FSMA 204 CTEs vs. KDEs: Turn Events into Useful Records
Distinguish Critical Tracking Events from Key Data Elements and map receiving, shipping, and transformation to your food traceability records.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Blog
Guides and resources for FSMA 204 compliance and food traceability.
Traceability Lot Code vs. SKU and GTIN: What Your Database Needs
Separate product identifiers from traceability lot codes, preserve supplier codes, and avoid database joins that merge unrelated food lots.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Traceability Lot Code Source Reference: Build a Link That Works
Understand TLC source references and design a durable location lookup without confusing a product barcode with a source location.
2026-10-04·2 min read
FSMA 204 Receiving Records: A Warehouse Intake Workflow
Map receiving KDEs to inbound documents, capture supplier lots, and handle missing or conflicting traceability information at warehouse intake.
2026-10-04·2 min read
FSMA 204 Shipping Records: Preserve Lots Across Split Orders
Design shipping records that connect outbound food lots to recipients and supporting documents without overwriting inbound traceability codes.
2026-10-04·2 min read
FSMA 204 Transformation Records: Link Inputs to Output Lots
Model food transformation as an input-to-output relationship, preserve lot genealogy, and test rework and mixed-lot production runs.
2026-10-04·2 min read
FSMA 204 Traceability Plan: Make Record Locations Findable
Document where traceability records live, who can retrieve them, and how to keep your plan useful through system and staff changes.
2026-10-04·2 min read
FSMA 204 Sortable Spreadsheet: Build an Export You Can Explain
Prepare traceability exports with explicit lot links, units, event records, and reconciliation checks using FDA's spreadsheet resources.
2026-10-04·2 min read
A Food Traceability Mock Recall Test for Your Software
Run a practical lot-tracing exercise that checks backward and forward links, quantities, missing records, and recovery procedures.
2026-10-04·2 min read
FSMA 204 Supplier Questionnaire: Ask for Usable Evidence
A supplier onboarding checklist for product form, TLC source information, record exchange formats, and traceability exceptions.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Screen a Product Catalog for the FDA Food Traceability List
Turn a SKU catalog into an FTL review queue using product descriptions, form, supplier evidence, and explicit unresolved states.
2026-10-04·2 min read
FSMA 204 Multi-Ingredient Foods: Review the Ingredient's Form
Review foods containing FTL ingredients without assuming a recipe name or category match determines the finished product's traceability obligations.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Fresh vs. Frozen on the Food Traceability List: Preserve Product Form
Why fresh, frozen, previously frozen, and shelf-stable product forms need separate review in your FTL classification workflow.
2026-10-04·2 min read
FTL Cheese Classification: Which Product Specifications to Request
Build a cheese review workflow using type, product form, processing information, and FDA's category exclusions rather than a short item name.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Fresh Herbs and Dill: Separate an FTL Match from an Exemption
Review fresh herb descriptions and the dill exemption without turning a broad category match into an automatic FSMA 204 decision.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Tropical Fruit FTL Review: Use the Fruit Name, Not the Aisle Label
Review tropical fruit products using FDA's specific included and excluded fruits, product form, and mixed-product specifications.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Seafood FTL Classification: Species, Form, and Exemptions
Collect seafood species and product-form evidence before treating an FTL match as a decision about traceability obligations.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Validate FoodChainAPI Search Responses Before Updating Your ERP
Handle missing-query errors, successful empty searches, multiple matches, and network failures in a FoodChainAPI integration.
2026-10-04·2 min read
No FTL Match Does Not Mean Exempt: Design a Review Path
Handle empty, broad, and low-confidence FoodChainAPI results without mislabeling uncertain food products as exempt from FSMA 204.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Build an FTL Classification Audit Trail That Survives Catalog Changes
Save the query, candidate matches, product evidence, reviewer decision, and source date for an explainable Food Traceability List review.
2026-10-04·2 min read
Is Peanut Butter on the FDA Food Traceability List? What the Ventura Foods Recall Means for FSMA 204
The Ventura Foods peanut butter recall covers 22,000+ cases across 40 states. Nut butters are on the FDA Food Traceability List — here's what this means for FSMA 204 compliance.
2026-02-17·7 min read
Are Oysters on the FDA Food Traceability List? What the Stellar Bay Norovirus Recall Means for FSMA 204
Stellar Bay Shellfish oysters recalled for norovirus across 10+ states. Molluscan shellfish are on the FDA Food Traceability List — here's what FSMA 204 means for shellfish businesses.
2026-02-17·6 min read
FSMA 204 Compliance Date Extended to 2028: What Changed and What Didn't
The FDA extended the FSMA 204 enforcement deadline to July 20, 2028. Here's what changed, what stayed the same, and how to use the extra time.
2026-04-07·6 min read
How Food Traceability Software Vendors Can Add FTL Classification
Technical guide for software vendors: how to integrate FDA Food Traceability List classification into your traceability, ERP, or WMS platform using FoodChainAPI.
2026-04-14·7 min read
Food Distribution Software: How FSMA 204 Changes What Distributors Need
FSMA 204 creates new traceability requirements for food distributors. Here's what your distribution software needs to handle.
2026-03-31·8 min read
FSMA 204 Exemptions: Who Doesn't Need to Comply?
Not everyone needs to comply with FSMA 204. Learn which foods, businesses, and activities are exempt from the Food Traceability Rule.
2026-03-24·6 min read
Food Safety Regulations in the US: A Complete Guide for Food Businesses
A comprehensive overview of US food safety regulations — FDA, USDA, FSMA, HACCP, and how they all fit together for food businesses.
2026-03-17·10 min read
FSMA Compliance Checklist: How to Prepare for the July 2028 Deadline
A 10-step compliance checklist for FSMA 204 — from FTL product determination to mock recall exercises.
2026-03-10·8 min read
Best Food Traceability Software [2026]: FSMA 204 Tools Compared
Compare the top food traceability software platforms for FSMA 204 compliance — from enterprise solutions to API-first tools.
2026-03-03·10 min read
What is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)? Everything You Need to Know
FSMA is the most sweeping reform of US food safety laws in over 70 years. Learn what it requires, who must comply, and how it affects your business.
2026-02-24·9 min read
FSMA 204 Food Traceability List: Complete Guide [2026]
Everything you need to know about the FDA Food Traceability List — what's on it, what's not, and how to prepare for the July 2028 enforcement deadline.
2026-02-17·12 min read
How to Check if Your Product is on the FDA Food Traceability List
Step-by-step guide to determining if your food products require FSMA 204 traceability records. Includes the free FTL lookup tool.
2026-02-17·8 min read