What are UK food allergy labeling laws? Full interpretation of Natasha's Law

When you buy a sandwich in a British supermarket or a cake in a bakery, you may never read the dense list of ingredients on the package. But for someone with a peanut allergy, this line can be a life-or-death situation. This is the reason why "Natasha's Law" exists - a law that was bought with a young life.

What is Natasha's Law? The name of a 15 year old girl

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, a British girl, died of anaphylactic shock on a plane after eating a sandwich containing sesame seeds that was not labeled. Her family pushed for legislation, which eventually gave birth to the "Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019", commonly known as Natasha's Law, which officially came into effect on October 1, 2021, and is still a mandatory regulation currently in force in the UK today (2026).

The core sentence: All foods "packaged on site and sold directly" (PPDS) must have a complete list of ingredients on the package, and the 14 legal allergens must be prominently displayed in the ingredient list.

What foods are subject to food allergy labeling laws? KeywordPPDS

PPDS (Prepacked for Direct Sale) refers to food that is produced at the same location and packaged before customers order. For example, that box of salads, sushi, sandwiches, cakes you pick up in the freezer at Pret, Greggs or your local cafe – these all belong to PPDS and must have a full ingredient list.

There must be three things on the label: the name of the food, a complete list of ingredients in descending order by weight, and the 14 allergens highlighted in either bold, capital letters, discolored, or underlined (bold is the most common). The 14 include peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, eggs, milk, gluten, soybeans, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, celery, mustard, lupins and sulfur dioxide.

How is it legal if restaurant takeout is not labeled?

Many Chinese who open restaurants and do takeout are confused: Do freshly fried dishes and dine-in meals also need to be labeled? The answer is that does not require a PPDS label, but allergen information must be provided. According to the requirements of "Food Information Regulations 2014", this type of "non-prepacked food" must allow customers to ask and know as long as it contains one of the 14 allergens.

It is worth noting that the FSA (Food Standards Agency) updated the best practice guidelines for non-prepackaged foods in March 2025: In the past, posting an "ask staff" sign on the wall was acceptable, but now it is officially recommended that allergen information should be provided in writing (menu, allergen matrix or electronic list), and coupled with oral communication. The next review of this guidance is scheduled for September 2026. At present, it is still a "recommendation" rather than a requirement, but the regulatory direction is already clear.

① Take the initiative to ask before ordering . Even if it’s not written on the menu, you have the right to ask the store to provide allergen information, which is granted by law.
② See clearly "may contain (may contain)" . This type of precautionary labeling (PAL) is voluntary and represents the risk of cross-contamination. People with severe allergies should not ignore it.
③ allergen information should be visible before payment for online shopping/takeout, and should be visible again when delivered.
④ If you have allergies due to incorrect or missing labeling, you can complain to the local Trading Standards or Environmental Health. The local government is responsible for law enforcement. Merchants with serious violations will face penalties or even criminal liability.