The UK Food Information Amendment, also known as Natasha’s Law, comes into effect from October 2021 and will require food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to provide full ingredient lists and allergen labelling on foods pre-packaged for direct sale on the premises. Similar changes are expected to be introduced in Scotland by Food Standards Scotland.
The legislation is being introduced to protect allergy sufferers and give them reassurance and confidence in the food they buy.
This amendment has been brought about following actions of a lobbying group led by the parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to an undeclared ingredient in a prepacked meal. The government since confirmed that stronger laws would be implemented to protect those with food allergies.
According to the new rules, PPDS (Prepacked for Direct Sale) food will have to clearly display the following information on the packaging:
It’s estimated that 2 million people in the UK are currently living with some form of diagnosed food allergy, and for high risk individuals, even trace amounts of a food allergen can trigger fatal or near-fatal symptoms.
On average, 10 people in Britain die every year from a food-induced anaphylaxis – where the body experiences an extreme allergic reaction after coming in to contact with a substance that they are allergic to.
Under current UK law, there are 14 key allergens that must be highlighted to customers either on labels, shelf edges, menus or verbally if requested by the customer. The full list can be found on the Food Standards Agency website here.
Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) is food which is packaged at the same place it is offered or sold to customers, and is in the packaging before it is ordered or selected.
It can include food that customers choose themselves as well as products kept behind a counter.
Examples include:
Any food that is not in packaging or food that is packaged after being ordered by the customer is not PPDS. However, rules still apply. For non-prepacked food, the name of the food and presence of any of the 14 allergens must be provided to customers. This can be done via a ticket, a notice, or on a label that is easily visible to the purchaser at the place where they choose that food.
Other foods that are not PPDS, include:
For further guidance to support your business in preparation for Natasha’s Law, download Food Alert’s free Guide below.
