A blank, fillable record for a single batch — the recipe and version you ran, every ingredient lot you consumed, the process and CCP readings, the yield, the finished lot code, and QA's release decision — so one finished lot ties back to every input that made it.
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This is the one record that ties a finished lot back to every ingredient lot that went into it. Fill one out for every batch you make, as you make it — it is the join between your backward trace and your forward trace, and the first document a recall or an audit asks to see.
A batch record captures, for a single batch, everything you would need to answer two questions later: what went into this? and where did it go? On the way in, you write down which specific lot of each ingredient and package you consumed. On the way out, you assign one to the product this batch produced. Those two halves are what turn a pile of records into .
Print one record per batch and fill it in on the floor as the batch runs — the ingredient lots as you weigh them, the checks as you take them, the yield as you count it, the sign-off when QA releases. Filling it from memory at the end of the day is how lot codes get guessed and genealogy breaks. Download a blank copy to print for production.
For where recipes, bills of material, and yield come from, the lesson on recipes, BOMs, and yield works through them; the lesson on batch records that connect lots shows how this record becomes the backbone of a trace.
The example specs here are not yours
Every temperature, critical limit, fill weight, and yield number shown below is an illustration to make the columns legible. Your specs and critical limits come from your own recipe, your own hazard analysis, and your own validation. Replace every example with your real values before this record goes to the floor.
Fill this in first, before the batch starts. The finished lot code is the identifier the rest of your records — shipping, sales, any recall — will point back to, so assign it here and carry it through.
| Field | Example | Your entry |
|---|---|---|
| Product / recipe name | Original Hot Sauce, 8 oz | |
| Recipe version / revision | Rev. 4 (2026-05-02) | |
| Batch number | B-2026-0714 | |
| Finished lot code | HS8-260714 | |
| Planned batch size | 500 jars | |
| Production date | 07/14/2026 | |
| Shift / line / room | Day / Line 2 / Kitchen A | |
| Operator (name + initials) | Jordan Reyes / JR |
One row per input — every ingredient and every package. Write the exact lot code you took off the container you used, not the material's general name. This is the backward-trace half of genealogy: if any one of these input lots is later recalled by your supplier, this record is what tells you it landed in finished lot HS8-260714.
| Ingredient / material | Supplier | Input lot code | Quantity used | UOM | COA / cert on file? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (example) Tomato paste | Valley Foods | TP-2406-118 | 42.0 | kg | Y |
| (example) Sea salt | Coastal Minerals | SLT-0725 | 3.5 | kg | Y |
| (example) Cayenne blend | Pepper Co | CAY-240611 | 1.2 | kg | Y |
| (example) Distilled vinegar | Valley Foods | VIN-2405-77 | 18.0 | L | Y |
| (example) Glass jar, 8 oz | PackRight | JAR8-2406 | 500 | ea | N/A |
| (example) Cap + seal | PackRight | CAP-2406-12 | 500 | ea | N/A |
The operational sequence and the quality checks that are not critical control points — blend, fill weight, seal, label. Record the target, the actual reading, the time, and initials for each step. Food-safety critical readings go in the CCP section below.
| # | Process step | Target / spec | Actual reading | Time | Initials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (example) 1 | Combine + heat kettle | Batch blended, reaches temp | 194°F, uniform | 08:40 | JR |
| (example) 2 | Hold and blend | Hold ≥ 10 min | Held 12 min @ 192°F | 08:52 | JR |
| (example) 3 | Fill and cap | 8.0 oz ± 0.2, cap torque in spec | 8.0 oz avg, torque ok | 09:15 | MP |
| (example) 4 | Cool and label | Labeled with lot HS8-260714 | Lot + date printed, checked | 09:40 | MP |
The food-safety-critical readings for this batch. Each CCP's critical limit comes from your HACCP plan, and the daily detail belongs in your standalone CCP monitoring log and HACCP plan — this section pins the readings that applied to this batch. Mark In when the reading meets the limit and Out when it does not; every Out needs a corrective action before the finished lot can be released.
| CCP | Critical limit | Reading for this batch | Time | In / Out | Corrective action (if Out) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (example) CCP-1 Cook | ≥ 165°F, held 15 s | 194°F, held 12 min | 08:52 | In | — |
| (example) CCP-3 Metal detect | Reject on ferrous / non-ferrous / stainless test | Test wands fired, reject confirmed | 09:20 | In | — |
Count the good product at the end of the batch and reconcile it against what the recipe was scaled to make. is a health check: the planned units should equal the good units plus everything that did not become sellable product. When the two sides do not balance, you have product you cannot account for — find it before you release the lot.
| Line | Example | Your entry |
|---|---|---|
| Planned yield (recipe × batch size) | 500 jars | |
| Good units produced (released quality) | 476 jars | |
| QA / retention samples pulled | 4 jars | |
| Rejects (underfill, seal, damage) | 12 jars | |
| Line loss / spillage (not packed) | 8 jars | |
| Accounted total (good + samples + rejects + loss) | 476 + 4 + 12 + 8 = 500 jars | |
| Yield % (good ÷ planned × 100) | 476 ÷ 500 = 95.2% |
The accounted total must equal the planned yield — in the example, 476 + 4 + 12 + 8 = 500, so every jar the batch was scaled to make is accounted for. If your accounted total falls short of the planned yield, the gap is unexplained product: do not release until you have found where it went. For cook and reduction processes, weight yield runs below 100% from evaporation alone, so track it separately from unit count rather than treating the loss as missing product.
The finished lot does not ship until QA reviews this record and records a decision. A is the last line of the record. Mark each check, set the disposition, and sign.
| Release check | Pass / Fail / N/A | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Batch record complete — every field and every input lot filled | ||
| All CCPs In, or every deviation closed and product dispositioned | ||
| Finished product meets its spec | ||
| Allergen and label verified for this run | ||
| Certificate of analysis issued, if required |
| Finished lot code | Disposition (Released / On hold / Rejected) | QA reviewer (name, role) | Date | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (example) HS8-260714 | Released | Sam Ortiz, QA Lead | 07/14/2026 | ____ |