Do you need to put an ingredient label on it?
Three questions. It takes about a minute, there is nothing to sign up for, and it will tell you which side of Natasha’s Law the food you sell falls on — and what that means you have to print.
Start the checkWhy it is confusing
The rule is not about what the food is. It is about when it went into its packaging and where. A sandwich made up at seven in the morning and put in the chiller needs a full ingredient label with every allergen emphasised. The same sandwich, made when somebody orders it, does not — though you still have to be able to tell them what is in it.
Nearly every counter does both. That is why an owner who has run a bakery for years can still be unsure, and it is not a sign that anyone has done anything wrong.
What the check asks
- Is any of it sold in packaging?Wrapped, boxed, bagged or lidded when it is handed over.
- Is it packed before the customer chooses it?Made up in advance, rather than wrapped after the order.
- Is it packed where it is sold?Your kitchen and your counter, rather than a supplier’s.
Where this comes from
The definition is in the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019, which came into force on 1 October 2021. The Food Standards Agency publishes the guidance a food business is expected to work from: