New food allergen labelling requirements

Changes to food labelling

From 1 October 2021, the requirements for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food labelling will change in:

• England
• Wales
• Northern Ireland

The new labelling will help protect consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging.

These new requirements follow the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who had an allergic reaction caused by food which didn't require allergen labelling at the time.

Existing food labelling

The existing allergen labelling requirements for manufacturer labelled foods will stay the same.

Who it will affect

If your business creates products that need PPDS labelling, you'll need to comply with the new rules.

PPDS is food that is:

• packaged at the same place it is offered or sold to consumers
• in packaging before it is ordered or selected by customers

This includes food that consumers select themselves, products kept behind a counter and some food sold at mobile or temporary outlets.

Types of food that are affected

Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food can include the following:

• sandwiches and bakery products which are packed on site before a consumer selects or orders them
• fast food packed before it is ordered for example, a burger under a hot lamp where the food can't be changed without opening the packaging
• products which are prepackaged on site ready for sale (pizzas, rotisserie chicken, salads and pasta pots)
• burgers and sausages prepackaged by a butcher on the premises
• samples of cookies given to consumers for free which were packed on the site where they are sold
• foods packaged and then sold elsewhere by the same operator at a market stall or mobile site
• PPDS food provided in schools, care homes or hospitals and other similar settings will also require labelling

What you need to do

The label needs to show the name of the food and the ingredients list with the 14 allergens that are part of the law.

There is PPDS guidance available for:

• bakers
• butchers
• fast food and takeaway restaurants
• mobile sellers and street food vendors
• restaurants, cafés and pubs
• schools, colleges and nurseries

Please check and follow this guidance and contact the Food Team at Barnet if you have any concerns or questions.

Contact us

Re Ltd Food Safety Services
2 Bristol Avenue
Colindale
London 
NW9 4EW

Telephone: 020 8359 7995

Email: foodsafety@barnet.gov.uk