Natasha’s Law aims to protect the 2 million people living in the UK with food allergies. But what does this new law mean for your food business?
We've put together this handy guide to help you out.
Natasha’s Law—also known as the UK Food Information Amendment—requires food businesses to include ingredient lists and clear labelling on pre-packaged foods.
The law came into action on 1st October 2021 to protect allergy sufferers and give them confidence in the food they buy.
Natasha’s Law affects any business that produces PPDS (Prepacked 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.
From the 1st October, PPDS foods must display the name of the food and a full ingredients list with allergen ingredients in bold, CAPITALS, or underlined.
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.
Use labelling software, like Nutritics, to automate creating and printing food labels. Food safety checklists, like Trail, can also help teams stay compliant.
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.