Guide
How to label pizza slices sold cold
Cold pizza slices sealed or boxed before customers choose them are usually PPDS. Base, cheese, meat and sauces drive wheat, milk and other allergens — list the slice as sold.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Cold pizza slices sealed or boxed before customers choose them are usually PPDS. Base, cheese, meat and sauces drive wheat, milk and other allergens — list the slice as sold.
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
Cold pizza slices sealed or boxed before customers choose them are usually PPDS. Base, cheese, meat and sauces drive wheat, milk and other allergens — list the slice as sold. 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: Pepperoni and plain cheese are different lists.
- Declare base and toppings
- Emphasise wheat and milk when present
- Watch anchovy, mustard and sulphites
- Different slices need different labels
Worked example
Worked example for “How to label pizza slices sold cold”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — declare base and toppings. Then contrast it with emphasise wheat and milk when present. 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. (Cold pizza slices sealed or boxed before customers choose them are usually PPDS.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Declare base and toppings | For “How to label pizza slices sold cold”, “Declare base and toppings” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Emphasise wheat and milk when present | For “How to label pizza slices sold cold”, “Emphasise wheat and milk when present” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Watch anchovy, mustard and sulphites | For “How to label pizza slices sold cold”, “Watch anchovy, mustard and sulphites” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Different slices need different labels | For “How to label pizza slices sold cold”, “Different slices need different labels” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Using one “pizza” label for every topping
Pepperoni and plain cheese are different lists.
Go deeper
Next: Label examples. Worked PPDS packs. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do hot slices served on a plate need PPDS labels?
What about reheating?
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
Related guides
PPDS
PPDS vs prepacked food
Two similar words, two different sets of rules. A comparison table and the cases that catch people out.
5 min read
PPDS
What is PPDS food?
PPDS means prepacked for direct sale: food packed before the customer selects it, and offered by the same food business from the same pre…
6 min read
PPDS
Do market stalls need PPDS labels?
Yes, when you pack food before customers pick it and sell it from your stall. Bags of cookies, boxed brownies and sealed salad pots prepa…
6 min read