Food safety is an important issue of global concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 million Americans contract foodborne illnesses each year, 128,000 of whom are hospitalized and 3,000 die. Therefore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established a key provision on food traceability in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), FSMA 204, which will take effect on January 20, 2026. The food industry is facing an important transformation challenge.
FSMA 204 requires companies that produce, handle or sell foods on the high-risk food list, such as produce, fish and nut butters, to achieve digital data sharing in the supply chain. The implementation of FSMA 204 aims to increase transparency in the food supply chain, thereby more effectively preventing and controlling foodborne illness.
Core requirements of FSMA 204
FSMA 204 requires food companies to maintain records containing key data elements (KDEs) related to specific critical tracking events (CTEs) and provide information to the FDA within 24 hours or other agreed time. Key tracking events include shipping, cooling, initial packaging, transportation, receiving, conversion, etc. In addition, companies need to develop a traceability plan so that the FDA can quickly obtain relevant records when needed.
Faced with this new regulation, many leading retailers and operators have already taken action to agree on a minimum deployment plan to meet the requirements of the new rule. Organizations such as GS1 US are also actively developing specific actionable guidelines and best practices to help companies understand and comply with compliance requirements.
Although the new regulation does not require the use of specific technologies, some companies are further adopting technology to improve efficiency and accuracy. Barcodes, 2D barcodes or RFID technologies can help automate data collection and sharing. In addition, Electronic Product Code Information Service (EPCIS) is recommended as a specific language for structuring and sharing supply chain data. As the FSMA 204 deadline approaches, the food industry will continue to face challenges and opportunities. Industry groups and associations are developing guidelines to help companies create global trade item numbers (GTINs) and batch IDs to ensure the uniqueness of products. In addition, special working groups across product supporters, trading partners and customers will also be formed to ensure the smooth implementation of compliance requirements.
The implementation of FSMA 204 marks a new digital era for supply chain management in the U.S. food industry. From now on, food companies should actively plan to ensure that they meet compliance requirements before the deadline. By adopting appropriate technologies and following industry best practices, food companies can not only improve the efficiency and transparency of the supply chain, but also better protect consumer health.
Advantages of RFID technology
RFID (radio frequency identification) technology identifies and tracks items through radio waves. Each RFID tag has a unique identification number that can be quickly read by an RFID reader. RFID tags can be attached to products, pallets or packaging for real-time tracking and management. RFID technology is expected to play a key role in FSMA 204 compliance, improving supply chain transparency and efficiency and ensuring food safety through automated data collection and sharing. Food companies can optimize supply chain management, meet new regulatory requirements and protect consumer health by actively adopting RFID technology. Specifically, RFID can play a role in the following aspects:
Improve data collection efficiency: RFID technology can automate the data collection process, reduce manual input errors, and improve data accuracy and efficiency. Through RFID readers, companies can quickly obtain batch codes, shipping information and other key data elements of products to meet the requirements of FSMA 204 for key tracking events.
Enhance supply chain transparency: RFID technology can achieve seamless connection between all links in the supply chain and ensure real-time sharing and updating of data. This helps companies provide the required information to the FDA within 24 hours and enhance the transparency and traceability of the supply chain.
Support key tracking events: FSMA 204 requires the recording and reporting of multiple key tracking events, such as harvesting, cooling, packaging, transportation and receiving. RFID technology can automatically record the time and location of these events to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data. In addition, RFID can store more information than other identification technologies.
Improve inventory management efficiency: Through RFID technology, companies can monitor inventory status in real time, identify inefficiencies in inventory management, optimize inventory turnover, and ensure the freshness and safety of products.
With the implementation of FSMA 204, the application of RFID technology in the food supply chain will become more and more extensive. Industry groups and associations are also actively promoting the application of RFID technology, formulating relevant guidelines and best practices to help companies better understand and apply this technology.
This paper is from Ulink Media, Shenzhen, China, the organizer of IOTE EXPO (IoT Expo in China)
