What Is Natasha's Law?
Learn what Natasha's Law means for UK food businesses, what PPDS food is, labelling requirements, and how to comply with the regulations.
Natasha's Law requires all food pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) in the UK to carry a full ingredients list with the 14 allergens clearly emphasised. It came into force on 1 October 2021.
Key Facts
In Detail
Natasha's Law, officially the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 (with equivalent regulations in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), came into force on 1 October 2021. It is named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, a 15-year-old who died in 2016 after suffering an allergic reaction to sesame in a Pret a Manger baguette that did not carry allergen labelling. The law requires all food that is pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) to carry a label listing every ingredient, with the 14 declarable allergens emphasised — typically in bold, italic, or underlined text. PPDS food is food that is packaged on the same premises from which it is sold to the consumer, before the consumer selects or orders it. Common examples include sandwiches made and wrapped in a cafe for sale from the same cafe, bakery items packaged on site, salads prepared and boxed in a deli, and grab-and-go items in a canteen. This category was previously exempt from ingredient labelling requirements — businesses only had to provide allergen information verbally or via signage. Natasha's Law closed this gap, recognising that consumers with allergies cannot make informed choices about PPDS food without clear ingredient labelling. The law does not apply to food that is made to order (where the customer can ask about allergens at the point of ordering), food sold loose without packaging, or food that is pre-packed by a different business (which was already required to carry full labelling). If you make and wrap food on your premises for immediate sale, you are almost certainly affected. Non-compliance is a criminal offence and local authorities can take enforcement action including prosecution. Beyond legal compliance, the practical importance is clear: accurate labelling protects customers with potentially life-threatening allergies.
Is Your Food PPDS?
Determining whether your food is PPDS depends on when it is packaged and where it is sold. If food is packaged before the customer selects it, on the same premises where it is sold, it is PPDS and must carry full ingredient labelling under Natasha's Law. If food is only packaged after the customer orders it (for example, a sandwich made to order and then wrapped), it is not PPDS. If food is packaged at a different premises from where it is sold (for example, a central kitchen producing sandwiches for multiple retail outlets), it is pre-packed and requires full labelling under existing pre-packaged food regulations, not Natasha's Law specifically. The distinction matters because different labelling rules apply to each category. If you are unsure whether your products are PPDS, contact your local authority environmental health department for guidance specific to your business.
How to Comply with Natasha's Law
To comply, every PPDS item must have a label showing the product name and a full list of ingredients in descending order of weight, with any of the 14 declarable allergens emphasised so they stand out clearly. The label must be attached to the packaging — it cannot be a separate sign or poster. The allergen emphasis must be consistent throughout (e.g., always bold, not sometimes bold and sometimes underlined). You need a reliable system for creating labels — options include printed labels, handwritten labels (acceptable but higher risk of error), or digital label printing systems. Crucially, you need a process for ensuring labels are accurate every time, which means maintaining up-to-date recipes, checking ingredient labels from suppliers regularly, and training staff who apply labels to understand the importance of accuracy. Consider what happens when you run out of a pre-wrapped item and make more during the day — the new batch must also be correctly labelled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Natasha's Law apply to cakes and baked goods?
Yes, if they are packaged before the customer selects them and sold from the same premises where they were packaged. A cake wrapped in cellophane and placed in a display case for customers to pick up is PPDS and needs full ingredient labelling. A cake sold unpackaged from a display counter, or cut and packaged to order, does not.
Do I need to label food for delivery?
If food is packaged at your premises before a customer orders it for delivery, it is likely PPDS. However, if the food is prepared and packaged only after the customer places their delivery order, it is made to order and the labelling requirements differ — you must still provide allergen information but not necessarily via an ingredient label on the packaging. The distinction depends on when the food was packaged relative to the order. For clarity, many businesses label all food for delivery with full ingredients as best practice.
What are the penalties for not complying with Natasha's Law?
Non-compliance with food information regulations is a criminal offence. Local authorities can issue improvement notices, and prosecution can result in unlimited fines. In cases where a customer suffers harm due to incorrect or absent allergen labelling, the consequences can be far more severe, including manslaughter charges in the most extreme cases. Beyond legal penalties, an allergen incident can devastate a business's reputation.
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