Guide
How to fix a wrong allergen on a printed label
Stop selling the affected packs, correct the master ingredients list, reprint, and only return packs to sale when the new label is attached. Do not cover a wrong allergen with a marker scribble.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Stop selling the affected packs, correct the master ingredients list, reprint, and only return packs to sale when the new label is attached. Do not cover a wrong allergen with a marker scribble.
Control masters, reprint when recipes change, and train staff not to improvise labels. Process beats memory on a busy service.
How to apply it
Stop selling the affected packs, correct the master ingredients list, reprint, and only return packs to sale when the new label is attached. Do not cover a wrong allergen with a marker scribble. 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: Replace the label properly.
- Quarantine affected stock
- Correct the master
- Reprint and reattach
- Record what happened
Worked example
Worked example for “How to fix a wrong allergen on a printed label”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — quarantine affected stock. Then contrast it with correct the master. 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. (Stop selling the affected packs, correct the master ingredients list, reprint, and only return packs to sale when the new label is attached.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Quarantine affected stock | For “How to fix a wrong allergen on a printed label”, “Quarantine affected stock” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Correct the master | For “How to fix a wrong allergen on a printed label”, “Correct the master” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Reprint and reattach | For “How to fix a wrong allergen on a printed label”, “Reprint and reattach” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Record what happened | For “How to fix a wrong allergen on a printed label”, “Record what happened” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Crossing out milk and writing “oops”
Replace the label properly.
Go deeper
Next: Keeping labels current. Prevention and response. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do I need to contact customers who already bought?
Should I keep the bad labels?
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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