Food Traceability

frozen food in frozen food section

Upcoming Food Traceability Requirements for Grocers

Food traceability requirements that go into effect early next year are forcing grocers to confront financial hurdles and supplier challenges — and also legal consequences if they are non-compliant.

FSMA Section 204 Deadline Approaching

Retailers now have less than one year to meet the requirements of section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which goes into effect on Jan. 20, 2026.

Importance and Retailer Liability

The legislation aims to improve supply chain traceability to more quickly identify and remove potentially contaminated foods. It’s important that retailers to understand the requirements, given that they are also liable under the rule, Derek Hannum, chief customer officer at ReposiTrak, shared during a webinar hosted by the National Grocers Association in November.

Benefits of Advanced Traceability Programs

Food traceability is not always a simple burden though, as some large retailers such as Walmart boast food traceability programs that exceed those required by the FDA. This makes Walmart a more attractive retailer for food as if there was ever contamination with food, the likelihood of it affecting the customer end of low.