Is your business ready for Natasha’s Law?

The UK Food Information Amendment Act 2019, commonly referred to As Natasha’s law will come into effect in the UK from 1^st October 2021. This will create additional ingredient and allergen information requirements for any business that sells food that can be classified as Pre-Packaged for Direct Sale (PPDS).

What is Natasha’s Law?

Natasha’s Law has come into legislation following on from the tragic passing of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse. In 2016, 15 year old Natasha bought and consumed a pre-packed baguette from a café that had sesame seeds baked into the dough, without any warning or labelling on the product, resulting in an anaphylactic reaction. Natasha’s parents lead a group that lobbied for the amendment, with the Government agreeing that stronger laws needed to be issued to protect those who suffer from severe allergies, enabling them to have more confidence when they shop for food.

From 1^st October 2021, Natasha’s Law will legally come into effect meaning that all food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be required to present the full list of ingredients and allergens on the packaging for any PPDS foods. In Scotland it is expected that similar changes may come into force by Food Standards Scotland.

Who will Natasha’s Law affect?

Natasha’s Law will affect all food/hospitality businesses that pre package their items ready for sale before it has been ordered or selected. This will also mean that PPDS food that is to be sold by the same operator but at a different location such as a pop-up stall will still be affected by Natasha’s Law. The three main criteria that will be present for your food to be classed as PPDS have been outlined by the Food Standards Agency as the following:

1. Is the food available to the consumer in packaging that is completely or partially enclosed and can’t be modified without opening or changing the packaging?
2. Has the food been packaged before the consumer has selected or ordered it?
3. Has the food been prepared and packaged at the same site it is being sold?
   
   

If you are unsure if this effects your business, we have listed some examples of PPDS foods for you. These are: made before they are ordered pizzas, sandwiches, salads, pasta pots, burgers and sausages kept hot under a lamp and bakery products.

How can your business prepare for Natasha’s Law?

All businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will need to have all PPDS foods clearly labelled with the name of the food and a full list of ingredients with allergens emphasised in bold, italics or a different colour.

What will happen if you fail to comply?

If your food/hospitality business fails to comply with the new legislation, you may be prosecuted as an offence against Regulation 19 of the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013 or Regulation 10 of FIR. From this, if you are convicted of an offence you will be held to an unlimited fine. If you are convicted of an offence against Regulation 19 of the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013, the court will be required to apply the Sentencing Guideline for Health and Safety, Food Safety/Hygiene Offences and Corporate Manslaughter. 

What can App4 do to help your business?

Adding technology to your business through App4 is a great way to ensure that you stay one-step-ahead of your competitors as we work with your business to constantly develop new ideas and features to help you communicate with your customers. By using an app or website powered by App4, you will have ease of access to the following features so that you can feel confident when Natasha’s Law comes into place.

• Update menu easily from back office – As a subscription service we are always there to help whenever you need, with an easily accessible back office to support your app/website. The back office for your website/app uses the latest cloud technology to provide an always on service, so you can readily update your menu and allergen information at the click of a button.
  
  

• Allergen Tags – Easily edit your menu to include simple allergen tags across your app and website. For example: ‘Includes Egg, Wheat and Gluten’.
  
  

• Push notifications – We include 1000 SMS per month as well as unlimited Email and Push Messaging as standard. The simplicity of the App4 back office should allow you to send updates and promotions to your customers in just a few simple clicks. This will enable you to keep your customers in the loop with any changes related to Natasha’s Law and allergen information for your menu.
  
  
• Allergy reminder – Working with App4 will allow your business to quickly and easily edit your app/website to allow you to set reminders for your customers when they are ordering to leave a comment and make the chef aware of any allergies the customer may have.
  
  

To find out how App4 can help your business to adhere to Natasha’s Law, then get in contact with us today via email info@app4.co.uk or phone 01332 742 511

App4 uses the latest cloud technology to provide an always on service, as well as continually monitoring the load and requirements of our customers to ensure the best performance possible. 

As a subscription service we are always there to help, whenever you need us, including an out of hours number for technical and hardware support.