Guide
Do caterers need PPDS labels?
Yes when you pack individual meals or snack packs before guests choose them. Platters served loose need allergen information available; sealed guest packs need Natasha’s Law particulars on each pack.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Yes when you pack individual meals or snack packs before guests choose them. Platters served loose need allergen information available; sealed guest packs need Natasha’s Law particulars on each pack.
Decide PPDS using the FSA packing-before-selection test, then put name and ingredients with allergen emphasis on packs that meet it.
How to apply it
Yes when you pack individual meals or snack packs before guests choose them. Platters served loose need allergen information available; sealed guest packs need Natasha’s Law particulars on each pack. Decide PPDS using the FSA packing-before-selection test, then put name and ingredients with allergen emphasis on packs that meet it. Walk the product in front of you against the checklist below before you print. The mistake to refuse is: Each PPDS pack needs its own particulars. A crate card is not enough.
- Sealed lunch boxes packed ahead are PPDS
- Buffet platters are usually non-prepacked information
- Event contracts may demand extra statements — still meet PPDS on packs
- Agency staff need the same labelling rules
Worked example
Worked example for “Do caterers need PPDS labels?”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — sealed lunch boxes packed ahead are PPDS. Then contrast it with buffet platters are usually non-prepacked information. Write the name of the food and the full ingredients list from today’s recipe and supplier specs, emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears, and only then print. If the pack in your hand does not match that list, it is not ready for sale. (Yes when you pack individual meals or snack packs before guests choose them.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Sealed lunch boxes packed ahead are PPDS | For “Do caterers need PPDS labels?”, “Sealed lunch boxes packed ahead are PPDS” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Buffet platters are usually non-prepacked information | For “Do caterers need PPDS labels?”, “Buffet platters are usually non-prepacked information” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Event contracts may demand extra statements — still meet PPDS on packs | For “Do caterers need PPDS labels?”, “Event contracts may demand extra statements — still meet PPDS on packs” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Agency staff need the same labelling rules | For “Do caterers need PPDS labels?”, “Agency staff need the same labelling rules” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
One label for the crate, none on the packs
Each PPDS pack needs its own particulars. A crate card is not enough.
Go deeper
Next: Caterers industry guide. Event boxes and batch consistency. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do wedding canapés need PPDS labels?
What about airline-style stacked trays?
Official sources
Everything on this page traces back to these. Where they and we disagree, they are right — tell us and we'll fix it.
- Introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS foodFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
- Labelling guidance for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food productsFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
- Food allergen labelling and information requirements technical guidanceFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
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