New federal guidance on U.S. food traceability rules will impact how packaging companies label and track food products, with a compliance deadline set for 2028. The U.S. government has updated its FDA food traceability rules under FSMA 204, with a draft guidance and a July 2028 compliance deadline. The changes affect food makers and packaging companies, especially in labeling and batch coding.
The rule is part of the Food Safety Modernization Act and requires certain foods to be tracked more closely through the supply chain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released draft questions and answers to explain the food traceability rule.
The guidance covers all points in the supply chain, including farms, processors, distributors, retailers, and restaurants. For packaging companies, the key challenge is tracking product batches. Foods must have batch or lot codes that link to records showing details like product, quantity, supplier, and customer, which must be shared with regulators within 24 hours if requested.
Packaging, labels, and printed codes must track batches accurately. Errors in coding or relabeling can lead to compliance problems if products aren’t traced quickly.
Regulators have confirmed that certain Grade “A” cottage cheese products already covered by a recognized dairy safety program are exempt from extra traceability record requirements. However, companies handling these products must still keep basic records of who supplied them and who received them. Packaging suppliers should check carefully which products are inside or outside the exemption, since requirements may differ.
The agency will hold regular sessions with industry stakeholders to discuss how the food traceability rule will be implemented and to gather feedback on practical challenges, like tracking food by batch and managing records.
Packaging professionals have until July 2028 to review coding systems, data processes, and label design. As producers improve traceability, packaging will be key to making batch information clear, accurate, and easy to access.
12 March 2026
12 March 2026
12 March 2026
12 March 2026
