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FDA will not enforce FSMA 204 before July 20, 2028

Is your product on the FDA Food Traceability List? Know in one call.

Send a product name and get back its FTL category plus the Critical Tracking Events and Key Data Elements you have to record.

Built on the FDA Food Traceability List (21 CFR Part 1 Subpart S (eCFR)) · data last verified Feb 17, 2026 · read the rule

Is your product on the FTL?

Enter a food product to check if it requires FSMA 204 traceability records.

Get early API access

The keyed FTL API is in early access. Leave your email and we will let you know when it opens. The planned free tier is 50 lookups/month.

18
FTL Categories
114+
Foods Classified
442+
Searchable Terms

Counted from our classification of the FDA Food Traceability List. FTL unchanged since Nov 21, 2022.

How it works

Send a product name

Pass any food description — "pre-washed bagged spinach", "almond butter", "fresh salmon"

Get FTL classification

Instant response: is it on the FTL? Which category? What confidence level?

Receive CTE/KDE requirements

Know exactly which Critical Tracking Events and Key Data Elements you need to record.

One request, one answer

This is the endpoint behind the free lookup, and you can call it today. The keyed API is in early access.

GET https://foodchainapi.com/api/ftl/search?q=romaine+lettuce
{
  "query": "romaine lettuce",
  "found": true,
  "status": "covered",
  "results": [
    {
      "category": "Leafy Greens",
      "matchedFood": "Lettuce (all varieties)",
      "confidence": 0.95,
      "onFTL": true,
      "exclusions": [
        "Whole head cabbage (including napa)",
        "Microgreens"
      ],
      "ctes": [
        "Growing (harvesting)",
        "Receiving",
        "Transforming (cooling, packing)",
        "Shipping"
      ],
      "kdes": [
        "Traceability Lot Code",
        "Quantity and Unit of Measure",
        "Product Description",
        "Location of growing area",
        "Date of harvesting",
        "Date of cooling",
        "Date of receipt/shipment",
        "Reference Document Number"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Get early API access

Built for food tech teams

Compliance Software Builders

Building FSMA 204 compliance tools? Embed FTL classification directly into your product instead of maintaining your own lookup tables.

Supply Chain Platforms

Automatically flag which shipments require enhanced traceability records based on the products they contain.

Food Manufacturers & Distributors

Check your product catalog against the FTL in bulk. Know which items need FSMA 204 traceability before the deadline.

Consultants & Auditors

Quick reference tool for client assessments. Check products during audits without digging through FDA PDFs.