The Partnership for Food Traceability (PFT) has announced the launch of three industry pilot programs developed to help food businesses assess and strengthen their readiness for FDA’s Food Traceability Rule, which takes full effect on July 20, 2028.
As a public-private partnership bridging industry and the FDA, PFT advanced the design these pilot frameworks to give organizations a standardized, structured, low-stakes environment to test their traceability capabilities, identify gaps, collaborate with peers, and compare learnings — well before the compliance deadline arrives.
PFT will formally introduce all three pilot programs during a free, one-hour webinar on Tuesday, June 9th, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM EDT. Space in each pilot program is limited. We encourage interested Western Growers members to confirm participation early. Click here to register for the upcoming webinar.
About the Three Pilot Programs
Pilot 1 — TLC Flexibility: Traceability Lot Code Flexibility
This pilot explores additional flexibilities for satisfying the Food Traceability Rule’s lot-level tracking requirements. Participating organizations will document their current traceability lot code approaches — whether from completed pilots, active implementations, or planned testing — and share findings with PFT. The goal is to surface and validate workable compliance solutions for supply chain segments where lot code capture and transmission represent new operational requirements.
Pilot 2 — Data Sharing to FDA: Electronic Sortable Spreadsheet Sharing
This pilot initiates a series of hypothetical data intake exercises designed to further inform the capabilities of FDA’s Product Tracing System. Participants will practice completing and submitting an Electronic Sortable Spreadsheet (ESS) that captures Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) and Key Data Elements (KDEs) across the supply chain — building familiarity and confidence with the submission process before it is required.
Pilot 3 — Industry Interoperability
This pilot enables organizations to test cross-industry data sharing and identify any technical difficulties prior to full implementation. By working directly with supply chain partners to send and receive traceability data using existing systems, participants can surface integration challenges, evaluate current capabilities, and develop solutions in a collaborative, non-enforcement environment.
What Participants Gain
Organizations that enroll in a PFT pilot program will receive:
- Access to a structured forum for sharing real-world implementation results
- Feedback from industry peers and stakeholders on compliance approaches
- Greater clarity on where flexibility exists within the Food Traceability Rule
- Collaborative peer strategies for achieving compliance ahead of the 2028 deadline
- A demonstrated track record of proactive readiness with FDA
Register for the June 23 Webinar
PFT’s free one-hour webinar will walk through each pilot program in detail, explain the enrollment process, and answer questions from attendees. It is open to all to participate!
Tuesday, June 23 | 2:00–3:00 PM EDT | Free to Attend
For any questions on these pilots, reach out to Sonia Salas at [email protected].