What does Section 204(d) require?

It mandates the recordkeeping of Key Data Elements (KDEs) associated with Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) throughout the supply chain — from farm to fork. • KDEs include data such as lot codes, dates, and locations tied to processing, shipping, receiving, and transformation. • CTEs are events where food is grown, received, transformed, or shipped.

Why it matters:

🦠 1 in 5 foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. is linked to foods on the FTL (FDA, 2021) 💸 $30,000/day: potential cost of non-compliance per violation (FDA enforcement guidelines) ⏳ Deadline: July 2028 (after a 30-month delay) — but first movers are already preparing 🛒 Consumers and retailers increasingly demand radical transparency and proof of compliance

Why act now?

Complying early not only mitigates regulatory risk — it opens the door to: • Faster recalls and reduced liability • Increased trust from consumers and partners • Improved operational visibility and efficiency • Competitive differentiation in a tightening regulatory landscape

How Connecting Food helps:

Our auditable traceability platform is natively built to support FSMA Section 204(d) compliance. We help food businesses: ✅ Automatically capture, verify, and store KDEs across all CTEs ✅ Trace every batch in real time, across complex multi-tier supply chains ✅ Generate audit-ready documentation instantly for FDA inspections ✅ Monitor supplier performance and data quality proactively Whether you handle 100 or 10,000 SKUs, we scale with your operations and simplify traceability—without overloading your teams.

Ready to future-proof your traceability?

📅 Don’t wait until the deadline. Let’s turn compliance into your strategic growth lever. Book a meeting with our team to explore how we can support your FSMA-readiness journey.