Documentation & responsible buying
Traceability for Matcha: Batch Records in a Café
Traceability in a café means being able to say where an ingredient came from and when it arrived, and which stock it went into. For matcha, a single log that links each delivery to each bag you open, and each bag to the working tins filled from it, is enough to trace any drink back to its delivery and paperwork. It takes a minute per entry and needs no software. Below is a log you can copy and the routine to keep it accurate.
Why bother with matcha
EU general food law (Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, Article 18) requires food businesses to be able to identify who supplied them and which businesses they supplied. The European Commission summarises this as "one step back-one step forward"; retailers selling to final consumers are exempt from the forward step. Your delivery notes and invoices usually cover the step back. A batch log goes one step further inside your café. It tells you which delivery an open bag came from, which matters when:
- a guest complaint points to a quality problem and you want to check other drinks from the same stock
- a supplier contacts you about a specific delivery or batch
- you want to compare two deliveries that tasted different
- you need to match a document, such as a certificate of analysis or specification, to the stock it covers
What to record
The batch or lot identifier
Record the batch or lot number if one is printed on the bag. If no batch or lot number is printed, record the delivery date and the invoice number instead; together they identify the delivery. Whether bags carry a batch or lot number can vary, so check each delivery rather than assuming.
The best-before date
Record it from the label at receipt. It drives your rotation order.
The opening date
Write it on the bag when you open it, and in the log. This links the bag to every working tin filled from it.
The batch log
One row per bag. Keep it in the stockroom, next to the matcha.
| Bag ID | Product | Delivery date | Invoice no. | Batch/lot (if printed) | Best-before | Opened on | Finished on | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-01 | Ceremonial Barista Matcha 1 kg | |||||||
| M-02 | Ceremonial Barista Matcha 1 kg | |||||||
| C-01 | Ceremonial Matcha 1 kg |
Bag ID is your own short code. Write it on the bag with a marker at receipt. It saves copying long numbers onto tins.
The receiving side of this is covered in the matcha delivery inspection checklist, which uses the same fields. If you already fill in that receiving log, add the "opened on" and "finished on" columns and you have a batch log.
Linking bags to working tins
Most cafés work from a small tin behind the bar, refilled from the main bag. Label each tin when you fill it:
- Bag ID it was filled from
- Date filled
A strip of masking tape on the base or side is enough. When a tin is refilled from a different bag, empty and clean it first, then relabel. Mixing two bags in one tin breaks the link.
Using the log with FIFO
The log doubles as your rotation tool. Open bags in order of best-before date, and the "opened on" column shows at a glance which bag is in use and which is next. FIFO for matcha explains rotation in detail.
Routine
On delivery - [ ] Assign a bag ID and write it on each bag - [ ] Record product, delivery date, invoice number, batch or lot number if printed, best-before - [ ] File the delivery note and invoice where you can find them by date
On opening a bag - [ ] Write the opening date on the bag - [ ] Record the opening date in the log
On filling a working tin - [ ] Label the tin with bag ID and fill date - [ ] Do not mix bags in one tin
On finishing a bag - [ ] Record the finish date - [ ] Keep the empty bag's label (photo or cut-out) until the next bag is well into use, if space allows
When something goes wrong
If you receive a complaint, or notice a change in colour or flavour:
- Note the tin label (bag ID, fill date).
- Look up the bag in the log to find the delivery date, invoice and batch or lot number.
- Check whether other tins were filled from the same bag.
- Set the stock aside if quality is in doubt, and contact the supplier with the delivery details from the log.
For Yumi deliveries, send the product name, delivery date, invoice number and, if printed, the batch or lot number through the contact page.
Multi-site and larger operations
If you run several sites, or several outlets in one building as in a hotel serving matcha at breakfast, lounge and room service, use the same bag ID scheme everywhere and keep the log in a shared spreadsheet. Add a "site" column. This lets you see where each delivery went and compare quality between sites on the same stock.
Next step
Copy the log, assign IDs to the bags you have now, and label your working tins today. When you next order Ceremonial Barista Matcha or Ceremonial Matcha, record the delivery on arrival so the log starts complete.