The Food and Drug Administration will be holding a webinar on the final food traceability rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act. The final rule goes into effect on January 20, 2023, but enforcement does not start until January 20, 2026. This webinar will give growers a chance to help determine whether the rule will affect their operation and whether they may be exempt. Most vegetables, herbs, and fruit grown in New Jersey fall under the rule, but some operations will be exempt. This is your opportunity to start understanding the rule.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will hold an informational webinar on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (ET) on the recently released https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safetymodernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods issued under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The final rule is designed to facilitate faster identification and rapid removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and/or deaths.
During the webinar, the FDA will provide an overview of the final rule, including the foods and entities covered by the rule, explain the exemptions from the rule, and discuss the recordkeeping requirements of the rule. The FDA will answer pre-submitted questions and take questions during the webinar. Foods subject to the final rule requirements appear on the https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safetymodernization-act-fsma/food-traceability-list (FTL) and include fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, shell eggs, nut butters, as well as certain fresh fruits, certain fresh vegetables, ready-to-eat deli salads, soft cheeses, and certain seafood products.
Persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods on the FTL must maintain records, including Key Data Elements (KDEs) related to Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) in the supply chain for the food (link). Covered entities – including farms, manufacturers, distributors, retail food establishments, and restaurants – will be required to provide this traceability information to the FDA within 24 hours of an official request or within some reasonable time to which the FDA agrees.
Registration is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DYRQFTL
For more information: 
Rutgers University
State University of New Jersey
www.rutgers.edu