What is Natasha's Law?
Natasha’s Law is the name for the rules on prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food that came into force across the UK on 1 October 2021. In England it amended the Food Information Regulations 2014.
It is named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after an allergic reaction to sesame in a baguette that carried no allergen label.
Which food does it cover?
PPDS food is food packed on the same premises where it is sold, before a customer orders or picks it. In a café that usually means:
- sandwiches, wraps and salads packed in the morning for the chiller
- cakes, cookies and pastries wrapped or boxed on site
- anything you pack for a market stall or a second site you run yourself
Food made to order and packed after the customer asks for it is not PPDS. Nor is loose food on the counter. For those, you still have to be able to tell customers about the 14 allergens, in writing or by asking staff.
What must the label show?
- The name of the food.
- The full ingredients list, with any of the 14 allergens emphasised, for example in bold.
The FSA also sets rules on text size and on naming allergens clearly, such as “cheddar (milk)”. Check the FSA’s PPDS guidance for the detail.
The 14 allergens
- Celery
- Cereals containing gluten
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk
- Molluscs
- Mustard
- Nuts (tree nuts)
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Soya
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
Where an allergen matrix fits
An allergen matrix lists every dish against the 14 allergens. It is how staff answer “does this have nuts?” in seconds, and it is what an environmental health officer will expect to see for food that is not prepacked. It has to change the day a recipe or supplier does.
Read more in the FSA’s allergen guidance for food businesses.