A batch is a defined quantity of product made in one production cycle, and the number is applied at the packaging stage. It appears on the label and often in the barcode, where it is encoded alongside the product code and expiry date. It is required on medicine labels in both the EU and the US, it also appears on cosmetics in the EU, and on devices it is shown as a lot code that forms part of the UDI production identifier.
Why it matters for labeling
The batch number is variable data. The master artwork reserves a space for it, but the real value is printed on the line, so the approved artwork never contains the final number. Its format, position and legibility are what get specified and checked. The same value has to appear everywhere it is used: the carton, the blister or container, the case label, and the data in a Data Matrix or GS1-128. The expiry date travels with it (see expiry date).
Common mistakes
- A placeholder batch number from the artwork printed on real packs
- Different values on the carton, the blister foil and the case
- Characters that are easy to misread, such as 0 and O or 1 and I
- A batch number in the barcode that doesn't match the printed text