💡 This article was updated in August 2026 and belongs to the Infinitas Food Safety Help Centre
Natasha’s Law was introduced in October 2021 after the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse. It requires food businesses to provide a full ingredients list—with allergens highlighted—on prepacked foods for direct sale (known as PPDS foods).
This article outlines the essential steps your business needs to take to protect people with allergies and intolerances and stay compliant with food safety in 2026.
Table of Contents
What is Natasha's Law?
In 2016 Natasha ate a baguette from Pret-a-Manger that contained undeclared sesame seeds and died. Her death highlighted a legal loophole. Natasha’s Law was created to close that gap and prevent similar deaths. By improving food labelling, Natasha’s law aims to allow people who sufferer from food allergies to make safer, informed food choices.
Natasha's Law Requirements
Natasha’s law amended the UK food labelling requirements. Now, caterers, retailers and schools must clearly label food classed as prepacked for direct sale (also know as PPDS).
Schools face unique challenges in managing food allergies. If you work in a school, check out our post on managing allergies in schools for practical advice.
Let’s start by explaining what the term PPDS food means.
What Does PPDS Food Mean?
Under Natasha’s Law, PPDS food means food that is prepacked for direct sale. Specifically, this means food that is:
🔹 Prepared and put into packaging.
🔹 Pre-packed ahead of time before being offered for sale to the consumer (customer or pupil).
🔹Fully or partly enclosed by the packaging, and the packaging cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging.
🔹 For ‘Direct Sale’ from the premises on which it is made.
Let’s go over some examples to make things clearer.
What Are Common Examples of PPDS Food?
By going through some examples you may be able to identify PPDS foods within your own organisation. PPDS foods include:
- Sandwiches/cakes placed into packaging by a food business on the premises before it is selected or someone places their order.
- Pre-cut cake wrapped in cling-film ready for selection or purchase.
- Pre-packaged takeaway meals in sealed packaging before an order has been taken (e.g. burger kept hot under a hot lamp).
- Foods pre-packaged for sale on site (e.g. pizza, salad pots, rotisserie chicken).
- Meat products prepared by a butcher, and pre-packaged for sale on the same premises (e.g. burgers, sausages, spareribs) before putting on display.
- Food samples pre-packed on site (e.g. cookies) given to customers for free (as a promotion).
- Foods pre-packaged for an event and sold at a fete, market stall or mobile unit.
What Are Common Examples of Non-PPDS Food?
Non-PPDS foods do not come under Natasha’s Law, but these are included in the new allergen guidance for the out-of-home sector (restaurants, market stalls, delis, takeaways).
Foods that are non-PPDS include:
• Food that is not packed at all – it is sold loose (e.g. food from a salad bar, butcher’s counter, deli, takeaway or fishmonger). Loose food will be put into a bag or a box at the point of sale.
• Food that is prepared to order and served immediately (e.g. plated food at a restaurant or cafe).
• Food that is packaged after it is ordered and sold (e.g. takeaway food). Information must be available at the time the order is taken. And at delivery (e.g. takeaway food should display what allergens are in the food by use of a sticker).
• An open bag or box is not PPDS food (but twist the corners of a paper bag and it becomes PPDS). If the bag is open, allergen information must be available. But, full labelling under Natasha’s Law is not required.
• A cardboard sleeve around a baguette that is open at both ends is not PPDS food. Neither is a hot dog served on a cardboard tray PPDS food.
• Food that is packed by Business A and sold to Business B is not PPDS food. This is pre-packaged food. However, if pre-packaged food (e.g. a tray of Baklava) is bought by Business A then re-packaged by Business B, this would become PPDS food.
• Food that is sold from different premises by you (e.g. a stall or a mobile vehicle) is not classed as PPDS food.
There is another important type of food that does not come under Natasha’s Law and that’s distance selling.
Natasha’s Law & Distance Selling
Distance selling includes internet and telephone orders. So food sold through the internet or phone (e.g. through a menu or flyer) does not need to be fully labelled under Natasha’s Law because it does not come under the definition of PPDS food. However, distance selling has been included in the new FSA allergen information guidance (released March 2025). It recommends that businesses direct customers to their website where the allergen chart can be found online. This is something we always advised our clients to do.
