A prototype knowledge-based system for recipe management in batch chemical processes is presented in this paper. The recipe management system (RMS) consists of three main modules : a plant topology module (PTM), a product recipe module (PRM) and a recipe transformation module (RTM). The PTM was designed to represent the equipment units in the process flowsheet and the PRM was designed to represent the recipes defined in SP88 Part 1 (draft 10). The RTM was designed to carry out the task of recipe transformation. The mechanism of the RMS is demonstrated through two examples and the results have clearly demonstrated that the challenge of efficient recipe transformation and management can be solved using object-oriented programming and artificial intelligence techniques.