A written recall procedure sits in a folder; you only see whether it works with a real lot and a running clock. Pick a lot from the past, say three months back, write down the scope and the person controlling the drill, and record that no real notice will go to customers or authorities. The clock starts when the team is given the lot number.
- Trace forward from the lot number: which customers received it, and how much.
- Trace back: which supplier and which batch the raw material came from.
- Build the mass balance: produced, shipped, destroyed, sampled and remaining quantities, in the same unit, must add up.
- Stop the clock and write down the time of each step and where it stalled.
BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 asks for a traceability test with a mass balance at least once a year and expects traceability within 4 hours (clause 3.9.3). The recall procedure itself must also be tested at least annually, with the timings of key activities recorded (clause 3.11.3).
The draft customer notice is marked as a drill and carries the product name, size, lot number and expiry date; FDA's guidance lists the same details. For chilled or frozen product, ask for the lot's temperature and dispatch records too. Every gap gets an owner, a date and closure evidence, and the next drill should run faster.
