Batch traceability: running a one-up, one-down test
Pick a batch, trace it both ways, check the numbers add up, and record how long it took.
A one-up, one-down test picks one finished batch and traces it back to every raw material lot and supplier, and forward to every customer who received it. Then you check the mass balance: did the quantities add up? Time it, record it, and fix whatever slowed you down. Manufacturers need a written recall system under Standard 3.2.2, and this test shows it works.
How to run it
Pick a batch
Choose one at random, ideally from a few weeks ago and with several ingredients. Start the clock.
Trace back
From the batch record, list every raw material lot used, then find each lot’s delivery: supplier, date, quantity, COA.
Include packaging
Packaging that touches food is part of the trace. Record its lot numbers too.
Trace forward
From dispatch records, list every customer who received the batch, with quantities and dates.
Check the mass balance
Compare quantities in and out. Explain every gap: waste, rework, samples, stock still on hand.
Stop the clock
Record the time taken, what was hard to find, and the actions to fix it.
A simple mass balance
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Flour lot WF-2847 received | 1,000 kg |
| Used in batch A-2417 | 400 kg |
| Used in other batches | 520 kg |
| Still in store | 70 kg |
| Waste recorded | 10 kg |
| Accounted for | 1,000 kg |
Illustrative figures. Do the same for finished product: made, dispatched, in stock and destroyed.
What usually slows it down
- Lot numbers not recorded at goods-in, so you can’t tell which delivery went into which batch.
- Rework added to later batches without a record of where it came from.
- Paper batch sheets filed by date instead of batch, so finding one takes hours.
- Dispatch records kept in a separate system nobody in QA can open.
Records to keep
Keep the test record: batch chosen, start and finish times, every lot and customer found, the mass balance, gaps and their explanations, and the corrective actions. Your auditor will ask for the most recent test, and some schemes and customers set a time target. If you can’t meet it, the record shows what you’re doing about it.
For what a recall involves once a problem is real, see food recall obligations.
A trace that starts from records, not memory
In EthicalHub, goods-in logs record the supplier, lot and COA for each delivery, so tracing back starts from a search, not a filing cabinet. Corrective actions from the test are tracked to close. Delivery log records and corrective actions are on every plan, from $69 a month per site.
See a trace in EthicalHub
A free 20-minute walkthrough.
Traceability tests: common questions
What is a one-up, one-down traceability test?
How often should I run a traceability test?
How fast does a traceability test need to be?
What is a mass balance?
Find any batch, fast.
Goods-in, lots and corrective actions, recorded as you go.