# Audit Trail When a food manufacturer is inspected, auditors do not just want to see the current formula — they want to know how it got there. BetterMenu's audit trail gives you a complete record of every action taken on a [recipe](/docs/guide/concepts/recipe): who made each change, when, and exactly what was different before and after. What is the audit trail? [#what-is-the-audit-trail] The audit trail is a chronological log attached to every recipe in BetterMenu. It is built automatically — you do not need to configure anything to start capturing entries. Every time someone creates a recipe, changes an ingredient, restores an earlier state, or exports a label, a new entry is recorded. Each entry captures three things: who performed the action, when it happened, and the complete state of the recipe before and after the change. The audit trail is separate from the [version history](/docs/guide/concepts/version), though the two are linked. Version history shows you the full recipe snapshots you can browse and compare. The audit trail shows the individual actions that produced each snapshot — who approved the change, what exactly was edited, and when. Together, they give you a complete picture of a recipe's life from its first ingredient to its most recent label export. What does BetterMenu record? [#what-does-bettermenu-record] BetterMenu records every significant action in a recipe lifecycle. The entries most relevant to food manufacturers, R\&D teams, and regulatory affairs managers are listed below. | Action | What is recorded | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Recipe created | Creator, timestamp, initial formula | | Ingredients changed | Which ingredients were added, removed, or updated; quantities before and after | | Serving size updated | Previous and new serving size values | | Label exported | Who exported, which version was used, export format (PDF, PNG, JPEG) | | Version restored | Who restored, which earlier version was selected, timestamp | | Recipe archived | Actor, timestamp, reason if provided | | Recipe unarchived | Actor, timestamp | Each entry also includes a link to the corresponding recipe [version](/docs/guide/concepts/version), so you can navigate directly from any trail entry to the full recipe snapshot at that exact moment. For every action, BetterMenu stores who performed it, the exact date and time, and the complete before-and-after state of the affected fields — so you never have to reconstruct what changed from memory. Who can see the audit trail? [#who-can-see-the-audit-trail] The audit trail is visible to everyone with access to the recipe. Recipe owners and organization admins can view the full trail for any recipe within their organization, regardless of whether they are listed as a collaborator. Editors can read the trail for the recipes they work on. Viewers can browse the trail but cannot make changes to the recipe or the trail itself. No one can edit or remove entries from the audit trail — not editors, not admins, not anyone. New entries are added automatically as actions occur, and existing entries are permanent. The record is as trustworthy on inspection day as when each entry was written. For a regulatory affairs manager preparing for an FDA audit, this is important: the trail cannot have been cleaned up, condensed, or adjusted after the fact. How do I use the audit trail in a regulatory submission? [#how-do-i-use-the-audit-trail-in-a-regulatory-submission] The audit trail is built to support inspections and submissions under FDA food safety records requirements. Under [21 CFR Part 117 Subpart F](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-117/subpart-F), food manufacturers must maintain accurate, accessible records documenting their preventive controls and production activities. BetterMenu's audit trail is designed with these expectations in mind. For an FDA inspection, you can open the audit trail for any recipe and share a complete, timestamped account of how the formula evolved — every ingredient change, every label export, every version restore — from initial development to the production period in question. Each export entry shows which recipe version was used, creating a clear chain from the formula to the finished label. If an inspector asks which formula was in use during a specific production run, find the label export entry for that period and open that version to confirm every ingredient and quantity. The full citation: FDA eCFR, 21 CFR Part 117 Subpart F, Records and Documentation.