving accurate data from their supply chain partners, who might not be  similarly situated. Therefore, the FDA’s proposed extension allows industry additional time, across all regulated sectors, to fully implement the final rule’s requirements.  

The proposed compliance date extension does not amend, nor do we intend to amend , the requirements of the final rule, which will improve food safety and protect public health. The proposal is designed to afford covered entities the additional time necessary to ensure coordination between supply chain partners in order to fully implement the final rule’s requirements—ultimately providing the FDA and consumers with greater transparency and food safety.  

During the proposed extension, the FDA would  continue working with stakeholders, including by participating in cross-sector dialogue to identify solutions to implementation challenges, and by continuing to assist industry with implementation by providing technical assistance, tools, and other resources.  

Additionally , FDA is issuing new tools and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that will continue to inform stakeholders about the Food Traceability Rule and help covered entities come into compliance.

Featured in this update are the following:

  • New FAQs
  • New examples of traceability plans for food processors, distribution centers, and aquaculture farms and facilities
  • New supply chain examples for eggs, produce, nut butter, and dual jurisdiction facilities
  • An At-A-Glance document on the rule
  • Translations of the above documents into 6 additional languages (Spanish, French, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian)

These featured tools are accessible from the FDA’s Food Traceability Rule webpage, along with:

  • Supply chain examples for different commodities
  • Fact sheets
  • A webpage about traceability lot codes, including examples of how Key Data Elements (KDEs) could appear on invoices and bills of lading
  • Translations of the codified portion of the rule as well as many of the supporting materials and tools
  • An interactive tool that explains Critical Tracking Events and Key Data Elements
  • An interactive tool that identifies partial and full exemptions to the rule
  • Information on how to apply for a waiver or exemption, if eligible
  • FAQs  

The Food Traceability Rule applies to domestic and foreign entities producing food for U.S. consumption and was issued in 2022 in accordance with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

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