Guide
Do mobile caterers need PPDS labels?
Yes when food is packed before customers choose it from your van or stall. The FSA publishes specific PPDS guidance for mobile sellers. Cooked-to-order wraps assembled after the ask usually follow different allergen-information rules.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Yes when food is packed before customers choose it from your van or stall. The FSA publishes specific PPDS guidance for mobile sellers. Cooked-to-order wraps assembled after the ask usually follow different allergen-information rules.
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 food is packed before customers choose it from your van or stall. The FSA publishes specific PPDS guidance for mobile sellers. Cooked-to-order wraps assembled after the ask usually follow different allergen-information rules. 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: If it is packed before selection, the packing test still applies.
- Prepacked fridge items on the van can be PPDS
- Made to order at the hatch usually is not PPDS
- Same business, same location still applies to a pitch
- Weatherproof labels must stay readable
Worked example
Worked example for “Do mobile caterers need PPDS labels?”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — prepacked fridge items on the van can be PPDS. Then contrast it with made to order at the hatch usually is not PPDS. 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 food is packed before customers choose it from your van or stall.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Prepacked fridge items on the van can be PPDS | For “Do mobile caterers need PPDS labels?”, “Prepacked fridge items on the van can be PPDS” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Made to order at the hatch usually is not PPDS | For “Do mobile caterers need PPDS labels?”, “Made to order at the hatch usually is not PPDS” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Same business, same location still applies to a pitch | For “Do mobile caterers need PPDS labels?”, “Same business, same location still applies to a pitch” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Weatherproof labels must stay readable | For “Do mobile caterers need PPDS labels?”, “Weatherproof labels must stay readable” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Assuming “street food” skips Natasha’s Law
If it is packed before selection, the packing test still applies.
Go deeper
Next: Market stalls guide. PPDS vs loose, printers and outdoor practicalities. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do I need labels if I cook everything to order?
Where is the official mobile guidance?
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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