• You must be able to trace your food if a product you’ve made becomes unsafe and unsuitable.

• You have 2 options for tracing your food:

record all information (including suppliers' information with batch/lot identification) so

that your product can be traced and recalled (if necessary), or only record the minimum amount of information required and recall all food you have made if there is a problem.

• The minimum information you need to keep when receiving food is:

◦◦ the name and contact details of your supplier,

◦◦ the type and quantity of food,

◦◦ the temperature of the food, if it needs to be

kept at a certain temperature to make it safe and suitable.

• If you choose option 1, you must have a written plan to be able to trace your food, and recall it if necessary, if there’s a food safety problem with either your product

or any of the ingredients in your product.

• If you choose option 2, you must recall or dispose of all of the food which may have been affected.

• Option 2 could be expensive as if there’s a food safety problem, you would have to recall or dispose of all foods produced in your premises which may have been

affected.

• There is specific information you must keep about foods you import.

• To trace imported food you must keep:

◦◦ the name and contact details of:

◦◦ your supplier,

◦◦ the manufacturer of the food,

◦◦ any information that shows the food:

◦◦ has been assessed or confirmed as being safe and suitable,

◦◦ is transported and stored safely to stop deterioration and contamination,

◦◦ a description of the food including commodity, brand and lot or batch identification,

◦◦ any information which will allow food to be traced:

◦◦ from the supplier to the registered importer,

◦◦ while it is under the registered importer’s possession,

◦◦ to the next person the food is passed onto (other than the final consumer).

• For all food choose either: (tick as appropriate)

option 1 – record all information to enable targeted recall; or

option 2 – record minimum information.

If you choose option 1:

• you must have a plan for recording where your food has come from and where it has gone,

• your staff must know how to follow the plan (i.e. recording batch/lot identification, and where to look for this information on pre-packaged products).

• A record of all information outlined in the Do if you are importing food.

• If you choose option 1, a record of all batch/lot identification information.

• If you choose option 2, a record of the minimum information is required.