RFID for packaging enters new markets, despite pause on FDA traceability rule

Even though the FDA has postponed the Food Traceability Rule, companies across the supply chain are still moving forward with RFID tracking technology. Experts believe that the delayed timeline won’t slow down adoption in this space.

Food producers and retailers were already preparing to adopt tracking tools—including RFID tags on packaging—before the original compliance deadline of January 2026. Packaging suppliers have been integrating RFID into their products to keep pace. The FDA has granted a 30-month extension to the compliance deadline, moving it to July 20, 2028, to give businesses more time to meet the requirements.

Despite the delay, industry leaders maintain that the regulatory momentum hasn’t stopped. Identiv’s CEO, Kirsten Newquist, emphasizes that the FDA remains committed to implementing these regulations—companies are just being given more runway to prepare.

According to Gartner analyst Sandeep Unni, RFID investments have seen a surge in the past 12–18 months, driven by urgency for compliance ahead of the original deadline.

Walmart has long mandated RFID on supplier products—an initiative that spans over two decades, now covering nearly all items. Albertsons was among the first in the food industry to adopt RFID, while Kroger recently announced deployment of Avery Dennison’s RFID automation in its fresh food departments. Chipotle implemented RFID nationwide after a successful pilot in Chicago and is now asking suppliers to tag products—marking the first restaurant chain to embrace this system. And Avery Dennison is at the forefront of smart-label development. The company embeds RFID in packaging materials, bridging material science and supply chain visibility—allowing quick recall isolation when serial numbers tied to packaging are flagged.