Quick answer
Natasha’s Law is the commonly used name for the UK labelling changes for food prepacked for direct sale, effective from 1 October 2021. Whether food is PPDS depends on who packs it, where it is sold, the packaging and when packing occurs relative to selection or ordering. It does not make every restaurant meal a PPDS product.
Understand the change and national guidance
FSA PPDS guidance for England, Northern Ireland and Wales explains the name, ingredients-list and allergen-emphasis requirements for the food in scope. Food Standards Scotland’s PPDS guidance addresses Scotland. Use the food-information rules and guidance for the country concerned rather than treating the nickname as one universal document.
The purpose of this guide is to identify the correct category. Use the existing PPDS label-check guide for constructing and checking a label once the food is classified.
Ask the classification questions in order
- Is the food in packaging that meets the relevant definition, rather than simply being on an open plate or loose display?
- Was it packed before the consumer orders or selects it?
- Was it packed by the same business that offers it to the final consumer?
- Is the packing and selling relationship within the same-premises/site rules or the specific same-business mobile/temporary-premises provision?
FSA technical guidance explains these definitions and examples. The contents being alterable without opening or changing the packaging is relevant; the presence of a bag alone does not answer every classification question.
Compare the selling arrangements
| Arrangement | What to assess |
|---|---|
| Sandwiches packed on site before customers choose them | Typically PPDS when the same-business and premises/site conditions are met. |
| An item packed only after the customer orders it | Usually the non-prepacked/packed-at-request information route, rather than PPDS merely because it is wrapped. |
| Packaged food supplied by another business for retail sale | Assess the prepacked rules rather than assuming PPDS. |
| The business packs food and takes it to its own market stall | The specific mobile/temporary-premises PPDS provision may apply. |
These examples are prompts, not a substitute for assessing the complete business model. Same ownership does not automatically make every transfer between separate permanent shops PPDS. Seek local-authority clarification for a borderline arrangement.
Check distance sales and non-standard supply
FSA technical guidance, paragraphs 103–104, gives a specific exception for PPDS sold only online, by telephone or mail order: the national full ingredients-list requirement does not apply. Mandatory allergen information must still be accurate, current and available free of extra charge before purchase and at delivery. Food Standards Scotland’s PPDS questions and answers, question 20, explains the Scottish distance-selling route.
Do not extend this exception to ordinary prepacked retail products sold online. Check mixed online and in-person sales separately, including the full labels required for in-person PPDS supply.
Information duties do not simply vanish because food is free or supplied within a school, workplace or other service. Check the activity and national guidance. Packaging in advance can matter even when staff hand the food over rather than customers selecting it from a shelf.
Recheck when the selling method changes
Illustrative example: a café previously wrapped each order on request, then starts wrapping sandwiches in the morning for a display. Reassess classification before the new method begins. The ingredients may be unchanged, but the information route has changed.
Record the classification decision and train staff on the approved arrangement. Review it when packaging, preparation location, sales channels or supply relationships change. Correct classification is the starting point; reliable ingredients and control of transfer remain necessary.
Next steps
- Assess the packaging, packing time, business and premises/site relationship.
- Check the relevant national PPDS guidance and any borderline arrangement.
- Apply the correct label or other information route, including distance sales.
- Review classification before changing packaging or sales methods.
Read the official practical guidance — Use the current source alongside the procedures for your own business.