Eight Leading Organizations Form Collaboration To Tackle Food Industry's FSMA Rule 204 Challenges

Unified Approach Aims To Improve Food Safety and Meet Traceability Rule Requirements

EWING, N.J., Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight prominent food industry organizations have united to form the "Food Industry FSMA 204 Collaboration" to enhance industry-wide awareness of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (U.S. FDA's) Food Traceability Rule, which implements Section 204(d) of the U.S. FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Participating organizations include: Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), FMI – The Food Industry Association (FMI), GS1 US, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

The Collaboration will share clear, concise messaging and resources that enable industry to take action in preparing for FSMA Rule 204, which was published in November 2022. FSMA Rule 204 mandates a comprehensive tracking and tracing system for certain high-risk foods listed on the U.S. FDA's Food Traceability List (FTL), including fresh produce and leafy greens, deli salads, certain types of seafood and more. The Collaboration will provide a forum where business and government officials can come together to educate industry and potentially help ease the burden of compliance.

Recognizing the imperative for a collective response, the Collaboration is founded on core principles, including operational effectiveness through collaboration, traceability for enhanced food safety, standardized data collection, and widespread training and education initiatives. The Collaboration prioritizes the enhancement of awareness and understanding of emerging traceability technologies to help ensure the safety and integrity of the food supply chain. Through united efforts, the Collaboration promotes acceleration of industry-wide compliance with FSMA Rule 204.

For more information about the Food Industry FSMA 204 Collaboration and to access combined resources and future educational opportunities from all participating organizations, visit Food Industry FSMA 204 Collaboration.

Food Industry Leaders Demonstrate Support

"As state and local agencies, AFDO members are often on the front lines, receiving critical information during foodborne illness outbreaks," said Steven Mandernach, Executive Director, AFDO. "We are committed to collaborating with all partners, including industry, to successfully implement FSMA Rule 204 traceability requirements. By working together, we can enhance food safety, ensure efficient traceability and protect public health across the entire supply chain."

"Food safety is the single most important issue that food retailers, wholesalers and suppliers focus on every day," said Leslie G. Sarasin, President and CEO, FMI – The Food Industry Association. "FDA's FSMA Rule 204 is the most significant regulation the food industry has ever faced and will demand tremendous investments for recordkeeping, data management and systems changes. This Collaboration demonstrates our collective commitment to sharing information and working together to ensure the food supply chain has the resources and clarity it needs for compliance." 

"Compliance with FSMA Rule 204 presents a significant challenge for U.S. and foreign agri-food interests, as it imposes unprecedented recordkeeping requirements and necessitates the adoption of advanced traceability technologies," said Angela Fernandez, Senior Vice President of Market Development, GS1 US. "By convening food safety, supply chain logistics and data management experts across many food segments, the new Collaboration aims to share best practices for meeting Food Traceability Rule requirements."

"IFT's Global Food Traceability Center has played a critical role in food traceability for many years and now, with the window to FSMA Rule 204 compliance quickly closing, organizations need our guidance more than ever," said Blake Harris, Technical Director, IFT's Global Food Traceability Center. "Since the FSMA Rule 204 announcement, we have created a series of educational resources that will be essential to food organizations on their complicated compliance journey to help boost organizational traceability awareness."

"It is critically important for manufacturing companies serving the food-away-from-home marketplace to meet FSMA Rule 204 compliance requirements," said Phil Kafarakis, President & CEO, IFMA. "The continued strength of consumer spending for food-away-from-home mandates that manufacturers exceed consumer expectations for safe, flavorful and portable meals that go beyond FSMA Rule 204 compliance."

"Foodservice distributors are deeply committed to providing safe food products to their customers and are highly skilled in tracking and tracing the volume and variety of food they distribute," said Mark S. Allen, President & CEO, IFDA. "Collaborating with supply chain partners is key to enhancing food safety and advancing goals set forth under FSMA Rule 204."

"Implementation of FSMA Rule 204 requirements is a cross-industry challenge," said Ed Treacy, Vice President of Supply Chain, IFPA. "This collaboration will ensure that the resources created and education offered to our collective members are coordinated and aligned."

"FSMA Rule 204 underscores the significance of understanding how the broader supply chain interacts with farmers, extending beyond just fresh fruits and vegetables," said Ted McKinney, CEO, NASDA. "While the value of traceability is widely recognized, its effectiveness in enhancing food safety and public health will hinge on its practical application. Therefore, effective education, particularly in the early stages of this initiative, is crucial."

About the Food Industry FSMA 204 Collaboration Organizations

About Association of Food & Drug Officials
The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) is a well-recognized national organization that represents state, territorial, and local food protection regulatory agencies including all the agencies that regulate produce, manufactured foods, and retail foods. The Association's principal purpose is to act as the leader and a resource to state, territorial, and local regulatory agencies in developing strategies to resolve and promote public health and consumer protection related to the regulation of food, medical products, and cosmetics.

About FMI – The Food Industry Association
As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. 

About GS1 US 
GS1 US® helps enable companies to power their supply chains to deliver safe, consistent, authentic, and trusted experiences. Best known as a source for UPC barcodes, GS1 is a not-for-profit, global data standards organization that creates a common language for companies to identify, capture, and share trusted data that links their physical and digital supply chains. Millions of businesses around the world power commerce with GS1 Standards. Learn more at www.gs1us.org.

About Institute of Food Technologists
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a global organization of over 11,000 individual members from more than 100 countries committed to advancing the science of food. Since 1939, IFT has brought together the brightest minds in food science, technology and related professions from academia, government, and industry to solve the world's greatest food challenges. IFT's Global Food Traceability Center conducts applied research; develops resources, tools, and training; and offers customizable services to help industry, regulators, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) implement end-to-end, event-based, interoperable traceability to solve challenges and create opportunities across the supply chain. For more information, go to www.ift.org/gftc. 

About International Foodservice Distributors Association
The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) is the premier trade association representing foodservice distributors throughout the United States and globally. IFDA members play a crucial role in the foodservice supply chain, delivering 33 million cases of food and related products to more than one million professional kitchens daily, including restaurants, K-12 schools, colleges and universities, U.S. military and government facilities, hospitals and care facilities, hotels and resorts, and other foodservice operations that make meals away from home possible. This vital industry generates $382 billion in sales, employs 431,000 people, and operates 17,100 distribution centers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

About International Foodservice Manufacturers Association
The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) is a trade association founded in 1952. IFMA empowers, nurtures, and connects an inclusive and diverse $1.3 trillion food-away-from-home ecosystem of manufacturers, distributors, operators, and others. By sharing insights, fostering best practices, and developing networking and educational opportunities through events, IFMA informs and instructs its members, and motivates change to improve both individual organizations and the foodservice industry at large.

About International Fresh Produce Association
The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain and the only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facing support. We exist to bring the industry together to create a vibrant future for all. We grow our member's prosperity by conducting advocacy; connecting people and ideas; and offering guidance that allows us all to take action with purpose and confidence.

About National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. NASDA grows and enhances American food and agricultural communities through policy, partnerships and public engagement. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org.

SOURCE GS1 US