Table of Contents
Traceability Test Guide
Validate your recall readiness with forward trace, backward trace, and mass balance exercises.
Try Traceability TestWhat Is the Traceability Test?
The Traceability Test simulates a mock recall to verify your ability to trace lots through the supply chain. It measures how quickly and completely you can identify affected products.
- Forward trace: track a raw material lot forward to all finished goods that used it
- Backward trace: track a finished good backward to all raw material lots that went into it
- Mass balance: verify that the quantity of material in equals the quantity out (within tolerance)
- Generates a professional report with pass/fail verdicts and time-to-complete
When to Use It
- Quarterly or annual mock recall exercises required by GFSI, SQF, BRC, or FSSC 22000
- Supplier qualification: verify a new supplier can trace lots end-to-end
- Internal audit preparation: document traceability capability before a certification audit
- Post-incident review: after a real recall, validate improvements to your traceability system
1 Enter lot and product information
Identify the lot you are tracing, the product it belongs to, and the direction (forward or backward). Add the raw material lots and finished goods lots involved.
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2 Map the trace links
Connect raw material lots to the finished goods lots they were used in. For forward trace, start from raw materials. For backward trace, start from the finished good.
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3 Complete the mass balance
Enter the quantities received, used, and shipped for each lot. The tool calculates whether inputs and outputs balance within the acceptable tolerance.
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4 Review the report
The results page shows pass/fail verdicts for each trace direction and the mass balance, plus the time elapsed. Download the PDF for your audit file.
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Tips for Better Results
- Run the exercise with real lot numbers from the last 30 days so the data is fresh.
- Involve the warehouse team -- they often have knowledge of lot movements that production does not.
- Save the PDF report and attach it to your GFSI audit evidence folder.