IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center has launched an Enterprise Traceability Education Suite, a training tool for employees.
The education suite empowers organizations to train their employees on key traceability concepts, prepare for incoming regulations, and take steps to reduce the impact of recalls, according to a news release.
From a basic awareness of food traceability principles to detailed guides on how to design, implement, evaluate, and enhance an organization’s traceability system, the self-paced courses are designed to educate professionals across all levels and business areas, the release said.
The educational courses are designed to offer an efficient and affordable solution to aid with compliance with the FDA’s Food Traceability Rule, which was announced November 2022 as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, according to the release.
The rule, which goes into effect in January 2026, is estimated to impact more than 320,000 domestic firms operating over 480,000 establishments as well as more than 60,000 international firms operating over 68,000 establishments.
“Compliance with the FDA’s Food Traceability Rule is going to be a long, complex journey with many organizations lacking the resources to educate staff on where or how to get started,” IFT Chief Science and Technology Officer Bryan Hitchcock said in the release. “The Enterprise Traceability Education Suite will help organizations create a traceability plan and get its staff aligned on traceability best practices moving forward,”
The suite of courses includes, according to the release:
- Traceability Awareness: Train the Trainer and Plant Staff Resources — raise awareness of basic traceability principles, definitions and best practices for staff.
- Traceability Fundamentals: Cross-Functional Manager Training — learn the importance of traceability and how it impacts business functions and outcomes, as well as how to support traceability best practices for risk management.
- Traceability Implementation: Step-by-step Guide to Designing a Traceability Plan — provides instructions, examples, and interactive worksheets to help learners evaluate, design and implement a comprehensive traceability program for business operations.
A virtual open house is planned for Jan. 16. The event will feature a live demo of all three expert-developed courses, the release said. Registration for the virtual open house is available online.
To learn more about the traceability education suite, visit ift.org/traceability.
