Why Keep Batch Records and Batch Numbers for Candles

A batch record is a short note, made on pour day, that says what went into a pour and what came out. A batch number is the label that links a finished candle back to that note. Neither is a rule for candle makers that I could find. They are worth the few minutes anyway, because the day a customer says "this one cracked" or "this one smells different," the record is how you find out why.

What is a batch record?

Craftybase, which makes inventory software, says to record the date of production, each material with its supplier lot number, the quantities used, how many candles you made, and the fragrance load for the recipe. It also suggests keeping receipt dates and expiry dates for materials. The lot number is the supplier's code on the wax or oil you bought, so you can trace a problem back to one lot.

What does the CPSC say?

CPSC's Product Safety Planning, Reporting, and Recall Handbook (revised August 2021) is a guide for recalls in general, not for candles. It says maintaining accurate records about design, production, distribution and marketing for the duration of a product's expected life "is essential" for an effective, economical recall. For production records it says to keep accurate data on all production runs: the lot numbers and product codes for each run, the volume made, and the component parts or substitutes used. For distribution records it says to keep where each product went, by product line, production run, quantity shipped or sold, dates of delivery and destinations.

It also says a company should have a product identification system, with date-of-manufacture codes, because if a recall is necessary, "this practice allows the company to identify easily all affected products, without undertaking a costly recall of the entire line." CPSC's recall checklist tells firms to identify affected UPC, date codes and model numbers. I am a candle maker, not a lawyer. This is guidance, and I did not find a rule that tells a candle maker to print a batch number.

Is it a rule anywhere?

Not in the US sources I read. In Great Britain, Business Companion's candle guide says a distributor must keep documentation needed to trace the origin of unsafe products, and that producers ordinarily mark products with a product code or production batch to ease traceability. It adds that some producers base the batch number on the production date. That is UK guidance for England, Scotland and Wales, so it does not bind a US maker.

Worked example: one pour, traced

These details are examples. You pour 24 candles on November 4, 2026, and give the pour the code 261104A (year, month, day, then a letter for the first pour that day). The record says:

• Recipe: Example Pine, 8 oz (227 g) jar
• Wax lot, fragrance oil lot, wick and jar supplier, with lot numbers where they exist
• Fragrance load: 8 percent
• Candles poured: 24
• Batch cost: $156.00, so cost per candle is $156.00 / 24 = $6.50

Where did they go? Say 2 went to burn tests, 15 sold, and 7 are on your shelf: 2 + 15 + 7 = 24. Of the 15 sold, 9 sold at a craft fair and 6 sold online.

Now a customer writes that the scent is weak. You look up 261104A and see the oil lot, the load and the cure date. If the oil lot is the same as in a batch that smelled fine, the lot is probably not the cause. If you then needed to reach buyers, you know 15 candles went out, not hundreds. The craft fair sales are the hard part: only if you wrote down who bought. The handbook asks for destinations, which a market table rarely gives, so keep what you can.

What are the benefits?

• Trace a problem. Craftybase says that if a finished candle has a quality issue, you want to trace it to a specific lot.
• Narrow a recall. CPSC's handbook says date codes let you avoid recalling the entire line.
• Repeat a good batch. The record keeps the recipe, load and wicks that worked. See our recipe card guide.
• Know your cost. Batch cost divided by the candles poured is your cost per candle. See our cost guide.
• Spot supplier changes. If the wax lot changed the same week the tunneling started, you can see it.

How long should I keep records?

CPSC's handbook says for the duration of a product's expected life. I did not find a candle-specific time. Keep records at least as long as a candle could still be on a shelf or in someone's home, and ask your accountant about tax records separately.

Common mistakes

• Writing the record days later from memory.
• Not recording the supplier lot.
• A batch number that is not on the candle or its packaging, so a customer cannot give it to you.
• Counting test candles and giveaways nowhere, so stock never adds up.
• Changing a recipe and keeping the old name.
• Keeping records in loose notes that nobody can search.

Questions

Do I have to print a batch number on the label?

I did not find a US rule that says so. A batch code helps you trace a complaint, and many makers add one. That is good practice, not a rule I can cite. Our label guide lists what the sources do require.

What should a batch number look like?

Anything unique and readable. Business Companion says some producers base it on the production date. A date plus a letter, as in the example, is one way.

Do I need a record for every tiny test pour?

Test pours are where you learn, so a short note is worth it. Keep it lighter than a full production record.