Meeting | Virtual
Event Title
FDA Public Meeting- Challenges and Solutions in Lot-Level Food Traceability
June 15, 2026
- Date:
- June 15, 2026
- Time:
- 12:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
FDA is hosting a virtual public meeting on June 15, 2026, to give the public an opportunity to share information on implementation of the Food Traceability Rule and areas of remaining concern, specifically as they relate to lot-level tracking and flexibilities for compliance. To register, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page. Individuals who have already registered through the Partnership for Food Traceability website do not need to register again. The virtual public meeting is free and open to the public, but registration is necessary to attend. General registration will remain open until June 14, but individuals who want to speak during the public comment period must register by June 5. Same day registration is not allowed.
This meeting is part of a series of engagements being held in accordance with a directive from Congress in the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act of 2026.
Background
The FDA final rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods (Food Traceability Rule) requires persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold food on FDA’s Food Traceability List to maintain and (in some cases) provide to their supply chain partners key data elements (KDEs) for certain critical tracking events (CTEs) in the food’s supply chain. The requirements in the rule will allow for faster identification and rapid removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths.
The original compliance date for all persons subject to the recordkeeping requirements of the Food Traceability Rule was January 20, 2026. The FDA proposed to extend the compliance date for the rule by 30 months to July 20, 2028. Subsequently, the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act of 2026 (the Continuing Appropriations Act) directed FDA not to enforce the Food Traceability Rule prior to that same date of July 20, 2028. The FDA intends to comply with this Congressional directive.
The Continuing Appropriations Act also required FDA to engage quarterly with regulated entities, including farms, restaurants, retail food establishments, and warehouses distributing to retail food establishments and restaurants, to identify and implement, as appropriate, additional flexibilities for satisfying the Food Traceability Rule’s lot-level tracking requirement. This public meeting will be the second of these quarterly engagements.
Public Comment
To submit a request to make remarks at the FDA public meeting, you must register by June 5, 2026, via the registration form below and indicate that you would like to speak during the public comment period. (If you already registered through the Partnership for Food Traceability website and indicated your request to speak on that form, you do not need to fill out the form below.) Same-day registration is not allowed. The FDA intends to accommodate all speaking requests. Time limits will be determined based on request volume.
FDA intends to open a docket folder and issue additional materials ahead of the meeting, which will be shared at a later time.
For Further Information
For general questions about the town hall, contact the Public Engagement Staff at PublicEngagement@fda.hhs.gov.