The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a discussion paper intended to support stakeholder engagement on potential flexibilities related to the Food Traceability Rule’s lot-level tracking requirements. The document outlines several concepts under consideration and seeks stakeholder feedback to help inform future implementation discussions. Comments are due July 15, 2026.

Last-mile entities, including retailers and restaurants, continue to advocate for additional traceability flexibilities. These flexibilities could affect responsibilities throughout the supply chain and impact fresh produce growers and shippers. Domestic growers and shippers have made significant investments in traceability systems to meet regulatory and customer requirements. As FDA considers potential flexibilities, concerns remain about approaches that rely heavily on grower and shipper data without ensuring comparable flexibility, data quality verification, and accountability across the supply chain. Western Growers members’ input is especially important as FDA evaluates these options. Members are invited to share feedback by completing a short questionnaire by June 8, 2026.

To participate in this survey, click here.

To see our previous Traceability Rule Update, click here.