Membership Milestone in ReposiTrak Traceability Network (RTN) for FSMA 204 Compliance reaches 8% of the Retail Grocery Industry
ReposiTrak's Traceability Network (RTN) has surpassed 4,000 members, including over 3,000 retail stores and 1,100 suppliers, offering a solution for compliance with the FDA's FSMA 204 traceability rule. This network, representing nearly 8% of the retail grocery industry, is designed to facilitate data sharing to meet the regulatory requirements. As the January 2026 deadline approaches, food supply chain companies are urged to implement the RTN to avoid backlogs. ReposiTrak emphasizes its solution's scalability, cost-effectiveness, and ease of adoption for the food industry.
- RTN surpassing 4,000 members indicates strong adoption in the food supply chain.
- Represents nearly 8% of the retail grocery industry, showcasing market penetration.
- Scalable solution without new hardware or software needs reduces adoption barriers.
- Experts available to assist businesses with compliance challenges.
- Compliance with FSMA 204 may require significant labor additions at distribution centers.
- Potential costs associated with sharing traceability data with customers.
The number of RTN network members has surpassed 4,000 as retailers and suppliers throughout the supply chain begin working together for improved food safety, faster and more precise recalls.
“As a food supply chain operator, there’s a good chance that you harvest or handle at least one of the foods on FDA’s Food Traceability List (FTL). That makes you legally obligated to comply with FSMA 204 traceability regulations,” said ReposiTrak Chairman and CEO
FSMA 204 requires companies that manufacture, process, pack or hold foods on the FTL to establish and maintain Key Data Element (KDE) records for specific Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) in a product’s journey through the supply chain. As that product changes hands or changes form, a compounding string of data must be transferred between trading partners to provide full, end-to-end traceability. For a retailer or wholesaler, that means the potential need to add costly labor at distribution centers, commissary or central kitchen facilities, and at the retail store level. For suppliers, it means traceability information must not only be collected from vendors, but also shared with customers in the format the customer requires. The FTL currently includes the most vulnerable fresh foods categories including tomatoes, deli salads, nut butters and leafy greens and the thousands of SKUs within each category. It appears that the objective of the FDA is to eventually cover all food stuffs.
“The FDA is on a path toward a more connected and transparent supply chain. The only way for your company to comply before the deadline is to start now,” continued Fields. “You’ll need an easy-to-use solution that can synchronize KDE records from multiple sources and systems and exchange it in a way that your trading partners will accept. The worst thing you could do is get stuck behind a backlog of companies who waited until the last minute to act.”
The ReposiTrak Traceability Network is the only solution that’s scalable for the total food supply chain, without the need for new hardware, software or even labeling systems. It is built upon the largest, already-connected network of more than 110,000 individual supplier facilities, making the onboarding process faster and easier for retailers. In addition, ReposiTrak’s team of experts is prepared to have a real conversation with food supply chain operators to understand each company’s unique challenges and determine the best approach. Members can connect to an unlimited number of trading partners and begin sharing data for a low, flat fee.
Companies interested in the ReposiTrak program can visit: https://repositrak.actonsoftware.com/acton/media/15541/rtn-resources .
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FAQ
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