Eight food industry organizations have united to form the Food Industry FSMA 204 Collaboration to enhance industry-wide awareness of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Traceability Rule, which implements Section 204(d) of the U.S. FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). 

Participating organizations include the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), FMI – The Food Industry Association (FMI), GS1 US, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

The collaboration will share clear, concise messaging and resources that enable the industry to take action in preparing for FSMA Rule 204, which was published in November 2022. FSMA Rule 204 mandates a comprehensive tracking and tracing system for certain high-risk foods listed on the U.S. FDA's Food Traceability List (FTL), including fresh produce and leafy greens, deli salads, certain types of seafood and more. The collaboration will provide a forum where business and government officials can come together to educate industry and potentially help ease the burden of compliance.

"Compliance with FSMA Rule 204 presents a significant challenge for U.S. and foreign agri-food interests, as it imposes unprecedented recordkeeping requirements and necessitates the adoption of advanced traceability technologies," says Angela Fernandez, senior vice president of market development, GS1 US. "By convening food safety, supply chain logistics and data management experts across many food segments, the new collaboration aims to share best practices for meeting Food Traceability Rule requirements."

Recognizing the imperative for a collective response, the collaboration is founded on core principles, including operational effectiveness through collaboration, traceability for enhanced food safety, standardized data collection, and widespread training and education initiatives. The collaboration prioritizes the enhancement of awareness and understanding of emerging traceability technologies to help ensure the safety and integrity of the food supply chain. Through united efforts, the collaboration promotes acceleration of industry-wide compliance with FSMA Rule 204.

"IFT's Global Food Traceability Center has played a critical role in food traceability for many years and now, with the window to FSMA Rule 204 compliance quickly closing, organizations need our guidance more than ever," says Blake Harris, technical director, IFT's Global Food Traceability Center. "Since the FSMA Rule 204 announcement, we have created a series of educational resources that will be essential to food organizations on their complicated compliance journey to help boost organizational traceability awareness."