Guide
How to check a supplier specification
Read the ingredients list and allergen statement on the specification or pack, compare them with what you declared last time, and update every PPDS label that uses that ingredient before the new stock goes into products.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Read the ingredients list and allergen statement on the specification or pack, compare them with what you declared last time, and update every PPDS label that uses that ingredient before the new stock goes into products.
Control masters, reprint when recipes change, and train staff not to improvise labels. Process beats memory on a busy service.
How to apply it
Read the ingredients list and allergen statement on the specification or pack, compare them with what you declared last time, and update every PPDS label that uses that ingredient before the new stock goes into products. Control masters, reprint when recipes change, and train staff not to improvise labels. Process beats memory on a busy service. Walk the product in front of you against the checklist below before you print. The mistake to refuse is: Unread specifications are how soya lecithin and mustard arrive unannounced.
- Match the delivery to the specification version
- Note allergens and compound ingredients
- Update your ingredient record the same day
- Reprint affected PPDS labels
Worked example
Worked example for “How to check a supplier specification”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — match the delivery to the specification version. Then contrast it with note allergens and compound ingredients. 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. (Read the ingredients list and allergen statement on the specification or pack, compare them with what you declared last time, and update every PPDS label that uses that ingredient before the new stock goes into products.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Match the delivery to the specification version | For “How to check a supplier specification”, “Match the delivery to the specification version” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Note allergens and compound ingredients | For “How to check a supplier specification”, “Note allergens and compound ingredients” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Update your ingredient record the same day | For “How to check a supplier specification”, “Update your ingredient record the same day” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Reprint affected PPDS labels | For “How to check a supplier specification”, “Reprint affected PPDS labels” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Filing the email and never opening the PDF
Unread specifications are how soya lecithin and mustard arrive unannounced.
Go deeper
Next: Supplier change workflow. Catch reformulations before they hit the pack. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Is the front-of-pack enough?
What if the supplier sends a vague allergen box only?
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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