Batch traceability in the kitchen: from supplier to plate

Traceability is not a paperwork exercise: it is the concrete ability to answer, within hours, a precise question — "did this batch enter my kitchen, and is it still somewhere on the premises?". How you organise it depends on the regulation that applies to you and on your own food safety plan; what follows is a common working method, to be adapted with your consultant.

Recording incoming batches

Every delivery carries one or more batch numbers, often different for each product received even from the same supplier on the same day. The starting point is to record, at the time of receiving, which batch corresponds to which product and to which arrival date: without this first step, everything further down the chain is useless.

Linking batches to preparations

The hardest step, and the one most often skipped, is linking the raw material batch to the preparation that uses it. When several batches of the same ingredient are in use at once, or when a semi-finished product combines ingredients from different batches, you need a clear rule for knowing which batches went into which preparation.

• Use the oldest batch first among equally suitable stock (FEFO rotation)
• For preparations kept in storage, note which raw material batches were used
• Avoid mixing different batches into a single container without tracking the link

Internal labelling of semi-finished products

Every semi-finished product made in-house and stored for later use should carry, beyond the production date and recommended use-by date, a reference that allows tracing back to the raw material batches used. It does not need to be complex: an internal code linked to the production log is enough, as long as it is always filled in.

Fast withdrawal in the event of an alert

1. Identify the affected batch immediately in your receiving records
2. Check whether it is still in stock, physically isolating it and stopping its use
3. Check your production records to see if it went into semi-finished products or preparations still on hand
4. Follow the procedure set out in your plan and by the relevant authorities, contacting your consultant if needed

Having batches, deliveries and production logged in the same system drastically cuts response time during a real alert, when minutes matter. You can start with a free log at /strumenti/registri-haccp or build the whole traceability system with /strumenti/piano-haccp.