What is the difference between a batch number and a lot number?

In practice they mean the same thing: a code that identifies product made or packed together under the same conditions, so it can be traced back to that run. Labelling rules accept either word, and short forms such as Batch No., B. No. or Lot No.

Should the batch number include the date?

It helps. A date-based code tells anyone reading the pack roughly when it was made, even without your records. The date marking on the label is still a separate requirement; the batch code does not replace it.

How long should a batch code be?

Short enough to print clearly on your smallest pack and long enough to stay unique for as long as product is on the market. Letters and digits only, with no characters that look alike in your printer font, is the safe choice.

Free tool

Batch number generator for food products

A batch (or lot) number is a short code printed on every pack that ties it to one production or packing run. The simplest good format is the production date plus a line code and a running number, for example 261014-L1-001. Pick a format below, set the date, and copy the codes as CSV. The generator runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere.

The code on the pack is only useful if the same code opens a record: where the ingredients came from, what was done to them and who received the finished goods. The sections below cover each format and what to record against a batch.

10 codes

261014-L1-001
261014-L1-002
261014-L1-003
261014-L1-004
261014-L1-005
261014-L1-006
261014-L1-007
261014-L1-008
261014-L1-009
261014-L1-010

Three common batch code formats

Each example below uses a run on 14 October 2026 (day 287 of the year), line 1, first batch of the day.

Date + line + sequence (261014-L1-001): year, month and day, then the line or site, then a running number for that day. Easy for anyone to read, and the date sorts correctly as text. A good default for small brands and single-site packers.
Julian date (262871-001): two-digit year plus the day of the year (001 to 366), then the line and sequence. Shorter, and common in factories and on cans and cartons, but a shopper cannot read the date without a calendar.
Product prefix (TUR-2610-001): a product or SKU code, the year and month, and a running number. Useful when several products share one packing line, or when you make a product in larger monthly lots.

Whichever you choose, keep it: letters and digits only, the same length every time, and never reuse a code. Changing format mid-season makes old and new packs hard to compare.

On the label, India's FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 require a lot, code or batch number on every prepackaged food (regulation 5(9)), preceded by words such as "Lot No.", "Batch No." or "B. No." (regulation 2(1)(l)). Our FSSAI label checklist lists the other mandatory particulars.

What to record against each batch number

A batch code is a key. These are the records it should unlock, kept for as long as product is on sale:

Product, pack size and quantity made or packed.
Production or packing date, line or site, and who was responsible.
Each input: supplier or farm, the supplier's own lot number, quantity and date received.
Processing steps, with dates (cleaning, drying, grinding, roasting, blending, packing).
Checks and test results: lab reports, certificates and any quality checks for this run.
Date marking printed on the pack (manufacture or packing date and use-by or best-before).
Where the finished goods went: each buyer, distributor or channel, with quantities and dates.

With that, a question about one pack, whether a complaint, a recall or a buyer's audit, becomes a lookup of one batch instead of a search through everything. See batch traceability in the glossary.

How a QR code extends a batch number

A printed batch code tells you which run a pack came from, but only to someone who can see your records. A QR code printed next to it can open a public page for that same batch: its source, processing steps and documents, readable by a buyer on their phone. Print the batch code as text beside the QR, so the pack and the page still match if the code is scuffed or scanned from a photo.

In IndiTrace, each batch you create gets its own code and trace page, and the QR label is printed from the batch record, so the code on the pack and the page always agree. The creating batches guide shows the steps, and the QR label cost calculator estimates what printing the labels costs.

Give every batch code a page

Record a batch once and IndiTrace prints a QR label that opens its trace page, with no app or login for the buyer.

See how it works Create your first trace page free

Questions

What is the difference between a batch number and a lot number?: In practice they mean the same thing: a code that identifies product made or packed together under the same conditions, so it can be traced back to that run. Labelling rules accept either word, and short forms such as Batch No., B. No. or Lot No.
Should the batch number include the date?: It helps. A date-based code tells anyone reading the pack roughly when it was made, even without your records. The date marking on the label is still a separate requirement; the batch code does not replace it.
How long should a batch code be?: Short enough to print clearly on your smallest pack and long enough to stay unique for as long as product is on the market. Letters and digits only, with no characters that look alike in your printer font, is the safe choice.