Food traceability brings trends, challenges

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Food traceability brings trends, challenges

9 Oct 2025

Mari Rydings

Mari Rydings is a versatile content creator, editor and marketer with experience developing dynamic, results-driven materials for B2B and B2C audiences. As the editorial director for Avant Food Media, she leads the day-to-day editorial operations for the company’s print and digital magazines, newsletters and social media platforms. Outside of work, she loves reading, hiking, putting together jigsaw puzzles and spending time with her husband and their twin daughters.

LAS VEGAS — When the FDA extended the FSMA Rule 204 compliance date from January 2026 to January 2028, there was a collective sigh of relief across the food industry. Ingredient suppliers and manufacturers need more time to determine the best way to align every stop along the intricate supply chain to meet the requirements of the Food Traceability Rule.

The delay also provided more time for additional conversations around food safety and traceability. The International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE)’s education program featured several sessions on the topic, including Food Safety and Traceability, offered by Earl Arnold, global manager for food defense and the Food Safety Modernization Act at AIB International.

Arnold alerted attendees to a handful of current traceability-related food safety trends they should take into consideration as they worked to build or enhance their programs.

“Digital traceability systems like blockchain and cloud-based platforms are increasingly used to create transparent and mutable supply chain records,” he said. “These systems play a vital role in tracking ingredients and products from processes across the entire supply chain. Cloud-based systems, in particular, allow companies to collect and share traceability data across all sites and all partners.”

Another food safety trend garnering increased attention is the use of AI to gather predictive analytics.

“Predictive analytics can help manufacturers and regulators anticipate risks,” Arnold said. “They help companies identify their trouble areas and take action to improve their traceability systems to maximize information in the event of a recall.”

Arnold also identified enhanced supplier verification programs as an emerging trend.

“An improved supplier program is a strong foundational prerequisite most facilities need to verify their ingredient suppliers are well-managed,” he said. “Best practices for how to do this have been continuously talked about in the industry.”

Challenges to proper food traceability

The main challenge to developing robust food traceability systems is the complex nature of the supply chain. Depending on what it is and how it’s used, an ingredient may pass through 20 different handlers, from growers to shippers. Creating a streamlined process that results in data sharing of accurate documentation at each touchpoint is no easy task.

Two more challenges? A lack of standardization in recordkeeping and technology gaps.

“Nobody has the same requirements,” Arnold said, “and different formats are used to record information. What a supplier is recording may in no way correlate to how a baker is recording. Those different documentation systems make traceability difficult because databases don’t talk to each other.”

“The most important aspect of having a good traceability program is understanding all the food safety hazards associated with ingredients, raw materials and packaging.” — Earl Arnold | global manager for food defense and the Food Safety Modernization Act | AIB International

Other obstacles to compliance with the upcoming food traceability requirements include technology gaps, supplier non-compliance, regulatory complexity, high-volume and product variability, employee errors, inadequate training, limited recall readiness, and cybersecurity and data integrity risks.

“The most important aspect of having a good traceability program is understanding all the food safety hazards associated with ingredients, raw materials and packaging,” Arnold said. “If there’s a food safety issue, the manufacturer must be able to quickly identify that suspect product and get it out of the marketplace. Best practices should be employed when managing the traceability program.”

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