Traceability

Traceability is the ability to follow a food and its ingredients through the supply chain, at least one step back to the supplier and one step forward to the buyer, so problems can be found and removed quickly.

  • Food safety
  • Rules, recalls & traceability

Traceability connects each product to where its ingredients came from, how it was made and where it was shipped. FDA's general records rule (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart J) requires most businesses that make, pack, hold, ship or receive food to record who supplied each item and who received it, with dates, quantities and, for manufacturers, lot codes where they exist. FSMA's Food Traceability Rule goes further for foods on FDA's Food Traceability List, such as shell eggs, nut butters and soft cheeses, requiring traceability lot codes and specific key data elements for each critical tracking event.

During an outbreak or contamination event, investigators need to know which lots are involved and where they went. Good records keep a recall limited to the right products instead of everything on the shelf. FDA expects the added traceability records to speed the identification and removal of contaminated food, which means fewer illnesses and deaths. Both FDA rules set a 24-hour window for handing records over when the agency asks; the general rule applies it when FDA suspects a serious health threat.

Key facts

General records rule
One step back, one step forward (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart J)
Record retention (general rule)
6 months to 2 years, based on shelf life
Food Traceability Rule timing
Originally Jan 20, 2026; FDA proposed July 20, 2028, and Congress barred enforcement before that date
Records to FDA
Within 24 hours of a request

In a bakery or commercial kitchen

  • Record supplier name, address, phone, product description, date received, quantity and lot code for every ingredient delivery
  • Tie each finished batch's lot code to the ingredient lots used, so one bad ingredient can be traced to finished goods
  • Keep records 6 months to 2 years depending on how fast the food spoils; frozen or shelf-stable foods need 2 years
  • Check FDA's Food Traceability List and exemption tool if you receive listed foods such as shell eggs, nut butters or fresh herbs
  • Keep records searchable, since the traceability rule lets FDA request an electronic sortable spreadsheet within 24 hours during an outbreak

For home and cottage bakers

  • Keep flour, chocolate and mixes in their original packaging, or note the date code, so you can match recall notices
  • Cottage bakers can log ingredient brands, purchase dates and bake dates to answer customer or inspector questions quickly

Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 17, 2026.

  1. 21 CFR Part 1 Subpart J: Establishment, Maintenance, and Availability of Records, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
  2. FSMA Final Rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  3. The FDA Food Traceability Rule At-A-Glance, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  4. Traceability Plans for Food Products (P3552), Mississippi State University Extension
  5. Food Traceability: One Ingredient in a Safe and Efficient Food Supply, USDA Economic Research Service, Amber Waves