COOL FAQ: What are the record keeping requirements of the regulation?

From the USDA's interim final rule, the $64,000 question about record keeping:


What are the recordkeeping requirements of this regulation?
Any person engaged in the business of supplying a covered commodity to a retailer, whether directly or indirectly, must maintain records to establish and identify the immediate previous source (if applicable) and immediate subsequent recipient of a covered commodity for a period of 1 year from the date of the transaction. In addition, the supplier of a covered commodity that is responsible for initiating a country(ies) of origin claim, which in the case of beef, lamb, chicken, goat, and pork is the slaughter facility, must possess or have legal access to records that are necessary to substantiate that claim. In the case of beef, lamb, chicken, goat, and pork, a producer affidavit shall be considered acceptable evidence on which the slaughter facility may rely to initiate the origin claim, provided it is made by someone having first-hand knowledge of the origin of the animal(s) and identifies the animal(s) unique to the transaction. USDA continues to look for ways to minimize the burden associated with this rule. Therefore, under this interim final rule, slaughter facilities that slaughter animals that are part of a National Animal Identification System (NAIS) compliant system or other recognized official identification system (e.g., Canadian official system, Mexico official system) may also rely on the presence of an official ear tag and/or the presence of any accompanying animal markings (i.e., “Can”, “M”), as applicable, on which to base their origin claims. This provision also applies to such animals officially identified as a group lot. For retailers, records and other documentary evidence relied upon at the point of sale by the retailer to establish a covered commodity’s country(ies) of origin must be maintained for one year from the date the origin declaration is made at retail and, upon request, provided to any duly authorized representatives of USDA within 5 business days of the request. For pre-labeled products, the label itself is sufficient evidence on which the retailer may rely to establish a product’s origin. Pre-labeled products are those covered commodities that are labeled for country of origin by the firm or entity responsible for making the initial claim or by a further processor or repacker (i.e., firms that receive bulk products and package the products as covered commodities in a form suitable for the retailer). The country of origin information of pre-labeled covered commodities must be legibly printed on the shipping container, immediate container, or consumer ready package. In addition to indicating country of origin information, pre-labeled products must contain sufficient supplier information to allow USDA to trace-back the product to the supplier initiating the claim. Records that identify the covered commodity, the supplier, and for products that are not pre-labeled, the country of origin information, must be maintained for a period of 1 year from the date the origin declaration is made at retail. Retailer and supplier records may be maintained in any location.