At Walmart and Sam’s Club, we are committed to providing safe, affordable, and quality foods to our customers and members. A safe and traceable food supply chain is a shared responsibility and requires collaboration with our suppliers. In an effort to comply with Section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA 204, we have issued enhanced traceability requirements to food suppliers.  

This landing page can be referenced as a living resource for understanding how to comply with the requirements. Below are the traceability data requirements, aligned with FSMA 204, that food suppliers will be expected to provide for all shipments or deliveries to Walmart Inc. Additional guides and materials are included in the below FAQ.

The following FAQ has been developed to assist suppliers as it relates to Walmart Inc. food traceability requirements. These are intended to address high-level questions and offer an introduction to our traceability approach but should not be considered legal guidance. Please consult your legal counsel for more information. 

Should you have questions related to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 204 rule, please refer to the FDA’s FAQ regarding  the FSMA Food Traceability Rule.

What are Walmart’s food traceability requirements?

Walmart Inc. is implementing food traceability requirements to capture Key Data Elements (KDEs) in line with FSMA 204 that will help ensure the safety and quality of food products sold in our stores, clubs, and omni channels. This includes requiring all food suppliers to share lot/batch codes, date code(s), and the source of where the lot/batch code was generated for the food products they supply to Walmart Inc. We are also actively working on ways that can enable track and trace of products in the supply chain from end-to-end. 

Why is Walmart implementing these food traceability requirements?

Enhanced traceability and transparency help to minimize food safety risk for our customers and members. We trust that you share our commitment to food safety & traceability and will continue to support us in implementing these requirements.

Do these requirements apply only to Private Brand suppliers? 

The requirements apply to all Walmart Inc. food suppliers, regardless of brand.  

Do these requirements apply to all distribution channels? 

Yes, these requirements apply to all suppliers shipping or delivering food through any channel of distribution to Walmart Inc.

What are some of the benefits of traceability?

Beyond food safety and compliance, enhanced traceability can enable quicker identification and removal of contaminated foods, minimize impacts of product recalls, reduce food waste, build consumer trust, accelerate response time to inquiries and foodborne illness investigations, and provide better supply chain visibility to inform operations. 

Do Walmart’s new food traceability requirements apply to all food suppliers?

Yes, all food suppliers must comply with these food traceability requirements. Examples include, but are not limited to, baby food, pet food, beverages, meat and poultry.

FSMA 204 applies to certain food products. Why is Walmart Inc. requiring traceability for all food products?

There are benefits to implementing traceability requirements for all food products. Most importantly, we are confident this is the best decision for our customers and members.  Considering that the FDA acknowledges the Food Traceability List (FTL) can evolve and expand, we see value in taking a more proactive approach. 

When must suppliers be in compliance with these food traceability requirements? 

Suppliers are expected to meet these requirements prior to the FSMA 204 compliance date of January 20, 2026. As an initial measure for compliance monitoring, we will first begin with FTL products.

How can I start preparing to comply with these food traceability requirements?

The GS1 Food Safety Modernization Act page has several resources available, including:

• Overview of FSMA 204
• Executive Summary 
• Application of GS1 system of standards to support FSMA 204
• Mapping Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) and Key Data Elements (KDEs) to GS1 Standards
• Readiness Checklist for FSMA 204
• EDI Recommendations for CTEs
• EPCIS Recommendations for CTEs

How can I share our supply chain traceability data with Walmart?

To foster a more interoperable supply chain and varying levels of technical readiness of suppliers, Walmart Inc. will support multiple methods of traceability data transmission, including ASN via EDI, and EPCIS via API. You can refer to Walmart’s ASN Article for Supplier EDI/ASN setup and EDI 856 guide, in addition to EPCIS guide for API onboarding. 

Do I need to use specific labels or barcodes?

All shipping labels must contain an SSCC-18 barcode at the pallet level that is linked to an Advance Ship Notice (ASN). Walmart Inc. requires case labels to contain barcodes that can transmit sufficient traceability data, such as the GS1-128 or GS1 Data Matrix labels.  Please refer to Walmart’s Supply Chain Standards Packaging Guide for more detailed information related to shipping, packaging, and other labeling standards. 

How do I obtain a GS1 Global Location Number (GLN), a GS1 Company Prefix, or learn more about Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs)? 

A Global Location Number (GLN) is a unique number that identifies a single location or business entity in the supply chain. The GS1 Company Prefix is a unique number that will identify your company as the owner of your barcode and the product it’s on. You can visit the any of the GS1 or Walmart Supplier resources listed below to learn more about these global standards and how to use them for your business.

GS1: 

• Get a Global Location Number (GLN) 
• GS1 Company Prefix
• How to Create a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) 
• 10 Steps to Barcode Your Product 
•  Guide to GS1 Standards Adoption for Supply Chain Visibility

Walmart Supplier resources:

• GTIN Basics
• Do I Need a New GTIN? 
• Understanding Trade Item Configurations and Dimensions 
• Trade Item Hierarchy FAQs 
• DSN FAQs (includes how GDSN relates to GS1)
  

When will I be required to self-declare whether our products are in scope for FSMA 204 in the item catalog?

Later this year, we will begin asking our suppliers to self-declare, at the item level, whether the foods they supply to us are covered under the scope of the FTL and to which category the food belongs. You will receive another communication from us when that feature becomes available.

What happens if I fail to comply with FSMA 204 or Walmart’s food traceability requirements?

Non-compliance with FSMA 204 could result in enforcement actions from the FDA. Additionally, Walmart Inc. may choose to hold or reject freight and levy penalties for insufficient traceability information.  Repeat instances may cause Walmart to review its relationship with suppliers who routinely fail to comply with these traceability requirements.

Who can I contact at Walmart for specific questions related to food traceability?

You can contact our food traceability team at foodtraceability@walmart.com.