Allergen information must still be communicated to the consumer. It must take place:
- at the start of the transaction (when the order is take over the phone), and
- at the point of delivery of the food.
Which Foods Require PPDS Labelling Under Natasha's Law?
Deciding which foods require PPDS labelling can seem confusing. To make things easier you could use the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Flow Chart. It will help you identify which foods are PPDS, and which foods are not.
Remember – once you have identified which foods are PPDS foods, these will require full ingredient labelling under Natasha’s Law.
Where Is Natasha’s Law Applicable?
Natasha’s Law applies to food business operators throughout the whole of the UK. This means England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
How Many People Suffer From Food Allergens?
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) estimates that approximately 6% of the UK population (2.4 million people) might have a clinically confirmed allergy to some food ingredients.
Cooperation is therefore key. Organisations selling or serving food must give allergy sufferers enough information to make informed choices about food they buy or eat. And people with a food allergy must cooperate with you. This dual responsibility is critical if we are to keep allergy sufferers safe.
What Are The Main 14 Allergens?
If any of the following 14 allergens are present in any PPDS food you sell or serve, your organisation must declare them on the food label.
It is important to remember that there are other known allergens, not included on the list. Examples include strawberries, or tomatoes. You still need to communicate with people about allergens in food, even if you don’t need to comply with the PPDS labelling requirement.
What Must PPDS Labels Include?
Under Natasha’s Law, PPDS food labels must include:
🔹 The legal name of the food, or a recognised customary name.
🔹 The full ingredients list in descending order by weight.
🔹 The 14 listed allergens emphasised in the ingredients list.
🔹 The word ‘ingredients’ as a title before the ingredients list.
How To Emphasise Allergens On PPDS Food Labelling?
If any of the 14 allergens are contained in food you sell or serve, the allergens must be clearly emphasised within the ingredients label. The guidance recommends you either use bold font, CAPITAL LETTERS, a contrasting colour or underline the allergen.
The use of contrasting colours may not be helpful to people who suffer from colour blindness, so keep that it mind.
How Are May Contain Warnings Used on Food Labelling?
Precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) such as “may contain” statements remain voluntary. These are not a legal requirement, yet ‘may contain’ statements:
🔹 Are likely to be used when there is a genuine risk of cross-contamination.
🔹 Can be labelled like this, either as “may contain [XXX]”. Or “not suitable for consumers with [XXX] allergy”.
🔹 Must not be used as a blanket protection, without a risk assessment.
Check all food labels or food specifications for ‘may contain’ warnings and include these on your allergen matrix.
Natasha’s Law Checklist
To ensure your business or organisation complies with the requirements of Natasha’s Law, a simple checklist will help you to:
1️⃣ Identify which products fall under the PPDS category
2️⃣ Establish a system to track accurate ingredient information
3️⃣ Create compliant food labels to highlight ingredients and food allergens
4️⃣ Train staff on allergen awareness and the new labelling requirements
5️⃣ Implement cross-contamination controls in food preparation areas
6️⃣ Regularly audit your ingredients and suppliers to maintain accuracy
Natasha's Law - Penalties for Non-Compliance
Failing to comply with Natasha’s Law can result in:
➜ Serious risk to the health and safety of any person who suffers from a food allergy (even a tiny amount of an allergen could cause death).
➜ Fines and legal action from your local authority, and/or civil action.
➜ A low food hygiene rating.
➜ Serious damage to your business’s reputation.
➜ Loss of customer trust/ loss of business.
➜ Potential business closure for severe violations.
Natasha’s Law FREE Resources
Several 💡 resources are available to help you meet the requirements of Natasha’s Law:
➜ The Food Standards Agency provides free online food allergy/intolerance training for food businesses.
➜ Explore the free resources on our Food Safety Help Centre and the Resources Page on our website.
➜ Try out our free Food Safety Helpline where you can ask questions about how to manage food allergens safely.
➜ Natasha’s Foundation provides Allergy School offering free resources for all nurseries, primary schools and out-of-school clubs, supported by the Kings Foundation.
➜ For practical tips on food allergy management in education read our post on Managing Food Allergies in Schools.
Conclusion
Compliance with Natasha’s Law is not optional — it protects lives and helps your organisation meet food safety legal requirements by delivering allergen information to consumers.