Natasha's Law & UK Food Allergen Rules: A Plain-English Guide for Cafés, Restaurants & Hotels
Share
Food allergen rules in the UK have changed significantly since 2021, and the Food Standards Agency updated its guidance again in March 2025. If you run a café, restaurant, pub, hotel, school kitchen or any food business, this guide covers what the law actually requires, what changed recently, and what good practice looks like — without the jargon.
What is Natasha's Law?
Natasha's Law came into force on 1 October 2021. It is named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after eating a pre-packaged baguette that contained sesame — an allergen not declared on the packaging. Her death exposed a gap in the law: food made on the premises and pre-packaged for direct sale could previously be sold without full allergen labelling.
The law closed that gap. It applies to prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food — food that is packaged at the same premises where it is sold, before the customer orders or selects it. Sandwiches made and wrapped in-house, salads pre-potted on the counter, cakes labelled and displayed before purchase — these are all PPDS.
Under Natasha's Law, every PPDS product must carry:
- The name of the food
- A full ingredients list in descending order of weight
- Any of the 14 major allergens clearly emphasised within that list (in bold, capitals or underlined)
This applies to all food businesses regardless of size — cafés, delis, school kitchens, market stalls, mobile catering units and hospital canteens included.
The 14 UK Food Allergens
The Food Standards Agency recognises 14 major allergens that must be declared whenever they are present as an ingredient:
- Cereals containing gluten — wheat (including spelt and Khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats
- Crustaceans — prawns, crabs, lobster, crayfish
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Milk (including lactose)
- Nuts — almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts
- Celery (including celeriac)
- Mustard
- Sesame seeds
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (when present at more than 10 parts per million)
- Lupin (including lupin flour — found in some breads and pastries)
- Molluscs — mussels, oysters, squid, snails
This list applies to additives, processing aids and any other substances present in the finished product, not just primary ingredients.
What About Non-Prepacked (Loose) Food?
PPDS rules cover food packaged before the customer orders. Most restaurant dishes, café counter items served to order, and takeaway meals made fresh are non-prepacked — the customer orders first, then the food is prepared or assembled.
For non-prepacked food, the legal requirement is that allergen information must be available to customers. It can be provided verbally, in writing, or both. Many businesses use an "ask a member of staff" approach — but that is increasingly being scrutinised.
What Changed in March 2025?
In March 2025, the FSA published updated best practice guidance for non-prepacked food, applying to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The core shift: the FSA now strongly recommends that written allergen information should always be available for non-prepacked food — not just on request, but readily accessible without a customer having to ask. An "ask a member of staff" sign on its own is no longer considered sufficient as a standalone approach.
In practice, the guidance expects businesses to:
- Provide written allergen information on menus, allergen matrices, chalkboards or digital displays
- Make that information easy to find — not buried in a folder behind the counter
- Train staff so they can have an accurate, confident conversation with customers
- Ensure the written information is accurate and updated whenever ingredients or suppliers change
QR codes on menus linking to a digital allergen matrix are explicitly accepted by the FSA — but a non-digital alternative must also be available. Environmental Health Officers increasingly use the 2025 guidance as the benchmark during food safety inspections.
Does Natasha's Law Apply to Takeaways and Distance Selling?
Food sold remotely — by phone, online or via a delivery app — falls outside the PPDS definition. However, allergen information must still be communicated to the customer before purchase and at the point of delivery.
Displaying Allergen Information: Practical Options
- An allergen matrix on the menu or wall — table showing each dish against each of the 14 allergens
- Allergen information in a dedicated folder available to customers on request, with a clearly visible notice
- QR codes on tables or menus linking to a digital allergen page — with a printed backup
- Clear labelling on PPDS items with ingredients and allergens emphasised
- Printed allergen notices displayed prominently at point of service
Free Printable Allergen Notice
We have produced a free A4 printable allergen notice listing all 14 UK allergens, suitable for display at point of service in cafés, restaurants, pubs and hotel dining areas. Designed to print clearly in black and white or colour on standard A4 paper.
Download the free A4 allergen notice (PDF)
If you would prefer a more durable, professional version — laser-engraved into oak or FSC-certified Moso bamboo (certificate RINA-COC-001256) — we make those to order in our workshop in Buckley, North Wales. An engraved allergen sign is wipeable, will not fade or tear, and can be wall-mounted or displayed on a counter.
See our wooden signs range or signs for hospitality businesses.
Further Reading
This guide summarises current FSA guidance and is intended as a plain-English overview. It is not legal advice. Always refer to the FSA and your local Environmental Health Officer for authoritative guidance specific to your business.