FSMA 204 Was Delayed — Why Food Manufacturers Should Still Start Traceability Work Now When the FDA announced a delay in enforcing the Food Traceability Rule (FSMA Section 204), many food manufacturers breathed a sigh of relief. For organizations that were struggling to prepare, the additional time seemed like an opportunity to move the project
The Problem with Disjointed Systems in Food Manufacturing Walk through most food manufacturing facilities and you’ll find the same story told in different formats: a spreadsheet tracking yields on one computer, a paper log at the QA station, a separate system managing inventory, and an ERP that never quite matches what’s happening on the floor.
Why Manual Traceability Fails on the Plant Floor Food manufacturers operate under constant pressure. Regulations continue to tighten, customers expect full transparency, and margins leave little room for error. In this environment, traceability must stay fast, accurate, and reliable. However, many facilities still rely on manual traceability processes such as paper forms, whiteboards, and spreadsheets
