Guide
Do takeaways need PPDS labels?
Food packed after the customer orders is usually not classic PPDS. Sealed fridge items or meal-deal packs prepared before selection usually are. Map each product rather than assuming “takeaway” exempts you.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Food packed after the customer orders is usually not classic PPDS. Sealed fridge items or meal-deal packs prepared before selection usually are. Map each product rather than assuming “takeaway” exempts you.
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
Food packed after the customer orders is usually not classic PPDS. Sealed fridge items or meal-deal packs prepared before selection usually are. Map each product rather than assuming “takeaway” exempts you. 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: A sealed coleslaw pot packed ahead needs ingredients with allergens emphasised.
- Cooked-to-order cartons are usually not PPDS
- Prepacked sides in a fridge can be PPDS
- Sauces and free samples still need accurate allergen information
- Online menus do not replace pack particulars on PPDS food
Worked example
Worked example for “Do takeaways need PPDS labels?”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — cooked-to-order cartons are usually not PPDS. Then contrast it with prepacked sides in a fridge can be 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. (Food packed after the customer orders is usually not classic PPDS.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Cooked-to-order cartons are usually not PPDS | For “Do takeaways need PPDS labels?”, “Cooked-to-order cartons are usually not PPDS” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Prepacked sides in a fridge can be PPDS | For “Do takeaways need PPDS labels?”, “Prepacked sides in a fridge can be PPDS” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Sauces and free samples still need accurate allergen information | For “Do takeaways need PPDS labels?”, “Sauces and free samples still need accurate allergen information” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Online menus do not replace pack particulars on PPDS food | For “Do takeaways need PPDS labels?”, “Online menus do not replace pack particulars on PPDS food” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Printing only the dish name on a fridge side
A sealed coleslaw pot packed ahead needs ingredients with allergens emphasised.
Go deeper
Next: What counts as PPDS. The packing test that decides Natasha’s Law. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do sauce sachets I fill need labels?
What about buffet-style takeaway counters?
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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