Guide
How to store master label files
Keep one master ingredients record per product, control who can edit it, and date every change. Masters belong in a shared system staff can trust — not in five conflicting USB sticks.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Keep one master ingredients record per product, control who can edit it, and date every change. Masters belong in a shared system staff can trust — not in five conflicting USB sticks.
Control masters, reprint when recipes change, and train staff not to improvise labels. Process beats memory on a busy service.
How to apply it
Keep one master ingredients record per product, control who can edit it, and date every change. Masters belong in a shared system staff can trust — not in five conflicting USB sticks. 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: Conflicting files are how wrong labels get printed on Saturday.
- One master per product SKU
- Access control for edits
- Change log with date and reason
- Archive superseded versions
Worked example
Worked example for “How to store master label files”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — one master per product SKU. Then contrast it with access control for edits. 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. (Keep one master ingredients record per product, control who can edit it, and date every change.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| One master per product SKU | For “How to store master label files”, “One master per product SKU” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Access control for edits | For “How to store master label files”, “Access control for edits” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Change log with date and reason | For “How to store master label files”, “Change log with date and reason” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Archive superseded versions | For “How to store master label files”, “Archive superseded versions” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Letting every shift save “final_v7_REAL”
Conflicting files are how wrong labels get printed on Saturday.
Go deeper
Next: How LabelClear works. Ingredients saved once, reused across products. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do I need cloud software?
How long should I keep old versions?
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