01Direct answer
The spreadsheet is the output, not the first step.
For FSMA 204, the useful launch workflow is not yet "click once and export the FDA spreadsheet." HACCPlan does not currently ship full seven-CTE capture, KDE validation, TLC automation, or the 24-hour sortable export. Those are roadmap features.
What you can do now is prepare the record base the future export will need: consistent lot codes, supplier records, receiving evidence, batch links, shipping records, reference documents, and mock recall evidence.
2028
July 20, 2028 is the current federal compliance date.
24h
The FDA response window makes reconstruction risky.
Now
Clean lot and shipment records before the export feature ships.
02Workflow
Build readiness event by event.
- 01
Confirm coverage
Check whether the food is on the Food Traceability List and whether an exemption may apply.
- 02
Document lot-code practice
Use a consistent lot-code pattern and write down how it is assigned or carried forward.
- 03
Capture receiving records
Record supplier, supplier lot, internal lot, quantity, date, temperature, and reference document.
- 04
Connect batches and shipments
Link input lots to finished lots, then finished lots to customer shipments.
- 05
Run a mock trace
Pick one lot and confirm you can answer one step back and one step forward without rebuilding from memory.
Use the interactive version
Create an FSMA 204 readiness workspace
Use HACCPlan for traceability planning, supplier files, receiving and shipping records, batch links, and mock recall evidence. Full CTE/KDE capture and sortable export are coming soon.
Use the free FSMA 204 eligibility quiz first if you are not sure the rule applies.
03Spreadsheet risk
A spreadsheet can comply only if the data is already clean.
The FDA request is for sortable traceability records. That does not mean the food-safety workflow should happen inside one fragile workbook. The spreadsheet is just the format you hand over. The hard part is making sure every event has the right lot code, date, location, quantity, reference document, and trading partner information before anyone asks.
Manual spreadsheets tend to break at handoffs. Receiving has one naming style, production uses another, and shipping records live in the accounting system. HACCPlan's near-term launch path should reduce that handoff risk first, then add the formal export.
Better mental model
Treat FSMA 204 prep like traceability hygiene. Capture each record once, connect it to the related lot, then export once the CTE/KDE module is ready.
04Related
Check scope before you build.
Start with the FSMA 204 readiness workflow, read the FSMA 204 guide, then compare the current FSMA 204 readiness workflow.
Andrew Langevin·CFIA-licensed facility, Brantford ON· Published 2026-06-05· 6 min read· Wikidata Q139112497