How To Look Up Batch Number Makeup

Practiced Manufacturing Practices

I key part of GMP is creating and using batch numbers to keep track of each batch of product you produce. Information technology's pretty easy to start out merely and go into the habit.

A "batch number" is a unique identifying number (or prepare of messages and numbers) assigned to 1 product batch which tin can be used to identify each individual finished product made in that batch. When you assign batch numbers and put them on the products, y'all can just look at the product label and know immediately from which batch that particular item came.

Batch numbers are required (past regulations) on food, drugs and nutritional/dietary supplements. They are not required on cosmetics, only they are included in cosmetic good manufacturing practices and certainly are a skilful idea and the smart thing to practise.

Why are Batch Numbers Important?

In a perfect world, you would make your product, sell the production and the consumer would use the production without a hitch or concern. And most of the time that'southward what happens. However, given the way of the earth and Tater'southward Constabulary, things don't always go according to plan. Say the colour in your soap fades later on a time. Or a customer says the product is rancid. Serendipity hits and that detail combination of swirl and scent becomes the best seller. What and so?

Well, it'southward easy if you can just look at the batch number, check records and see when the batch was made and look over the batch details. For case, in the instance where the soap colour faded, you could encounter what colors were used and hopefully determine what happened. If a customer claims the production is rancid, y'all could instantly determine if the product was too long on the shelf before existence sold, if one of the oils used was questionable, or whether you are dealing with one of "those" customers and there really isn't a trouble at all.

Years ago, a small-scale shop that carried my products said a client returned a jar of face cream saying it was rancid. Considering I didn't take batch numbers or "best by" labels on the production back then, I had no way of knowing if this foam had languished on the shelves in their store for over a twelvemonth before they sold information technology, or what.

You can only determine these things with certainty IF you can rail it back to a specific batch - and you lot can but exercise that if y'all have a batch number to track.

Assigning Batch Numbers

There are no specific rules on how batch numbers should exist created or assigned - the only requirement is that in that location is a unique identifier assigned to each batch. In my experience, having a date embedded into the batch number helps with immediate recognition; you lot tin instantly tell how quondam the production is, even without checking your records. Something every bit simple every bit the date and number of the batch for that 24-hour interval would piece of work:

Y'all could also embed additional information into the batch number making it easier to tell at first glance what the product is forth with when it was made. For example, if you have several unlike soap formulations, you could give a special code to each formulation:

ProductNameInBatchNumbers — Batch Numbers W/Name

Think, you are the merely person who really needs to empathise the code. And then make up something that works for you and the manner y'all think almost and organize your products.

Keeping Track

The simplest and easiest way to go along runway of your batch numbers is with a log. My first batch numbers were recorded in a manifestly old composition book, purchased for 88¢ during a "Back to School" sale. I just wrote downward the assigned batch number and what product information technology was:

If you lot are trying to get paperless, you could proceed the same information in a spreadsheet or even a word processing document. Electronic files practice accept the added steps of having to become to your computer, open the file and enter the information. You as well need to make sure that you have a back-up arrangement in place.

Hopefully, you are already keeping a consummate Batch Record for each batch yous make. The Batch Tape should detail everything near the making of the batch, including all the ingredients (and where they came from), quantities used, verification of measurement of the ingredients, processes used, temperatures reached, fourth dimension spent, quality control, who did what, packaging used, etc. In that case, the number just gets added to the Batch Record and filed in a way you lot can find it again.

Marie Gale is the author of Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters, which is available in the HSCG Shop.