What is Natasha’s law?
Natasha’s Law came into force in the UK on 1 October 2021 and introduced stricter allergen labelling rules for food businesses.
The law requires full ingredient and allergen labelling on foods that are prepacked for direct sale (PPDS). This includes items prepared and packaged on the same premises where they are sold, such as:
- Sandwiches packaged in a café fridge
- Salads boxed and labelled in a deli
- Grab-and-go bakery items packaged before sale
Previously, these products only needed a label with the name of the food and allergen information available on request. Now, businesses must clearly list all ingredients with allergens emphasised on the packaging.
The aim is simple: remove the guesswork that can put customers with allergies at risk.
The tragedy behind the law
Natasha’s Law is named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, a teenager who died in 2016 after eating a baguette containing sesame seeds.
Natasha purchased the sandwich from Pret A Manger at Heathrow Airport before boarding a flight.
The sesame seeds baked into the dough were not listed on the packaging because the product was made and packaged on site. Natasha suffered a severe allergic reaction and died shortly after.
The tragedy exposed a dangerous gap in UK food labelling laws: customers could not see all ingredients on freshly packaged foods.
Her parents’ campaign ultimately led to the creation of Natasha’s Law.
Why restaurant owners should pay attention
Many restaurant operators assume Natasha’s Law only affects supermarkets or large chains. In reality, thousands of independent food businesses fall into the PPDS category without realising it.
If your business prepares and packages food before a customer orders it, you may be responsible for:
- Listing every ingredient on the label
- Clearly highlighting the 14 major allergens
- Keeping ingredient records accurate and updated
- Ensuring labels change when recipes change
Getting this wrong isn’t just a paperwork issue.
It can lead to enforcement action, fines, product recalls, and civil liability if a customer becomes ill.
Where businesses are still failing
Even with the law in place, allergen mistakes still happen across the UK hospitality sector.
Typical failures include:
- Labels printed without full ingredient lists
- Staff repackaging items without updating labels
- Recipes changing but labels staying the same
- Businesses misunderstanding what qualifies as PPDS
Environmental health officers regularly find food businesses relying on manual systems, spreadsheets, or handwritten labels. These are exactly the environments where mistakes happen.
One missing ingredient on a label can be enough to trigger a serious allergic reaction.
The real risk for restaurant operators
For restaurant owners, the true risk of Natasha’s Law isn’t the regulation itself.
It’s the operational pressure it exposes.
Menus change. Suppliers change. Staff change. Recipes evolve. When allergen information isn’t tightly controlled, mistakes creep in quietly until the day something goes wrong.
And when it does, the question investigators ask is simple:
What system did the business have in place to prevent this?
If the answer is unclear, the consequences can be devastating — not just financially, but for the people involved.
Natasha’s Law exists because one small label didn’t include one ingredient.
For food businesses, that’s a reminder that allergen safety isn’t just compliance.
It’s responsibility.
