The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a public meeting on November 6 to discuss implementation challenges and possible adjustments to its Food Traceability Rule. Registration for speakers closes October 26, while written comments are due December 6.

Introduced under the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, the rule requires businesses handling designated foods, including leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, melons, and fresh-cut produce, to maintain records linked to traceability lot codes.

Companies must record data during harvesting, cooling, packing, shipping, and receiving. During outbreak investigations, covered businesses must provide the FDA with an electronic, sortable spreadsheet within 24 hours.

Originally scheduled for compliance in January 2026, the rule faces delays following legislation enacted in November 2025 that prohibits the use of appropriated funds for administration or enforcement before July 20, 2028.

Industry organizations have raised concerns about compliance across supply chains, particularly among smaller suppliers, restaurants and distribution centers. However, retailers including Kroger, Albertsons and Walmart had already developed traceability programs before the delay.

A January 2026 Government Accountability Office report found that the FDA had not completed its internal traceability data system.

The November meeting will address lot-code management, distribution center tracking, product returns, transfers between company facilities, and data standards.

The discussions follow a Cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico, involving 12,883 confirmed illnesses, 570 hospitalizations, and two deaths across 21 U.S. states.

Consumer and public health organizations have called for the enforcement restriction to be withdrawn, while industry groups remain divided over implementation requirements.