The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) was created by a coalition of fresh produce industry leaders as a voluntary industry effort to improve supply chain traceability, expedite tracebacks and recalls, and isolate food safety problems when they occur. In this paper we assess the ability of the PTI to meet broad traceability goals and make recommendations for guidelines that should be followed for an effective traceback system. Our recommendations include principles for system-wide uniformity, standardization of product reference numbers, creation of a reporting mechanism, and open and transparent communication.