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Natasha's Law, which came into effect in October 2021, mandates full ingredient listing and allergen labelling on prepackaged food for direct sale (PPDS). Named in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who tragically passed away due to an allergic reaction to an undeclared ingredient in a prepackaged meal, this law marks a significant shift in food labelling requirements in the United Kingdom.
Whether you are a small café, a large restaurant chain, a food retailer, or a manufacturer, this guide is an invaluable tool in your journey towards full compliance with Natasha's Law. It is not just about following legal requirements, it’s about contributing to a safer food environment for everyone.
In this guide, we’ll cover in detail what Natasha’s Law is, how it affects your business, and what you need to do to comply. If you’re short on time, feel free to jump directly to our Natasha’s Law checklist here.
The UK Food Information Amendment, more commonly known as Natasha’s Law, —requires food businesses to include ingredient lists and clear labelling on pre-packaged food for direct sale (PPDS). Natasha's Law aims to enhance transparency, improve food safety, and provide greater protection for consumers, especially those with food allergies and intolerances.
The law came into action on 1st October 2021 to protect allergy sufferers and give them confidence in the food they buy, introduced in response to Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction to an undeclared allergen.
The law aims to empower consumers with the information they need to make informed choices about the food they purchase, promoting a safer and more inclusive food environment.
Natasha’s Law affects any business that produces PPDS (Pre-packaged for direct sale) food.
PPDS is food which is packaged at the same place it is sold and is in the packaging before it is ordered by a customer.
PPDS foods must display the name of the food and a full ingredients list with allergen ingredients in bold, CAPITALS, or underlined.
Examples of PPDS food includes sandwiches, salads, pasta pots, and bakery products that are made and packaged on-site for immediate consumption.
Natasha's Law, applicable in the United Kingdom, requires clear and comprehensive labelling of these allergens in prepackaged food for direct sale (PPDS). The allergens are:
Environmental health officers will check how your allergens are appropriately separated. To pass your EHO check, you'll need to label these correctly and have separate areas/utensils for certain allergens such as nuts.
At Trail, we’ve turned this legal requirement into a handy allergen separation checklist that can help ensure that you achieve compliance with ease, or you can get straight into running your food operations safely with a Trail free trial.
It’s a legal requirement for UK businesses to comply with Natasha’s Law. Compliance involves several key steps to ensure that your business meets the requirements for PPDS food. Here’s a practical checklist you can use to achieve compliance:
Assess your menu to better understand which foods are classified as PPDS (pre-packed for direct sale). Then make sure these items are always labelled, in compliance with Food Standards Agency regulations.
Make sure you speak to your suppliers—they need to provide you with all the ingredient and allergen information in their products.
Inform your teams about Natasha’s Law and any business changes. Provide ongoing allergen training to ensure compliance never slips and your customers always feel safe.
This is the most important step in the checklist. Ensure that for any PPDS, you produce pre-printed labels that include a list of the present allergens.
Use labelling software, like Nutritics, to automate creating and printing food labels. Food safety checklists, like Trail, can also help teams stay compliant.
Food safety checklists can help you stay compliant with requirements such as Natasha’s Law. With Trail, it’s easy to implement measures to keep allergens separate, and report any allergic reactions if they arise. Trail can help you:
Digital checklists ensure that everyone knows what to do and when to do it, this is especially important when new regulations come into place. Communicate clearly to your teams to make sure everyone is following the new labelling procedures correctly.
Trail alerts your teams to take corrective action as soon as a problem is detected. Record evidence that the problem has been fixed, protecting your business against legal action.
Alerts and notifications give you the confidence that new procedures are being followed correctly, even when you're not on site.
Discover more ways Trail can help you level up your compliance, or start your free trial with Trail today.
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