Guide
How to label flapjacks and cereal bars
Sealed flapjacks and bars packed before selection need PPDS labels. Oats, butter, milk chocolate and nuts are common. Emphasise each Annex II allergen present.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Sealed flapjacks and bars packed before selection need PPDS labels. Oats, butter, milk chocolate and nuts are common. Emphasise each Annex II allergen present.
Write the ingredients list from the recipe and supplier specs, in descending order of weight, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears.
How to apply it
Sealed flapjacks and bars packed before selection need PPDS labels. Oats, butter, milk chocolate and nuts are common. Emphasise each Annex II allergen present. Write the ingredients list from the recipe and supplier specs, in descending order of weight, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears. Walk the product in front of you against the checklist below before you print. The mistake to refuse is: Oats can still need declaring; claims have separate conditions.
- List oats, fats and syrups
- Break out chocolate and nut pieces
- Emphasise milk, oats, nuts, soya, sesame as relevant
- Watch seed mixes
Worked example
Worked example for “How to label flapjacks and cereal bars”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — list oats, fats and syrups. Then contrast it with break out chocolate and nut pieces. 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 flapjacks and bars packed before selection need PPDS labels.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| List oats, fats and syrups | For “How to label flapjacks and cereal bars”, “List oats, fats and syrups” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Break out chocolate and nut pieces | For “How to label flapjacks and cereal bars”, “Break out chocolate and nut pieces” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Emphasise milk, oats, nuts, soya, sesame as relevant | For “How to label flapjacks and cereal bars”, “Emphasise milk, oats, nuts, soya, sesame as relevant” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Watch seed mixes | For “How to label flapjacks and cereal bars”, “Watch seed mixes” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Calling oats “gluten free” without checking the claim rules
Oats can still need declaring; claims have separate conditions.
Go deeper
Next: Flapjack example. Oats and milk in practice. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do traybake flapjacks under glass need PPDS labels?
What about protein bars bought in and resold?
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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