How to Navigate Expiry Date Audits (Pharma, Food, Agri)
You navigate expiry date audits by tracking expiry (and batch) on every relevant item, using FIFO (or FEFO) for picking, and keeping reports that show what's in stock by expiry and batch so auditors can verify compliance. One system that records expiry at receipt and uses it at sale makes audits straightforward.
In this article
- What auditors look for in expiry date and inventory
- How to track expiry dates in inventory for audits
- How to prove FIFO or FEFO in an audit
- Record, use, report: the audit-ready formula
What do auditors look for in expiry date and inventory?
Auditors want to see that you know the expiry (and often batch) of stock, that you're selling or using stock in the right order (FIFO/FEFO), and that you can identify and isolate affected stock in a recall. That means your system must record expiry at receipt, enforce or suggest FIFO at sale, and support batch-level reporting.
| Area | Expectation |
|---|---|
| Expiry and batch at receipt | Record expiry (and batch/lot) for each line at goods receipt |
| FIFO/FEFO | System suggests or enforces "oldest expiry first" at sale or issue |
| Audit trail | Every sale/issue shows which batch and expiry was used |
| Recall readiness | Can filter by batch and get current stock + sales/allocations |
| Reports | Stock by expiry and batch; movements by batch |
How do I track expiry dates in inventory for audits?
At goods receipt, record expiry date (and batch/lot where required) for each line. Your system stores that per unit or per batch. When you sell or issue, the system can suggest or enforce "oldest expiry first." Reports then show stock by expiry and batch so you can prove what you had and when it expired. For pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, and agricultural supply, this is standard for regulatory and customer audits.
How do I prove FIFO or FEFO in an audit?
Your system should record the batch/expiry used on each sale or issue. Audit trails that show "this sale used batch X, expiry Y" prove that you're following FIFO or FEFO. For more on batch-level proof, read batch-level reporting for regulatory compliance.
Record expiry and batch at receipt; use FIFO/FEFO at sale; keep the reports. That's how you pass expiry audits with confidence.