Batch Record
Definition
A documented record of a production batch including ingredient lots, quantities, production parameters, quality checks, and operator information.
Key Takeaways
- •A batch record is the contemporaneous document capturing every input, process step, and output for a single production run
- •Required under FSANZ Standard 3.2.1 for businesses with a food safety program obligation
- •Must link raw material lot numbers to the finished product to enable full backward traceability in a recall
- •Typical fields include ingredient weights, supplier lot codes, process temperatures, QC checks, and operator sign-offs
- •Incomplete or missing batch records are a common finding in food safety audits and can invalidate traceability claims
Regulatory Source
- Standard 3.2.1— Food safety programs — records must be kept to demonstrate safety controls were followed
- Standard 3.2.2— Food safety practices — traceability records for food produced or handled
Last verified against current standards: April 2026
Regulatory authority: Food Standards Australia New Zealand
What is a Batch Record?
A batch record is a detailed, contemporaneous document that captures every input, process step, and output for a single production run of a food product. Under FSANZ Standard 3.2.1, food businesses subject to a food safety program obligation must keep records that demonstrate food safety controls were followed. Standard 3.2.2 reinforces this by requiring general food businesses to maintain records that support traceability and recall capability.
In practice, a batch record links raw material lot numbers, supplier details, quantities used, production date and time, equipment used, temperatures achieved, and the identity of the operator who produced the batch. It is the documentary spine of your traceability system.
What a Batch Record Must Contain
While FSANZ does not prescribe a specific batch record format, an audit-ready batch record typically includes:
- Date and time of production
- Recipe version used (name and version number)
- Raw material lot numbers for every ingredient and packaging component, with quantities
- Yield — the actual finished product weight or volume versus the expected yield
- Critical Control Point monitoring results (e.g. cook temperature achieved, chiller entry temperature)
- Operator name and signature
- Any deviations from the standard process and the corrective action taken
Batch Records in Practice for Australian Food Manufacturers
What triggers the requirement? Any business subject to Standard 3.2.1 (food service to vulnerable persons, caterers, and certain food processors) must maintain batch-level records as part of its food safety program. Businesses not subject to Standard 3.2.1 still need sufficient records under Standard 3.2.2 to support one-step-back traceability — knowing exactly which supplier lots went into which production run.
Common mistakes:
Recording after the fact. Batch records filled in at the end of the day from memory are not contemporaneous records. Auditors can spot this when times are suspiciously uniform across all batches. Write it down as it happens.
No link to raw material lots. A batch record that says "200g breadcrumbs" without recording which supplier delivery and lot number those breadcrumbs came from is useless in a recall. The lot number is the critical link.
Using a paper system with no version control. When your recipe changes, do paper batch records automatically reflect that? Digital systems prevent the risk of staff using an outdated paper form.
Worked example: A small Melbourne sauce manufacturer produces 50 jars of chilli sauce on a Tuesday. Their batch record captures the lot numbers of each chilli variety and the vinegar, the actual garlic weight used (noting they were 20g short and substituted with garlic powder — a deviation requiring a note), the cook temperature logged at 15-minute intervals, and the final fill weight. Two months later, a supplier advises a contamination issue with a garlic lot. The manufacturer can search their batch records and identify which three production runs used that lot, and which wholesale customers received those batches.
How Batchbase Handles Batch Records
Batchbase creates a batch record automatically every time you record a production run. When you select a recipe and enter the quantities produced, the system captures the recipe version used, the date, and the expected yield. You then record the actual quantities of each ingredient consumed — and Batchbase prompts you to enter the lot number for each input from your ingredient inventory.
The resulting batch record is stored permanently in the system, searchable by date, product, or ingredient lot number. When a supplier recall event occurs, you can query Batchbase to find every batch that used the affected lot and identify the customer orders linked to those batches — giving you the one-step-back, one-step-forward traceability that Standard 3.2.2 requires.
Batch records in Batchbase also automatically update your inventory: ingredients consumed are deducted from stock, and finished product is added. No separate spreadsheet reconciliation needed.
Related Standards and References
- FSANZ Standard 3.2.1 — Food safety programs (record-keeping obligations)
- FSANZ Standard 3.2.2 — Food safety practices and general requirements (traceability)
- FSANZ food standards code
- FSANZ Guide to Standard 3.2.1 — available at foodstandards.gov.au
Related Terms
Batch Tracking
The process of recording and managing production batches in food manufacturing, enabling forward and backward traceability from raw materials to finished products.
Food Traceability
The ability to track and trace food products forward through the supply chain to consumers and backward to their source ingredients and suppliers.
Good Manufacturing Practice
GMP — a system of processes, procedures, and documentation that ensures food products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality and safety standards.