When a supplier, lab result or regulator raises a question about a batch, you need to know where every unit of that lot is within hours. Lot tracking turns that from a week of spreadsheet work into a lookup.
Why lot traceability matters for supplements
Supplement brands depend on ingredient suppliers and contract manufacturers. An ingredient can be found to contain an undeclared allergen, a batch can test outside specification or a label can turn out to be wrong. In each case, the fastest and least expensive response is a targeted one that covers only the affected lots.
A targeted response is only possible if lots were tracked from the start. If your warehouse only knows how many units of a SKU it shipped, every customer who bought that SKU in the period is potentially affected, and your recall becomes many times larger than it needs to be.
The dietary supplement cGMP rule also expects records that let product be traced through distribution. Lot tracking at the warehouse fills the gap between your manufacturer's batch records and your customer list.
From receiving to the customer's door
Traceability starts at the dock. Lot numbers and expiration dates are captured at receiving and tied to each storage location. When stock moves between locations, the lot moves with it in the system.
At picking, the system directs the picker to a specific lot, and the order record stores which lots it contained. That applies to DTC orders, subscription renewals, Amazon shipments, retail purchase orders and kits alike. For kits, the component lots are recorded at assembly.
The result is a chain you can follow in either direction. Starting from a lot, you can list every order and customer that received it. Starting from a customer complaint, you can see which lot they received and whether other complaints share it.
Quarantine holds and recall execution
When a lot is in question, the first step is to stop it from shipping. A single hold request places every unit of the lot on hold across all locations. Open orders that were allocated to that lot are re-allocated to another lot or flagged for you to decide.
If a recall proceeds, we provide lists of affected orders and customers, along with shipment dates and tracking, so you can notify customers and retail accounts. Remaining stock can be counted, segregated and either returned to your manufacturer, held for investigation or destroyed with documentation, according to your instructions.
The recall strategy and any communication with FDA are your decisions as the brand. Our job is to give you fast, accurate data and to execute the physical side cleanly.
Mock recalls and adverse event support
A recall plan that has never been tested is a hope, not a plan. We can run mock recalls with you on a schedule: pick a lot, trace it to every order and on-hand location, and measure how long it takes. It is a useful exercise before a retailer audit or an investor diligence review.
Lot data also supports adverse event handling. Under federal law, the manufacturer, packer or distributor named on a dietary supplement label must report serious adverse events to FDA within 15 business days of receiving the report. When a customer reports a problem, knowing exactly which lot they received helps you investigate quickly and determine whether the issue is isolated.
We do not file reports on your behalf, but we make sure the shipment data you need is ready when you need it.
What's included
- Lot and expiration captured at receiving
- Lot recorded on every outbound order and kit
- Lot-to-order and order-to-lot lookups
- One-step quarantine holds across locations
- Affected order and customer lists for recalls
- Documented return-to-vendor or destruction
- Scheduled mock recall exercises
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can you trace a supplement lot?
Because lots are recorded at receiving and on every outbound order, we can produce a list of orders and customers that received a lot as a straightforward lookup rather than a manual search.
Can you stop a lot from shipping immediately?
Yes. A hold request removes every unit of the lot from available inventory across locations, and open orders allocated to it are re-allocated or flagged for your decision.
Do you run mock recalls?
Yes. We can run scheduled mock recalls with you, tracing a chosen lot to every order and on-hand location, which is useful before retailer audits or diligence reviews.
Who reports supplement adverse events to FDA?
The manufacturer, packer or distributor named on the label must report serious adverse events to FDA within 15 business days. We do not file reports, but we provide the lot and shipment data you need to investigate.