Guide
How to update labels after a recipe change
When a recipe changes, update the master ingredients list first, regenerate every affected PPDS label, and remove old stock from sale until packs are relabelled. Do not overwrite only the product you noticed.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
When a recipe changes, update the master ingredients list first, regenerate every affected PPDS label, and remove old stock from sale until packs are relabelled. Do not overwrite only the product you noticed.
Control masters, reprint when recipes change, and train staff not to improvise labels. Process beats memory on a busy service.
How to apply it
When a recipe changes, update the master ingredients list first, regenerate every affected PPDS label, and remove old stock from sale until packs are relabelled. Do not overwrite only the product you noticed. 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: The pack customers hold must match today’s recipe, not last month’s Word doc.
- Find every product that uses the changed ingredient
- Update the declaration and reprint PPDS packs
- Quarantine old labelled stock
- Note the change date for your records
Worked example
Worked example for “How to update labels after a recipe change”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — find every product that uses the changed ingredient. Then contrast it with update the declaration and reprint PPDS packs. 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. (When a recipe changes, update the master ingredients list first, regenerate every affected PPDS label, and remove old stock from sale until packs are relabelled.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Find every product that uses the changed ingredient | For “How to update labels after a recipe change”, “Find every product that uses the changed ingredient” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Update the declaration and reprint PPDS packs | For “How to update labels after a recipe change”, “Update the declaration and reprint PPDS packs” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Quarantine old labelled stock | For “How to update labels after a recipe change”, “Quarantine old labelled stock” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Note the change date for your records | For “How to update labels after a recipe change”, “Note the change date for your records” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Changing the recipe card but not the printer file
The pack customers hold must match today’s recipe, not last month’s Word doc.
Go deeper
Next: When a supplier changes an ingredient. