Live at GS1: Walmart goes ‘all in’ for transparency and traceability | 11-08-2025 |

At the GS1 Connect event held recently in the USA, leaders from Walmart, Conagra, and The Fishin’ Co. explored how Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Rule 204 is reshaping traceability—and why packaging lines, labellers, and data systems must evolve to meet new retailer and regulatory demands. Matt Reynolds, editor of Packaging World (PMMI Media Group) explains in this edited article which we reproduce with their kind permission:

When the world’s largest retailer puts traceability at the center of its food safety strategy, the entire industry pays attention. With FSMA Rule 204 looming, even after a recently announced 30-month delay( from January 2026 to July 2028) Walmart has made it clear that it’s “all in” on transparency and traceability. That means its suppliers have to be, too. For brand owners and CPGs, this transformation is not just a data exercise. Beyond data management and standardization, it's a packaging challenge, a systems rethink and a supply chain culture shift.

At a recent panel led by Walmart’s Ed Bonin, director of FSMA transformation at the retail giant, packaging and manufacturing leaders from brand owners Conagra and The Fishin’ Co. described in detail how they’re operationalizing traceability—through ERP upgrades, global supplier engagement, and critically, modernizing or reconfiguring their packaging lines to handle the demands of serialized data.

FSMA Rule 204 mandates enhanced traceability for high-risk foods, like fresh produce. While some suppliers are waiting out the delay, Walmart is not. “We made a decision that we’re all in,” said Ed Bonin. “We’re not just checking a regulatory box. We’re committing to something bigger: customer trust, operational efficiency, and supply chain transparency.”

• That commitment runs on GS1 Standards, including:
• GS1-128 barcodes for product and logistics labeling
• Serialized Shipping Container Codes (SSCCs) for pallet-level traceability
• Advance Ship Notices (ASNs) via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
• EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information Services) for event-based tracking across partners.
• John Gibson, director of manufacturing excellence at major food supplier Conagra, described the scope of change: “We have new conveyors and labelling equipment. I have to change every single print template for every SKU”.
• For packaging professionals, this means new hardware requirements:
• Variable data printers that can handle serialized barcodes and lot-specific details
• Upgraded labellers capable of applying dynamic GS1-128 labels in real time
• Inline barcode scanners to validate label accuracy before a product moves to the next stage
• Integration with vision systems for label presence and correctness checks
• Systems Integration
• Packaging lines must communicate with ERP or MES systems to retrieve KDEs (Key Data Elements) like lot number, production date, and source location.
• Dynamic printing logic must be implemented so that every label corresponds precisely to the product inside the case or on the pallet.
• Change Management and Retraining
• Line operators must be retrained on variable data printing and exception handling,
• New SOPs are required for managing labeling exceptions or scan failures,
• Quality assurance teams must collaborate with packaging leads to ensure labels meet both regulatory and retail-specific requirements.

For the panelists being interviewed by Walmart's Bonin, traceability was more than a mandate—it was a performance tool.

Produce and other fresh foods are considered high risk, per FSMA Rule 204. “We’re targeting waste reduction and tighter inventory control,” said Gibson. “We can focus our improvement efforts, prevent quality issues before they happen, and reduce near-misses. That only works with reliable traceability data—and that starts on the packaging line”.

The panelists were unanimous in their urgency. Don’t Wait. Waiting for the final deadline is a mistake. Retailer expectations haven’t changed, only the regulatory deadline has.

“Collaborate openly.” Walmart, Target, and other retailers are working toward consistent standards. “That’s a relief for us,” Gibson said. “What we fear most is everyone asking for something different.” He said brand owners should act the same, sharing as much in available pre-competitive environments, such as GS1 Connect events, as possible. Bonin summed it up, “Let’s meet suppliers where they are, and work together toward a standardized solution.”

Your labels are no longer static. They are dynamic carriers of compliance, efficiency, and brand trust. Every barcode must trace a product’s journey from raw material to retail shelf. Every printer, scanner, and applicator must operate as part of a larger data ecosystem. Every packaging operator becomes a custodian of transparency.

In the FSMA era, packaging isn’t just the last step before the truck leaves the dock. It’s the first line of defense in ensuring safety, earning consumer trust, and keeping retail relationships strong--especially ones with the world's 800-lb. retail gorilla!