Upholding Natasha’s Law

“Natasha’s Law” can seem complicated and confusing – especially with the number of articles and search results that appear upon a Google search.

With all the buzz surrounding Natasha’s Law, it should be easy know how best to uphold it and comply with new regulations. This, however, is not aways the case.

The good news is: Upholding Natasha’s Law is actually pretty simple.

Like with any law, Natasha’s Law grows more complicated the more you read about it. If you stick to the basics, it’s simple.

The simplest way to interpret the law is as follows: If you sell prepackaged food for direct sale (aka PPDS food), it must include a label that –

1. Clearly shows the name of the food.
2. Has the ingredients listed in order by volume.
3. Highlights the 14 allergens listed under Natasha’s Law – which can be achieved simply by using bold lettering.

That’s all! Easy.   

Here’s what that looks like on a label:

What 14 allergens are specified by Natasha’s Law?
To make life easier for you, we listed the 14 allergens specified under Natasha’s Law. You can Download it, print it out and hang it up for colleagues and staff. Having the allergens listed in plain sight will help your team memorise and label ingredients to uphold Natasha’s Law.

What qualifies food as prepacked for direct sale (aka PPDS)?

Food that qualifies as prepacked for direct sale, or PPDS, must be prepared and packaged at the same location where it is sold to customers. This means food that is packaged before a customer orders it or takes it off the shelf qualifies as PPDS.

PPDS is food that consumers select from display units in addition to food items stored behind a counter. Food sold at mobile or temporary outlets can often qualify as PPDS as well.

If you have any doubts, ask yourself these two questions: “Did we prepare and package the food on location?” and “Does the customer have to unwrap the food to consume it?” If the answer is “yes” to these questions, then your food is PPDS, and must have proper labelling to comply with Natasha’s Law.

Need a few examples of PPDS?

Here are a few items that can be called PPDS foods.

• Sausages & burgers prepackaged by a butcher onsite and then sold to customers at the same location
• Prepackaged food served in care homes, schools, or hospitals
• Fast food packaged before being ordered by a customer, e.g., food in hot cases or waiting under a heat lamp that needs to be unpackaged to consume. If the customer must open packaging and wrapping to consume the food item, it qualifies as PPDS.
• Free samples packed on site, later removed from their packaging and then offered to customers 
• Sandwiches, baked goods, and other products packaged onsite before being ordered by a customer
• Foods packaged and sold at another location by the same vendor/business
• Products that get prepackaged and put out for direct sale at the same location. These products could include rotisserie chickens, salads, sushi, burritos, pasta, rice, and pizzas.

To help you identify labelling requirements for your restaurant, click the button below to access a helpful tool created by the Food Standards Agency.

ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE

What is not considered PPDS?

• Food packaged by one business and distributed to another does not qualify as PPDS. This type of prepacked food must include full labelling. That includes the name of the food and a full list of ingredients. Ingredients lists must emphasise all allergenic ingredients.
• Food not contained within packaging and food packaged after the consumer orders it. These non-prepacked foods do not require a label with name, allergens and ingredients emphasised. However, businesses must still provide proper allergen information to the consumer, which can be done verbally or through a physical menu.
• The new Natasha’s Law labelling requirements do not apply to PPDS food sold through distance selling. That includes food purchased over the internet, through a third-party food delivery app or by phone. However, customers must have access to a list of allergens at the time of delivery, which means it’s best to label food items before they leave your business—even if your business is not the one delivering them.

Foodservice establishments selling PPDS food as listed above will need to ensure that their customers have access to mandatory allergen information before purchasing the products, and customers must also have allergen information given to them at the point of delivery.

Other helpful information about Natasha’s Law

Natasha’s Law took effect on 1 October, 2021. The name of the law honors Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died from an allergic reaction to an olive, artichoke and tapenade baguette she purchased at Heathrow Airport in 2016. Natasha was unaware of the sesame baked into the baguette, which later triggered her allergic reaction, as the food item was not properly labelled.

Compliance made simple

Hopefully, you now feel more confident in your ability to uphold Natasha’s Law. If you still have questions, or are looking for an efficient way to comply with the law, we are always here to help.

The NCCO DateCodeGenie® automated labelling system allows you to design and print labels to stay up to code and protect customers – and your business.

View our selection of DateCodeGenie models, request a demonstration and find a labelling solution to suit your unique foodservice operation by clicking the button below.