Guide
How to respond to a customer allergen question
For PPDS packs, point to the ingredients list on the pack and do not contradict it from memory. For loose food, use trained staff and up-to-date matrices. If you are unsure, do not guess.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
For PPDS packs, point to the ingredients list on the pack and do not contradict it from memory. For loose food, use trained staff and up-to-date matrices. If you are unsure, do not guess.
Control masters, reprint when recipes change, and train staff not to improvise labels. Process beats memory on a busy service.
How to apply it
For PPDS packs, point to the ingredients list on the pack and do not contradict it from memory. For loose food, use trained staff and up-to-date matrices. If you are unsure, do not guess. 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: Guesswork harms people.
- Read the pack label aloud if needed
- Never invent from memory
- Use the matrix for loose food
- Escalate when unsure
Worked example
Worked example for “How to respond to a customer allergen question”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — read the pack label aloud if needed. Then contrast it with never invent from memory. 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. (For PPDS packs, point to the ingredients list on the pack and do not contradict it from memory.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Read the pack label aloud if needed | For “How to respond to a customer allergen question”, “Read the pack label aloud if needed” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Never invent from memory | For “How to respond to a customer allergen question”, “Never invent from memory” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Use the matrix for loose food | For “How to respond to a customer allergen question”, “Use the matrix for loose food” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Escalate when unsure | For “How to respond to a customer allergen question”, “Escalate when unsure” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Saying “it’s probably fine”
Guesswork harms people.
Go deeper
Next: Staff training. What teams must know. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Can I check my phone instead of the pack?
What if the customer has a non-Annex II allergy?
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
Operations
Can I handwrite PPDS labels?
Yes. Handwritten PPDS labels are allowed if they are clear, permanent and complete: name of the food, full ingredients list, and allergen…
6 min read
Operations
Thermal printer allergen labels
Monochrome thermal printers are the workhorse for PPDS labels in cafés and bakeries. Use bold or capitals for allergen emphasis — colour…
6 min read
Operations
How to build an ingredient library for labels
An ingredient library is a verified list of every ingredient and compound mix you use, with allergens already mapped. Build it once from…
6 min read