Natasha’s Law
Fairfield is proud to support the introduction of Natasha’s Law, a piece of legislation that will help protect vulnerable customers from the dangers of unlabeled allergens. Named in memory of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who tragically died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger sandwich, the law will require food businesses to provide full allergen information on pre-packaged foods.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse was travelling with her family from London to Nice in 2016 when she purchased a sandwich at Heathrow airport. Unbeknownst to her, the sandwich contained sesame seeds – an ingredient she was allergic too – but due to inadequate labelling, she was unable to identify it as an allergen. After suffering an allergic reaction en route, she sadly passed away shortly after arriving in France.
| Client | Nation wide |
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| Services | Labels |
| Year | Ongoing |
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As part of our commitment to food safety and compliance, here at Fairfield, we offer label solutions that can help businesses comply with the new legislation. These solutions include labels printed with full ingredient lists printed and barcodes that link directly back to product specifications for each item. This means that customers can easily access detailed allergen information for every product they purchase.
The new rules will apply to businesses in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and are encouraged to become compliant by the October 1st 2021 deadline.
The law came into effect in October 2021 and requires pre-packaged food items sold in restaurants, cafes and supermarkets across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to display full ingredients lists on packaging or labels. With this new requirement comes added pressure for businesses – particularly those selling pre-packaged goods – who may be unsure about how best to meet these standards.
Fairfield are committed not only to providing label solutions that help businesses comply with regulations like Natasha’s Law but also ensuring that customer safety remains at the heart of what they do. Their innovative range of labelling options are designed not only for convenience but also accuracy and peace of mind when it comes to food product safety.
More info
What is PPDS food?
Prepacked for direct sale or PPDS is food which is packaged at the same place it is offered or sold to consumers and is in this packaging before it is ordered or selected.
It can include food that consumers select themselves (e.g. from a display unit), as well as products kept behind a counter and some food sold at mobile or temporary outlets. Examples of PPDS food are:
- Sandwiches and bakery products which are packed on site before a consumer selects or orders them
- Fast food packed before it is ordered, such as a burger under a hot lamp where the food cannot be altered without opening the packaging
- Products which are pre-packaged on site ready for sale, such as pizzas, rotisserie chicken, salads and pasta pots
Burgers and sausages pre-packaged by a butcher on the premises ready for sale to consumers - Samples of cookies given to consumers for free which were packed on site
- Foods packaged and then sold elsewhere by the same operator at a market stall or mobile site
- PPDS food provided in schools, care homes, hospitals or factory catering outlets will also require labelling
Food that isn’t PPDS:
- Any food that is not in packaging or is packaged after being ordered by the consumer. These are types of non-prepacked food and do not require a label with name, ingredients and allergens emphasised. Allergen information must still be provided but this can be done through other means, including orally.
- Food packed by one business and supplied to another business. This is prepacked food and already must have full labelling, including the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within it.
What type of information has to be included on the product?
All Pre-packed for Direct Sale products will need to clearly display the name of the food and a full list of all ingredients. Any allergens must be highlighted within the ingredients list, for example, by printing them in bold or in a different colour.
The suggested print size is 7PT or larger on your computer.
It will not be acceptable just to have a list of allergens after October 1st 2021.
Under current legislation, there are 14 allergens that must be identified if they have been used as ingredients, or if ingredients have been derived from one of the allergens and are used in the food.