New laws to protect people who have food allergies

Bury Council is writing to local businesses reminding them that new rules around the labelling of food come into effect next month.

The new law requires that all types of packaged foods are labelled with full ingredient lists and that allergen information is emphasised. This includes foods prepacked for direct sale from the premises where they are packed, as well as other types of prepacked foods.

The regulation is known as ‘Natasha’s Law’, in memory of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who died from an allergic reaction in 2016 after eating a sandwich which was not labelled with the allergens that it contained.

Examples of foods prepacked for direct sale include: 

• Sandwiches and bakery products which are packed on site before a customer selects or orders them
• Burgers and sausages prepacked by a butcher on the premises ready for sale to customers
• Foods packaged and then sold elsewhere by the same operator at a market stall or mobile site
• Prepacked food provided in schools, care homes or hospitals and other similar settings
• Foods which are prepacked on site ready for sale, such as pizzas, rotisserie chicken, salads and pasta pots. 

All the information required to ensure that food labelling is correct can be found on the Food Standards agency website: https://www.food.gov.uk/allergen-labelling-changes-for-prepacked-for-direct-sale-ppds-food 

Councillor Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for culture and the economy, said: “It is very important that all food businesses ensure that all specified allergens are declared – for some people this can be a matter of life or death.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 7 September 2021.