Latest developments in traceability regulations, technology adoption, and industry trends.
The FDA announced a significant delay to the Food Traceability Final Rule, pushing the compliance deadline from January 2026 to approximately July 2028. The agency cited industry concerns about implementation challenges and supply chain readiness.
The EU Council and Parliament reached a deal postponing EUDR to December 30, 2026 for large operators (June 2027 for small operators). The revision also simplifies requirements by removing certain printed products from scope.
The Drug Supply Chain Security Act reached its final implementation milestone. Wholesale distributors had to comply by August 2025, and large dispensers by November 2025. Companies are now actively exchanging serialized transaction data.
The European Commission confirmed the functionality of EUDAMED's UDI/Devices module. All medical devices must be registered with Unique Device Identifiers (UDIs) prior to first placing on the market, effective May 2026.
SAP expanded serialization, real-time provenance, and integration with SAP Ariba and S/4HANA. Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with SAP to deliver end-to-end supply chain visibility on Azure.
EU co-legislators reached agreement on mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles, requiring producers to finance collection and recycling. Digital Product Passports for textiles expected in the first wave of ESPR delegated acts.
The European Commission launched public consultation on Digital Product Passports under ESPR. Delegated acts for textiles, furniture, iron, steel, aluminum, and energy-related products expected to begin rolling out in Q4 2025.
L'Oreal, P&G, Mondelez, Nestle, Alibaba, and 25+ leading global companies (collectively valued at $1.5 trillion) announced support for the global transition to GS1 QR codes, working toward GS1 Sunrise 2027.
The Global Seafood Alliance launched Prism, a new platform offering assurance and traceability solutions in collaboration with Wholechain, signaling increased industry focus on seafood supply chain transparency.
NOAA Fisheries unveiled a comprehensive action plan to enhance the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), proposing expansion to ALL US seafood imports through a two-tier risk-based system.
The EU Battery Regulation took effect with key sustainability requirements. By February 2027, all EV and industrial batteries with capacity over 2 kWh must carry a digital battery passport accessible via QR code.
Amazon updated supply chain standards to require regular emissions reporting from suppliers and expanded its Transparency anti-counterfeiting program to 33,000+ brands, verifying 900M+ product units.
We're expanding our coverage of traceability developments across industries and regions. Check back regularly for updates.
July 2028
Delayed from January 2026. Full compliance required for food traceability records on high-risk foods.
February 2027
All EV and industrial batteries over 2 kWh must carry a digital battery passport via QR code.
December 2026
Traceability requirements for cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya, wood, rubber, and cattle products.
May 2026
Mandatory UDI registration for all medical devices placed on the EU market.
Active
Full serialization now in effect. Small dispensers must comply by November 2026.
2027
Global transition from linear barcodes to 2D GS1 QR codes at point of sale.