It’s six months since Natasha’s Law came into force.
A change to UK food information regulations, it aimed to prevent another tragic and wholly avoidable death like that of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse.
The 15-year-old suffered a fatal allergic reaction after eating a baguette that contained sesame. Pre-packaged and prepared on-site at a Pret a Manger branch, it didn’t display any allergen information.
Natasha’s devastated family campaigned for a change in the Law for some good to come out of their daughter’s death.
From October 2021, all food businesses have had to provide a full ingredients list – highlighting allergens – for any Pre-Packed for Direct Sale (PPDS) foods. These are foods like sandwiches, salads and pies packaged on the premises for sale from that outlet, usually ready to grab from fridges and warmers.
My experience working with small businesses in the run-up to the October law change and now, six months on, shows how keenly they want to get this aspect of food safety right. Not just legally but morally. The widespread coverage of Natasha’s death – a girl with her whole life in front of her, was felt by us all.
And with more than two million diagnosed food allergy sufferers in the UK, the consequences of getting it wrong are sobering.
Natasha’s Law has got small businesses to think holistically about allergens and whether they are doing all they can to support their customers make informed choices.
It is, in effect, turning them into dynamic mini-manufacturing businesses. They are realistically having to do the same as major food manufacturers and retailers, but without the same budget, staff and support.
At Integworld, it’s my mission to help small food businesses navigate Natasha’s Law and their broader allergen responsibilities to meet their specific circumstances. I want to give them confidence that they are doing everything possible to protect their customers without going bust in the process.
How is your Natasha’s Law compliance?
These are my questions for small food business owners based on what I’m asked and what I’m seeing.
Are you covering all allergy information in the labelling?
If you’re making and packaging food on your premises, remember you are part of a broader kitchen ecosystem.
While your sandwich ingredients may only contain one or two of the 14 allergens required by Law to be highlighted, what else is happening in your kitchen? Have you previously made egg mayonnaise or tuna sandwiches in the same area? Is there a risk of cross-contamination, however small?
Small businesses rarely have the space to deal with each allergen in isolation, so you must have separate equipment where possible, robust cleaning and handwashing practices and, most importantly, let customers know about other allergens used on site that wouldn’t be part of any labelling requirements.
Have your staff had food allergy training?
It may be hard for hospitality businesses, with staff shortages and a high staff turnover, but food allergy training must be part of their induction. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There is free food allergy training via the Food Standards Agency website.
I often carry out ‘mystery shopper’ experiences pretending I have a food allergy. While all staff would be 100 per cent genned up in an ideal world, it’s ok for the person at the counter to seek advice from the kitchen if they don’t have the information to hand. They just need to know to do that if they’re not sure.
Have you got a good relationship with your supplier?
They must make you aware when their ingredients or products change and if there are any allergen implications so you know when to make changes to food labels. The better relationship you have, the more confident you will be that you’re passing the information on to your customers asap.
Some suppliers and hospitality businesses use digital update systems to share information, and some invest in small label printing systems. Some choose to go a step further and conduct regular food sampling for allergens.
If this seems overwhelming, don’t panic. There may be simpler measures that work for you. Let me advise.
Are you making life easy for yourself?
You may pride yourself on changing your menu every few weeks, but this may make allergen management more complex than it has to be. Why not do it less frequently or cut down your menu size? Your customers probably won’t even notice, or if they do, most will probably understand.
Six months from the introduction of Natasha’s Law is the ideal time to ensure you’re doing all you can to comply. I can offer business audits to check Natasha’s Law compliance or simply answer any questions you have about it. Get in touch!
