Natasha's Law: The Complete Guide for Small Food Businesses (2026)

What is Natasha's Law?

Natasha's Law is the informal name for amendments to the UK Food Information Regulations that require full ingredient and allergen labelling on all food that is pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS). It is named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette that contained sesame — an ingredient not listed on the packaging.

Before the law changed, PPDS food only needed to display the product name and a "may contain" allergen warning. Now, every PPDS product must carry a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised.

What is PPDS food?

Pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) food is food that is:

• Packaged at the same place it is sold
• Offered for sale in that packaging
• Packed before the customer orders it

Common examples include:

• Sandwiches and wraps made and packaged in a café or deli
• Cakes and pastries wrapped and displayed in a bakery
• Salads and ready meals packaged in a farm shop or food hall
• Homemade products sold at a market stall, packaged in advance
• Meal prep boxes assembled and sealed before collection

What does Natasha's Law require?

Every PPDS product must display:

1. The name of the food — a clear description of what the product is
2. A full ingredients list — all ingredients in descending order by weight
3. Allergens emphasised — the 14 major allergens must be highlighted within the ingredients list (e.g. in bold, a different colour, or underlined)

The 14 major allergens

UK food law requires the following 14 allergens to be declared and emphasised whenever they appear as an ingredient:

Who does Natasha's Law apply to?

The law applies to any food business that sells PPDS food, regardless of size. This includes:

• Bakeries and patisseries
• Cafés, delis and sandwich shops
• Farm shops and food halls
• Market stalls and pop-ups
• Home bakers selling online or at events
• Meal prep and food subscription businesses
• Catering companies that pre-pack food

It does not apply to food that is packed to order in front of the customer (e.g. a barista making a sandwich while you wait), or to food sold loose without packaging.

How to create compliant labels

A compliant Natasha's Law label must include:

• The product name
• All ingredients in descending order by weight at the time of manufacture
• Allergens highlighted — bold is the most common method
• The label must be on or attached to the packaging

There is no prescribed format, font size or colour — but the information must be legible and clearly presented. Many businesses use label printing software or purpose-built food management tools to generate compliant labels automatically from their recipes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Listing allergens separately rather than within the ingredients list — this does not comply
• Using "may contain" as a substitute for declaring actual allergens in the recipe
• Not updating labels when recipes change — if you swap an ingredient, your label must be updated immediately
• Forgetting compound ingredients — if you use a pre-made sauce or spice blend, you must list its sub-ingredients too
• Handwritten labels that are illegible or incomplete

Penalties for non-compliance

Local authority environmental health officers enforce Natasha's Law. Penalties can include:

• Improvement notices requiring you to fix labelling within a set timeframe
• Prosecution and unlimited fines
• Prohibition orders preventing you from selling food

Beyond legal penalties, the reputational damage from an allergen incident can be devastating for a small business.

How FoodCore helps with Natasha's Law compliance

FoodCore is built specifically for small UK food businesses that need to manage allergen labelling without a dedicated compliance team. When you build a recipe in FoodCore, the system automatically:

• Tracks all 14 allergens across every ingredient
• Generates a full ingredients list in descending order by weight
• Highlights allergens in bold within the ingredients list
• Updates labels instantly when you change a recipe
• Produces print-ready labels you can attach to packaging

Further resources

• Food Standards Agency — Natasha's Law guidance
• FSA allergen guidance for food businesses