On the Food Traceability List

The moment you cut it, it's on the Food Traceability List.

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables — regardless of the source commodity — are automatically covered under FSMA 204. Cutting creates a new Critical Tracking Event.

FDA Food Traceability List Status
All fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are on the FDA Food Traceability List, regardless of whether the whole commodity is on the list. The act of cutting triggers FTL coverage and creates an additional Critical Tracking Event (transformation) with its own KDE requirements.

Covered varieties

Pre-cut salad mixesFresh-cut fruit (melon, pineapple, mango, berries)Vegetable trays and cupsSliced tomatoesDiced onionsCut herbsStir-fry mixesAny other cut produce
Why this commodity is high-risk

Cutting produce breaks the protective rind or skin, exposing the flesh to potential contamination. Fresh-cut operations also typically commingle product from multiple growers or lots, making traceback exponentially more complex. Pre-cut salad mixes, fruit bowls, vegetable trays, and similar products have been linked to numerous outbreaks precisely because tracing a multi-source, cut product back to its origin is difficult without robust lot tracking.

What you need to track

Critical Tracking Events

Events in the supply chain where you must capture traceability data:

1
Receiving — when you receive whole produce from growers
2
Transformation — when you cut, slice, dice, or otherwise process the produce
3
Packing — packing cut produce into retail containers
4
Shipping — every transfer in the supply chain

Key Data Elements

Data you must record at each tracking event:

Incoming lot TLCs (from each source grower/packer)
New TLC assigned to the fresh-cut product
Commodity and variety of input and output
Date of transformation (cutting)
Quantity and unit of measure (input and output)
Facility location where cutting occurred
Ship-to location and recipient
SSCC for each pallet of finished product
Reference documents (BOL, PO)

Who's buying fresh-cut produce — and what they expect

Major retailers have their own traceability requirements for fresh-cut produce, often stricter than the FDA's.

Costco
High-risk RTE produce requires test-and-hold programs. 2-4 hour recall response expected.
Walmart
Full KDEs and ASN required. Fresh-cut is an FTL priority.
Kroger
Traceability for all foods. Fresh-cut faces heightened requirements due to risk.
Whole Foods
Supply chain mapping required. Fresh-cut products need full traceback capability.
Albertsons
ASN with KDEs. Fresh-cut produce is closely monitored.
See all 35 retailer traceability guides →

How FieldToFile helps fresh-cut produce growers

Track incoming lots from multiple growers and link them to your fresh-cut output — maintaining the traceability chain through transformation.

Assign new TLCs to fresh-cut products while preserving the connection to source lot codes.

PTI-compliant labels for fresh-cut pallets with proper GS1-128 barcodes, lot codes, and processing dates.

Handle the added complexity of transformation CTEs — FieldToFile records what went in, what came out, and when.

Instant traceback from a retail package through your cutting operation back to the original grower and field.

The bottom line

Fresh-cut produce adds a layer of traceability complexity that whole produce doesn't have: the transformation CTE. You need to track what came in, what you did to it, and what went out. FieldToFile handles that chain — from receiving whole product to shipping cut produce — with compliant labels and complete records at every step.

Ship fresh-cut produce with confidence

Your first truckload is on us — up to 56 pallets, fully compliant. No credit card.