Natasha’s Law for Pre-packaged Food Labels: United Kingdom
When ingested into a human body, any food product or ingredient, such as nuts, seafood, peanuts, gluten-containing cereal, latex, penicillin, and so on, can cause allergies. Food allergies affect 2.5 per cent of the general population, according to research.
On October 1, 2021, the United Kingdom enacted a new labelling law known as ‘Natasha’s Law,’ which requires all food retailers to display an entire list of ingredients as well as allergen labelling on each food item made on the premises and prepacked for direct sale. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, a teenager who died after eating a pre-packaged baguette containing sesame, which did not require allergen labelling at the time, inspired this law. Following this incident, the government decided to enact stringent laws to protect consumers from consuming food containing allergenic ingredients.
A pre-packaged food label must include 14 major allergens, according to the law. They are as follows:
- Gluten containing Cereals – including wheat (such as spelt and Khorasan), rye, barley, and oats
- Tree nuts – including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and macadamia nuts
- Crustaceans – such as prawns, crabs, and lobsters
- Celery
- Eggs
- Fish
- Milk
- Lupin
- Molluscs – such as mussels and oysters
- Soybeans
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (if they are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million)
- Mustard
What exactly is pre-packaged food?
Pre-packaged food is defined as any food that has been packaged before it is ready for sale. The following information must be displayed on the packaging of Prepacked for Direct Sales (PPDS) food, according to the new rules:
Food’s Name:
Full ingredient list, emphasising allergenic ingredients in particular by making them bold, adding contrasting colour, or underlining such ingredients.
Labelling for such pre-packaged foods must adhere to the legal requirements for naming the food and listing its ingredients.
‘Natasha’s Law’ went into effect in October 2021, giving businesses time to prepare for the new rules. This law is expected to bring more consistency in the labelling regulations of pre-packaged food products in the long run, as well as prevent end-users from consuming food containing allergenic ingredients.
- Allergic Ingredients
- Food Allergy
- Food and Food Supplements
- Natasha’s Law
- Prepacked Food.
- Prepacked Foods
- Regulatory Affairs
- Regulatory Labeling
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