GS1 US, a member of GS1 global, a not-for-profit information standards organization that facilitates industry collaboration to help improve supply chain visibility and efficiency through the use of GS1 Standards, has published a new guideline to help members of the food industry comply with the FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule, which requires companies that physically handle certain foods under Section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to keep additional records to assist in tracebacks during an investigation of a foodborne illness outbreak.
According to the Final Rule, which has a the January 2026 compliance deadline, supply chain partners must keep more detailed records on Critical Tracking Events and Key Data Elements for two years for specific food products, and provide data transfer of the records within 24 hours to expedite recalls and help limit foodborne illness In the event of a recall.
 | FDA Issues Food Traceability Final Rule |
The Application of GS1 System of Standards to Support FSMA 204 guidance 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, and details how utilizing GS1 Standards can help bring structure to the data being collected and make interoperability between systems possible, so the data is meaningful to trading partners and can be shared as needed across systems.
“Through our collaboration with many stakeholders, technology providers, and associations, industry now has guidance that will help them extend their investment in GS1 Standards and also support data requirements for this new Final Rule,” says Angela Fernandez, vice president of community engagement, GS1 US. “This guideline will help all companies that handle food to maximize supply chain visibility and ultimately advance food safety practices.”
For more information and/or to download the guideline, click here.
