Traceability (supply-chain transparency)
The ability to document, at every stage from source – mine, farm, forest or refinery – to end user, who processed a raw material, where, and from which lot. It is becoming mandatory in raw material trade because of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), OECD guidance on conflict minerals and recycled-content claims such as ISCC or GRS. Geolocation data, mass balance and digital product passports are key concepts here.
Related terms
Batch and lot number
A unique code identifying a quantity of product made under the same conditions, from the same raw materials and in the same time window. It appears on packages, the COA and the packing list, and lets you trace which goods are affected by a complaint or recall. Lot-level traceability is a legal requirement in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and feed; buyers of plastics and metals may also ask for single-lot shipments for consistent quality.
ISO 9001 quality management and related ISO certificates
ISO 9001 is the international quality-management standard, audited by accredited certification bodies, showing that a company defines, controls and continually improves its processes; it certifies the system, not the product. Other certificates frequently requested in raw material supply include ISO 14001 (environment), ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety), ISO 50001 (energy), ISO 22000/FSSC 22000 (food safety), IATF 16949 (automotive) and ISO/IEC 17025 (laboratory competence). Validity should be checked in the certification body’s database or IAF CertSearch.
EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 requires that soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, cattle, rubber and wood – and products made from them such as leather, chocolate, furniture, paper and tyres – placed on the EU market were not produced on land deforested after 31 December 2020 and comply with the producing country’s laws. The operator submits a due-diligence statement including the geolocation of the production plots, and countries are classed as low, standard or high risk. For suppliers selling these commodities into the EU, plot-level traceability is now a commercial precondition.