PPDS labelling · Compliance guide
Natasha's Law and PPDS labels
Published · Reviewed against FSA and FSAI guidance
If you wrap it before the guest asks for it, it needs a full ingredient label.
Summary
Food prepacked for direct sale — sandwiches, salad pots, bakery boxes, grab-and-go items packed on the premises they're sold from — must carry the name of the food and a full ingredient list, with any of the 14 regulated allergens emphasised inside that list. A separate "contains" line is useful, but it does not replace the list.
What a compliant label carries
Name of the food
A clear name that describes what the item actually is — not just a menu flourish.
Full ingredient list
Every ingredient, in descending order of weight, including compound ingredients.
Allergens emphasised
Any of the 14 regulated allergens must stand out inside the list — bold or capitals.
Use-by and storage
Where the food is highly perishable, add a use-by date and storage instruction.
How Crumb prints them
Crumb records allergens against ingredients rather than dishes, so the ingredient list a label needs already exists. The PPDS printable renders each selected item with its full list, allergenic ingredients emphasised, two labels per row on standard 99 × 67 mm stock, with optional use-by and storage lines. When an ingredient's allergens change, the ingredient returns to the review queue and every dish that uses it is flagged before you publish or reprint.
Questions
- What is Natasha's Law?
- Natasha's Law is the common name for the food labelling rules that require food prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) to carry the name of the food and a full ingredient list, with the 14 regulated allergens emphasised within that list. It applies to food packed on the same premises it is sold from.
- What counts as prepacked for direct sale (PPDS)?
- Food packed before a customer orders it, on the premises it is sold from — sandwiches wrapped in the morning, salad pots in a chiller, bakery boxes, grab-and-go breakfast items. Food packed to order in front of the customer, or served on a plate, is not PPDS.
- What must a PPDS label show?
- The name of the food and a full ingredient list in descending order of weight, with any of the 14 allergens emphasised — typically in bold or capitals — inside the ingredient list itself. Most operators also add a use-by date and storage instructions where relevant.
- Does a 'contains' line replace the ingredient list?
- No. A separate 'contains' statement can support the label, but it does not replace the requirement for a full ingredient list with the allergens emphasised within it.
- How does Crumb produce PPDS labels?
- Crumb records allergens against ingredients, not dishes. Because the ingredient list already exists, the PPDS label printable renders the full list for each item with allergenic ingredients emphasised, two labels per row on standard 99 × 67 mm stock, with optional use-by and storage lines.
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Requirements differ by jurisdiction and change over time — check the current FSA or FSAI guidance for your premises.