From this month (October 2021), the UK Food Information Amendment – also known as Natasha’s Law – comes into effect. The legislation requires all food retailers to display the full ingredients and allergens on every pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) foods.
These changes have been introduced following the tragic death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered a severe allergic reaction in 2016 caused by a prepacked baguette. Natasha’s Law aims to protect allergy sufferers and give them confidence in the food they buy.
In this blog, we summarise the Natasha’s Law guidance from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to help you understand what the new law means for your business.
Prepacked for direct sale is food that’s packaged at the same place it’s offered/sold to consumers and is in this packaging before it’s ordered or selected. PPDS can be food consumers have picked themselves (e.g. from a display unit), products kept behind a counter and some food sold at mobile/temporary outlets.
Some examples of PPDS food include:
The label for PPDS must show:
The allergenic ingredients within your food has to be emphasised every time they appear in the ingredients list. You can emphasise allergens in your ingredients list by using:
You must also ensure compliance with any existing food information and labelling requirements for the countries you operate in.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have put together a short, easy-to-digest video on food labels which you can watch below.
Your food labels must be visible and clearly legible. Also, consumers shouldn’t have to open your packaging to access this information. They should be able to see the following information at the same time:
You must print all the mandatory information within the necessary font size, details of which you can find on the UK Government website by clicking here.
There are different ways you can produce labels. So, you should consider how best to create them to suit your particular business model.
These include:
Food businesses that package their products on site to sell to consumers are responsible for labelling their food products. You need to use information provided by your suppliers to produce accurate labels.
You also need to make sure you have the right processes in place to update this information in case there’s a change in suppliers or ingredients.
A food-specific ERP system can automatically produce labels using data collected during your recipe development and production processes. The system can monitor how ingredients and raw materials are supplied, stored and used, ensuring the information is accurate and minimising the chances of human error.
You can read more about the benefits of having a specialist ERP system by downloading our guide below.
We all deserve access to safe, high quality food that we can trust. And for people with potentially life-threatening food allergies, that trust becomes even more important.
If you’re still unsure on how Natasha’s Law applies to you or you need anything explaining further, we’d be more than happy to help. At Columbus, we’ve amassed over 30 years of experience helping food businesses like yours prepare for industry challenges.
Speak to one of our expert consultants today by clicking the button below.