Guide
Does Natasha’s Law apply to workplace canteens?
Sealed grab-and-go packs prepared before staff choose them are usually PPDS. Hot food plated to order is usually not. Employer canteens run by a food business still follow food information law.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Sealed grab-and-go packs prepared before staff choose them are usually PPDS. Hot food plated to order is usually not. Employer canteens run by a food business still follow food information law.
Use the Food Standards Agency PPDS materials on GOV.UK for the core duty, then confirm awkward cases with your local authority.
How to apply it
Sealed grab-and-go packs prepared before staff choose them are usually PPDS. Hot food plated to order is usually not. Employer canteens run by a food business still follow food information law. Use the Food Standards Agency PPDS materials on GOV.UK for the core duty, then confirm awkward cases with your local authority. Walk the product in front of you against the checklist below before you print. The mistake to refuse is: Useful for loose food. PPDS packs still need on-pack ingredients with emphasis.
- Sealed fridge packs = typically PPDS
- Hot counter plated to order = typically not PPDS
- Contract caterers are still FBOs
- Vending packs you fill on site need correct labels
Worked example
Worked example for “Does Natasha’s Law apply to workplace canteens?”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — sealed fridge packs = typically PPDS. Then contrast it with hot counter plated to order = typically 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. (Sealed grab-and-go packs prepared before staff choose them are usually PPDS.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Sealed fridge packs = typically PPDS | For “Does Natasha’s Law apply to workplace canteens?”, “Sealed fridge packs = typically PPDS” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Hot counter plated to order = typically not PPDS | For “Does Natasha’s Law apply to workplace canteens?”, “Hot counter plated to order = typically not PPDS” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Contract caterers are still FBOs | For “Does Natasha’s Law apply to workplace canteens?”, “Contract caterers are still FBOs” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Vending packs you fill on site need correct labels | For “Does Natasha’s Law apply to workplace canteens?”, “Vending packs you fill on site need correct labels” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Relying only on a canteen allergen folder
Useful for loose food. PPDS packs still need on-pack ingredients with emphasis.
Go deeper
Next: PPDS hub. Definition, examples and labelling requirements. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do free staff meals change the duty?
What about meeting sandwich platters?
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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