Guide
Updated 10 November 2026
Natasha's Law: PPDS allergen labelling for UK cafés, bakeries and takeaways
By Arslan Munir
What PPDS food is
The FSA defines PPDS food as food that is packaged at the same place it is offered or sold to consumers and is in that packaging before it is ordered or selected. It includes food that customers pick up themselves from a display unit, products kept behind a counter, and some food sold at mobile or temporary outlets.
The three-question test
The FSA says food needs PPDS labelling if the answer to all three questions is yes:
- Is the food presented to the consumer in packaging?
- Is it packaged before the consumer selects or orders it?
- Is it packaged at the same place it is sold?
For the first question, "packaged" means the food is fully or partly enclosed by packaging, cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging, and is ready for sale.
Examples the FSA gives
- Sandwiches and bakery products packed on site before a customer selects or orders them.
- Fast food packed before it is ordered, such as a burger under a hot lamp that can't be altered without opening the packaging.
- Products packaged on site ready for sale, such as pizzas, rotisserie chicken, salads and pasta pots.
- Samples of cookies given away free that were packed on site.
- Food packed and then sold elsewhere by the same operator, for example at a market stall.
What is not PPDS
- Food that is not in packaging, or is packaged after the customer orders it. This is non-prepacked food: it needs no PPDS label, but allergen information must still be provided, and this can be done in other ways, including orally.
- Food packed by one business and supplied to another. This is ordinary prepacked food, which already needs full labelling.
What the label must show
The label must show the name of the food and the ingredients list, with the 14 allergens required to be declared by law emphasised within the list (for example in bold). The FSA's guidance notes that the detailed rules on the name, ingredients and allergen presentation are covered elsewhere on food.gov.uk/PPDS.
Online and phone orders are different
The FSA says the new PPDS labelling requirements do not apply to PPDS food sold by distance selling, such as food bought by telephone or internet. Instead, mandatory allergen information must be available to the consumer before they purchase the product and at the moment of delivery. This matches the two-stage rule in the FSA's guidance on selling food for delivery. See allergen information for online orders and click and collect for takeaways.
A practical checklist for a café or bakery
For the rest of your menu, a free allergen matrix gives you a printable chart of the 14 allergens per dish.
- List what you pack before service and sell from a counter or display, such as sandwiches, pastries and salads. Those are the items to check against the three questions.
- For each of them, write the food's name and a full ingredients list with the 14 allergens emphasised.
- Keep your recipes and supplier labels up to date, and re-check the label whenever an ingredient changes.
- For food made to order, be ready to give allergen information by whichever method you use, and make sure staff can give it accurately.
- On your online menu, show allergen information for each dish before the customer pays.
Where Chefzi fits
Chefzi is online ordering for UK restaurants, cafés and takeaways, from £9 a month per location billed annually (£12 monthly, excluding VAT), with 0% commission ever. You write the allergen information for each dish, and Chefzi shows it on your menu. Chefzi does not check it and does not print PPDS labels. See online ordering for cafés and bakeries and how to open a café in the UK.
Sources
- Food Standards Agency, Introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food (GOV.UK, last updated 17 July 2026), read 10 Nov 2026: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/introduction-to-allergen-labelling-changes-ppds
- FSA, Introduction to allergen labelling changes: what businesses need to know about the new allergen labelling for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food (PDF, 5 pages), read 10 Nov 2026
- GOV.UK, Starting a food business, section "Allergen information for food deliveries" (last updated 19 August 2026), read 10 Nov 2026: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/starting-a-food-business
Questions
What is PPDS food?
PPDS means prepacked for direct sale. The Food Standards Agency says it is food packaged at the same place it is offered or sold to consumers, and already in that packaging before it is ordered or selected.
What must a PPDS label show?
The name of the food and a full ingredients list, with the 14 allergens required to be declared by law emphasised within the list.
Does Natasha's Law apply to food ordered online or by phone?
The FSA says the PPDS labelling requirements do not apply to PPDS food sold by distance selling, such as by telephone or internet. Mandatory allergen information must instead be available to the consumer before they purchase and again at the moment of delivery.
Is a sandwich made after the customer orders it PPDS?
No. The FSA says food that is not in packaging, or is packaged after the consumer orders it, is non-prepacked. It still needs allergen information, which can be given in other ways, including orally.
Does Chefzi create PPDS labels?
No. Chefzi is online ordering software, not a labelling tool. You write the allergen information for each dish on your menu and Chefzi shows it to customers. Chefzi does not check it.