Preparing for an EHO inspection: what the traceability questions will be
Inspections go better when you know the shape of them. The traceability part is predictable: the officer picks something and follows it, and they're watching how long it takes you as much as what you find.
6 October 2026, 6 min read
What they're checking
The officer wants to see that you can identify your suppliers and your business customers, that you can connect what came in to what went out, and that you can do it quickly. That's the legal requirement, one step back and one step forward, and the speed is because a real recall doesn't wait.
They'll also check that records exist for the period they expect, that they're legible, and that someone other than you could follow them.
The questions, more or less
Expect some version of these. It helps to practise them.
- "Pick a product on your shelf. Show me where its ingredients came from." They want supplier names and lot numbers for the main ingredients in that batch, and the delivery dates.
- "Show me a delivery from last month. What did you make with it?" The forward direction: which batches used it.
- "Who did those batches go to?" Your business customers, dates and quantities.
- "What would you do if this supplier recalled that lot?" They're testing whether you have a plan, not just records. Have one.
- "What allergens are in this?" The answer should come from a written record, not from memory.
- "How long do you keep these?" Shelf life plus a margin at minimum; longer is fine.
Having the answers ready
- Keep the three records (deliveries with lot numbers, batches with the deliveries they used, dispatches with customer and batch) and keep them linked. This is the whole thing. Everything else is presentation.
- Do a dry run monthly. Pick a lot at random and trace it both ways. Time it. If it's more than ten minutes, that's your to do list.
- Know where things are. If records are on paper, have the books to hand and in order. If they're in SmartTrace, be logged in and know where the Traceability page is: type in a lot number, batch code, customer or dispatch and it produces the whole chain for you, with a print button.
- Have your supplier list current, with contact details, and your customer list the same.
- Have the recall plan written down, even if it's one page. Being able to hand it over answers the question before it's asked.
On the day
Answer the question that was asked, show the record, and don't narrate. If something is missing, say so plainly and say what you'll do about it; officers deal with gaps all the time and respond far better to candour than to improvisation. Write down anything they ask you to change, do it, and keep a note of when you did.
A producer who can hand over a printed trace in two minutes tends to have a shorter inspection and a quieter year.
Questions on this topic
How far back will an inspector look at traceability records?
Usually they'll pick something recent, within the last few weeks, and follow it. But they can ask about anything within the period you're required to keep, which is at least the shelf life of the product plus a margin.
Do I need software to pass an inspection?
No. Well kept paper records satisfy the law. Software makes the answers faster and the links more reliable, which matters more in a real recall than in an inspection.
What happens if I can't find a record?
Say so and explain what you'll change. An isolated gap with a credible fix is usually noted and followed up. A pattern of missing records is a different conversation. Don't invent anything.
Will they want to see records on a screen or on paper?
Either is fine. If it's on a screen, be able to show it and ideally print or export it so they can take a copy. SmartTrace's traceability view has print and Excel export for exactly this.
Is traceability the same as HACCP?
No. HACCP is your food safety management system, covering hazards and the controls for them, such as cooking and chilling temperatures. Traceability is the record of where ingredients came from and where products went. Inspectors check both. SmartChef, SmartTrace's sister product, covers the temperature side.
More from the blog
Your supplier has just recalled a lot. Here's what to do in the next hour.
A step by step guide for small food producers when a supplier recalls an ingredient lot: find it, find what you made with it, find who got it, and tell the right people.
Allergen records for small food producers: the 14 allergens and how to keep them straight
Which allergens have to be declared, where small producers go wrong, and a simple way to keep allergen information correct across recipes, labels and customer questions.
Keep the records that answer these questions.
SmartTrace links deliveries, batches and dispatches as you work. Set up with you for free, then €25 a month, no contract.