Mock recall for ISO 22000: how to practise traceability
A mock recall is a trial exercise in which you choose a batch of product and record as quickly as possible where that batch has ended up. You use it to test whether your traceability works, from raw material to customer and back. The FSSC 22000 scheme version 7 explicitly mentions the traceability exercise: in audit planning it counts as part of operational food safety. This comes from the FSSC 22000 scheme (May 2026) . The start of the procedure is set out in the step-by-step plan, and the requirements are on the requirements page.
A recall (terugroepactie, the removal of an unsafe product from the chain) covers a product that has already been sold to the consumer or is available for sale at shops or hospitality businesses. A withdrawal (terugtrekking) is the same for a product that is not yet on sale to the consumer. Both definitions come from the FSSC scheme, which refers to GFSI v2024 (GFSI = Global Food Safety Initiative).
Mock recall at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What do you test? | Whether you can trace a batch forwards and backwards within the agreed time |
| How often? | Once a year is common practice; more often after major changes |
| Who takes part? | Quality, production, purchasing, logistics and the person responsible for customer contact |
| What do you get? | A report with times, quantities and gaps, and an improvement plan |
Step by step
Choose a batch and sharpen the question
Choose a real batch that you made in the last quarter. Phrase the question: which customers have this batch, and how many units are still in stock?
Start the clock and trace forwards
Start at the raw material batch and follow production through to dispatch. Record the batch numbers, dates and quantities at each step. Do not stop at the first hit.
Trace backwards from the end product
Take a delivered unit at a customer and trace back to the raw materials and suppliers. Check that the records there also match.
Measure the time and the result
How many minutes did you need to find all customers and all stock? What percentage of the quantity could you demonstrate? Record both. The FSSC scheme does not set its own standard for time or percentage, so agree those targets yourself, for example in your recall procedure.
Write down the gaps and plan the improvement
Where did the chain break? A missing batch number on a pallet, a supplier without a traceable batch, or a customer who is not in the system. Give each gap an owner and a date.
Fillable table for your report
Fictional example: a dairy company practises with a batch of yoghurt with batch number Y-240318.
| Element | Entry |
|---|---|
| Chosen batch | Strawberry yoghurt, batch number Y-240318, 1,200 pots |
| Forwards: raw materials | Milk powder and fruit found via the purchasing records: two suppliers |
| Forwards: production | Pasteurisation, filling and packaging, all steps traced |
| Backwards: customers | Eight customers found in the dispatch list, one customer without correct address details |
| Quantity demonstrated | 1,080 of 1,200 pots, 90 per cent |
| Time measured | 95 minutes until the first complete overview |
| Gap | The dispatch list does not link the batch to the customer when delivered to a distributor |
| Action | Adjust the link in the dispatch system, owner logistics, by the end of the month at the latest |
What the auditor wants to see
In practice, an auditor mainly looks at three things (this is a rule of thumb, not a fixed requirement). The report of the exercise, with date, participants and result. The figures: how much percentage you could demonstrate, and how long it took. And the evidence that you have actually resolved your gaps. An exercise without follow-up is weak evidence.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a clean batch. Choose a batch where something could go wrong. A perfect batch tells you nothing.
- Tracing only on paper. Walk the route physically and compare it with the records.
- Stopping when you have “found it”. What matters is completeness, not the first hit.
- No time measurement. Without a number, you do not know whether you are fast enough.
- Not practising for a year. A recall procedure that has never been practised is a risk at audit: you cannot show that it works.
How does this fit with the rest of the system?
Traceability is linked to supplier assessment, batch records and the nonconformity procedure. If the exercise shows gaps, that is also evidence of a nonconformity. See the checklist with evidence for the control points, and mandatory documents for the records you need. You can read how a nonconformity is graded on the page about major and minor nonconformities.
What do you do with the outcome?
A mock recall that goes well is proof that your system works. Keep the report, the records used and the time measurement with your mandatory documents. An exercise that shows gaps is just as valuable, provided you also carry out and check the improvement plan.
Repeat the exercise after every major change: a new supplier, a different packaging or a new distribution channel. That is exactly when the routes you trace along shift.
More information
Official references
- FSSC 22000 Scheme Version 7.0 (May 2026) , for the traceability exercise in audit planning and the definitions of recall and withdrawal
- ISO 22000:2018 - Food safety management systems