Traceability Problem - changing lot numbers
Hi everyone, I would like to ask something and i would appreciate if anyone can give an exact answer and explain the reason behind it. But if not allowed then please delete or move to the relevant section. I'm Gino and I'm a manager in a food production company. I've had a bit of a fight with a fellow manager regarding change of lot numbers. I will explain. In the warehouse we keep hundreds of different raw materials, used to make a finished product. When a member of staff cannot find a certain ingredient, he then will move that quantity to a fictional location, just to have it in the system until later on just in case we do find that ingredient somewhere else.
When we do find it then we cross reference everything before moving it to the relevant location. But what happened the other day was shocking to me. We had 400kg of Vitamin D3 in the fictional location that we couldn't find previously, but we also found another 500kg in a different location that had a different Lot number to the one in the fictional location. The warehouse manager decided to change the lot number of the Vitamin D3 that he found as the one that was in the fictional location just to make the levels correct, even though the lot number is not the one that it was booked originally when it was delivered from the supplier. Is this good manufacturing practise? Can a lot number be changed? Thanks to all
You just lost all trace ability. Not ok at all.
It's absolutely inappropriate practice, plus - this might affect final product quality and safety as if a lot # changed then how would you be aware of the expiry date? Not to mention corrupted FIFO principals. As SQFconsultant said - fire the guy.
You might as well have never recorded incoming lot number and quantity received and used.
Marshall
Dear all, thank you for your replies, They have been noted and will be used as references on our Monday meeting with the board of directors.
I appreciate everyone's professional response.
Gino
To give you a bit more to go on, check into your governments food regulations. There is a good chance that traceability one forward/one back is a regulatory requirement to sell food in your country.
Agree with everyone here. Not normal, not standard, not acceptable.