On the Food Traceability List

Fresh herbs are on the FTL — and many herb growers don't know it yet.

Cilantro, parsley, basil, and all other fresh herbs require full FSMA 204 traceability. For small herb operations, that's a big lift — unless you have the right tool.

FDA Food Traceability List Status
All fresh herbs are on the FDA Food Traceability List — cilantro, parsley, basil, mint, dill, chives, and every other fresh herb variety. Full FSMA 204 traceability requirements apply.

Covered varieties

CilantroParsley (flat-leaf and curly)BasilMintDillChivesRosemaryThymeOreganoSageAll other fresh herbs
Why this commodity is high-risk

Fresh herbs have been linked to multiple Cyclospora outbreaks, particularly cilantro and basil. These outbreaks are difficult to trace because herbs are often grown by smaller operations, sold through multiple intermediaries, and commingled during distribution. The FDA included all fresh herbs on the FTL because the combination of consumption patterns (often eaten raw) and supply chain complexity creates significant risk.

What you need to track

Critical Tracking Events

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

1
Growing — field or greenhouse location
2
Harvesting — when herbs were cut
3
Initial Packing — first packing into bunches, clamshells, or bags
4
Shipping — every transfer in the supply chain

Key Data Elements

Data you must record at each tracking event:

Growing area location (GPS or field identifier)
Commodity and variety (cilantro, basil, etc.)
Harvest date
Traceability Lot Code (TLC)
Quantity and unit of measure
Packer name, address, and phone number
Ship-to location and recipient
SSCC for each pallet
Reference documents (BOL, PO)

Who's buying fresh herbs — and what they expect

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

How FieldToFile helps fresh herbs growers

Built for small operations that grow multiple herb varieties — cilantro, parsley, basil can all be tracked in one system without complexity.

Starter plan at $199/month is sized for herb growers shipping 5 trucks or fewer per month.

PTI-compliant labels for herb pallets with correct commodity and variety codes, even when packing multiple herbs in the same run.

No middleware or desktop software — open a browser, select the herb variety, print compliant labels on your Zebra.

When your buyer or the FDA asks for records on a specific cilantro lot, pull the complete history in 30 seconds.

The bottom line

Many herb growers are smaller operations that have never needed enterprise traceability software — but FSMA 204 doesn't have a size exemption above $25K in sales. FieldToFile is built for exactly this situation: affordable, simple, browser-based traceability that meets the FDA's requirements without overwhelming a small operation.

Ship fresh herbs with confidence

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