Natasha’s Law is an important food labelling law introduced across the United Kingdom to help protect people living with food allergies.

It came into force on 1 October 2021 and introduced new labelling requirements for certain foods known as Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS).

The law was introduced following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction after eating a baguette containing sesame—an allergen that was not clearly listed on the product packaging.

Natasha’s Law aims to make allergen information clearer, more visible, and easier to access before someone buys or eats certain packaged foods.

Quick Summary

✅ Natasha’s Law came into force on 1 October 2021.
✅ It applies to Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) food.
✅ PPDS food must display:
- The name of the food.
- A full ingredients list.
- Any of the 14 major allergens clearly emphasised within that ingredients list.
✅ It was introduced following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse.
✅ It helps people with food allergies make safer and more informed decisions before purchasing food.

What Is Natasha’s Law?

Natasha’s Law requires businesses selling Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) food to clearly label those products with:

The name of the food.
A full ingredients list.
Any of the 14 major allergens clearly emphasised (for example, in bold text).

This allows people living with food allergies to check ingredients independently before buying or consuming a product.

What Is PPDS Food?

PPDS stands for Prepacked for Direct Sale.

Food is generally considered PPDS if:

It is packaged before the customer chooses or orders it.
It is packed on the same premises where it is sold.
It is offered directly to customers in that packaging.

Common examples include:

Sandwiches prepared and packaged before being placed in a café display.
Salads boxed and labelled on-site before opening.
Bakery products wrapped before being displayed for sale.
Grab-and-go items prepared and packaged ready for customers.

What Isn’t PPDS?

If food is prepared fresh after you order it—for example, a sandwich made to order and wrapped afterwards—it is generally treated differently and falls under separate allergen information requirements.

Why Natasha’s Law Matters

For people living with food allergies, clear labelling can be life-saving.

Before Natasha’s Law, many PPDS products did not require the same level of ingredient labelling as standard prepacked supermarket foods. Customers often had to rely on verbal information from staff or assumptions about what a product contained.

Natasha’s Law helped close that gap by making allergen information available directly on the packaging.

It provides allergy sufferers and their families with clearer information at the point of purchase, helping them make safer and more informed choices.

Which Allergens Must Be Highlighted?

Under UK food information regulations, the following 14 major allergens must be clearly identified when used as ingredients:

Celery
Cereals containing gluten (including wheat, barley, rye and oats)
Crustaceans
Eggs
Fish
Lupin
Milk
Molluscs
Mustard
Peanuts
Sesame
Soya
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (above specified levels)
Tree nuts (including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios and macadamias)

On PPDS food labels, these allergens must be clearly emphasised within the ingredients list.

What Natasha’s Law Does Not Mean

While Natasha’s Law represents a significant improvement in allergen transparency, it does not eliminate all allergy risks.

It does not mean:

A food business is completely allergen-free.
Cross-contamination cannot occur during food preparation.
Customers no longer need to ask staff questions.
Every food item sold by a café or restaurant will carry a printed ingredients label.
You should stop checking labels every time you buy a product.

Natasha’s Law is an important safety measure, but personal vigilance remains essential.

What Should Allergy Sufferers and Families Do?

If you or someone you care for lives with food allergies, staying cautious remains one of your best forms of protection.

Before buying or eating PPDS food:

Read the full ingredients label every single time.
Remember that recipes, suppliers and ingredients can change without notice.
Look for precautionary statements such as “may contain” where relevant.
Ask staff if anything is unclear or if information appears incomplete.
Avoid the product if you are unsure.
Always carry any prescribed emergency medication, such as an adrenaline auto-injector, if advised by your healthcare professional.

Even if you have purchased the same product before, always check the label again.

What Should Food Businesses Do?

Businesses selling PPDS food should ensure they understand whether their products fall within the scope of Natasha’s Law.

Where the law applies, products must display:

The name of the food.
A complete ingredients list.
Clearly emphasised allergens.

Good practice also includes:

Keeping ingredient information accurate and up to date.
Reviewing supplier and recipe changes promptly.
Training staff in allergen awareness.
Taking customer allergy enquiries seriously.
Having clear procedures for communicating allergen information.

Providing accurate allergen information is not only a legal requirement—it can help save lives.

Final Thoughts

Natasha’s Law represents an important step forward in food allergy safety across the United Kingdom.

For many people living with allergies, being able to clearly see what is in a product before purchasing it makes everyday decisions safer and significantly less stressful.

While no legislation can remove every risk, better transparency empowers individuals and families to make more informed choices and manage allergies with greater confidence.

At The Allergy Community, we believe everyone deserves access to clear, practical information that helps make everyday life with allergies safer, simpler, and less isolating.

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Disclaimer

The information provided in this guide is for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.

Food allergen regulations may change over time, and individual circumstances can vary. Always refer to the latest official guidance published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and seek advice from a suitably qualified healthcare or legal professional where appropriate.

If you suspect anaphylaxis or another severe allergic reaction, seek immediate emergency medical assistance using your local emergency services number and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.

Natasha’s Law: What It Means for Food Allergy Safety