FDA Plans to Push Back Food Traceability Rule Deadline by 30 Months

Yesterday, the FDA announced its plans to extend the compliance deadline for the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months, giving food manufacturers and supply chain partners more time to fully implement its requirements. While the rule’s provisions remain unchanged, the extension aims to address industry concerns about coordinating data sharing and traceability across the supply chain.

“While we are disappointed by the 30-month delay in compliance with the FDA’s Food Traceability Rule,” said Blake Harris, Technical Director of IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center, “we acknowledge the complexities of implementing a regulation with global impact. However, public health must remain a top priority. The persistence of foodborne illness and recalls underscores the need for food industry stakeholders to invest in traceability and advance their efforts quickly, regardless of regulatory timelines. Moreover, as many global regulations and initiatives continue to prioritize traceability as a foundational element, it is critical for the food industry to stay aligned with these global efforts to meet both regulatory and consumer demands. We encourage food industry stakeholders to use this time to collaborate across the food system and adopt best practices that strengthen traceability.”

Traceability solutions provider ReposiTrak “commends the FDA for maintaining the essence of traceability. Importantly, the FDA is only moving the deadline to accommodate tens of thousands of companies that have to modify their internal processes and deploy new technologies for traceability to work. As the FDA pointed out in its press release, if one participant in the middle of the chain is unable to provide quality data, traceability for that particular product will be impaired.”

With a deadline originally set for January 2026, the rule aims to enhance food safety by requiring improved recordkeeping for foods on the Food Traceability List. The FDA remains committed to its implementation and will continue working with industry stakeholders to provide guidance and resources during the extended timeline.