Food Industry Addresses U.S. FDA Requirements for Additional Traceability Records With New Guidance
GS1 US has published a new guideline to help the food industry leverage GS1 Standards to help address the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Food Traceability Final Rule, which requires additional traceability records for certain foods under Section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
The document “Application of GS1 System of Standards to Support FSMA 204” was created by industry members of the GS1 US Foodservice and Retail Grocery Working Groups and defines the best practices for product and location identification, structured product descriptions and the recording of common industry-defined events to support the additional traceability requirements. The Final Rule mandates companies that physically handle certain foods on the FDA Food Traceability List keep additional records to assist in tracebacks during an investigation of a foodborne illness outbreak. The new guidance document highlights how voluntary GS1 Standards will help prepare systems and business processes to meet the January 2026 compliance deadline.