{"abstract":"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is announcing that we are granting an exemption for certain cottage cheese products from the requirements of the rule titled \"Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods\" (the Food Traceability Rule). The Agency is taking this action in accordance with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act and FDA's implementing regulations.","action":"Notification of exemption.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Food and Drug Administration","name":"Food and Drug Administration","id":199,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/food-and-drug-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/199","parent_id":221,"slug":"food-and-drug-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2026/02/20/2026-03362.html","cfr_references":[],"citation":"91 FR 8256","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This exemption is effective on February 20, 2026.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. FDA-2024-N-1939"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Reference 5 - FDA, “Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (2023 Revision),” 2023","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0029"},{"title":"Reference 4 - FDA Memorandum, “2023 Revision of the Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO),” M-I-24-02, August 9, 2024","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0028"},{"title":"Reference 3 - FDA, “Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (2019 Revision),” 2019","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0027"},{"title":"Reference 2 - FDA and NCIMS, “Memorandum of Understanding Between the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments and the Food and Drug Administration”, 1977","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0026"},{"title":"Reference 1 - FDA and NCIMS, “Procedures Governing the Cooperative State-Public Health Service/Food and Drug Administration Program of the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipment (2019 Revision)”, 2019","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0025"},{"title":"References List for Cottage Cheese Exemption Final Notice","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0024"},{"title":"Reference 8_FDA_2012_Compliance Program Guidance Manual 7318-003 NCIMS Milk Safety Program","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0010"},{"title":"Reference 7_FDA_2022_Risk-Ranking Model for Food Tracing- Web-based Tool for Criteria and Results","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0009"},{"title":"Reference 6_FDA Memorandum_2022_Designation of the Food Traceability List Using the Risk-Ranking Model for Food Tracing","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0008"},{"title":"Reference 5_FDA Memorandum_2022_Methodological Approach to Developing a Risk-Ranking Model for Food Tracing","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0007"}],"agency_name":"FDA","documents":[{"comment_count":0,"comment_start_date":"2026-02-20","updated_at":"2026-02-20T10:57:17.552-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2024-N-1939-0023","allow_late_comments":false,"id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0023","comment_end_date":null,"regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":15,"id":"FDA-2024-N-1939","title":"Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods; Proposed Exemption for Cottage Cheese Regulated by the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance"}],"document_number":"2026-03362","effective_on":"2026-02-20","end_page":8259,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2026/02/20/2026-03362.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/20/2026-03362/requirements-for-additional-traceability-records-for-certain-foods-exemption-for-cottage-cheese","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2026-03362?publication_date=2026-02-20","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2026-02-20/2026-03362/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":4,"page_views":{"count":936,"last_updated":"2026-05-31 12:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-02-20/pdf/2026-03362.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-03362.pdf?1771508713","publication_date":"2026-02-20","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/02/20/2026-03362.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{},"regulation_id_numbers":[],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Reference 5 - FDA, “Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (2023 Revision),” 2023","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0029"},{"title":"Reference 4 - FDA Memorandum, “2023 Revision of the Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO),” M-I-24-02, August 9, 2024","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0028"},{"title":"Reference 3 - FDA, “Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (2019 Revision),” 2019","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0027"},{"title":"Reference 2 - FDA and NCIMS, “Memorandum of Understanding Between the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments and the Food and Drug Administration”, 1977","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0026"},{"title":"Reference 1 - FDA and NCIMS, “Procedures Governing the Cooperative State-Public Health Service/Food and Drug Administration Program of the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipment (2019 Revision)”, 2019","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0025"},{"title":"References List for Cottage Cheese Exemption Final Notice","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0024"},{"title":"Reference 8_FDA_2012_Compliance Program Guidance Manual 7318-003 NCIMS Milk Safety Program","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0010"},{"title":"Reference 7_FDA_2022_Risk-Ranking Model for Food Tracing- Web-based Tool for Criteria and Results","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0009"},{"title":"Reference 6_FDA Memorandum_2022_Designation of the Food Traceability List Using the Risk-Ranking Model for Food Tracing","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0008"},{"title":"Reference 5_FDA Memorandum_2022_Methodological Approach to Developing a Risk-Ranking Model for Food Tracing","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0007"}],"comments_count":0,"agency_id":"FDA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=FDA-2024-N-1939","supporting_documents_count":15,"docket_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939","document_id":"FDA-2024-N-1939-0023","regulation_id_number":null,"title":"Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods; Proposed Exemption for Cottage Cheese Regulated by the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2026-02-21T19:55:03Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":8256,"subtype":null,"title":"Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods; Exemption for Cottage Cheese Regulated by the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance","toc_doc":"Exemption for Cottage Cheese Regulated by the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments Grade \"A\" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance","toc_subject":"Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods","topics":[],"type":"Notice","volume":91}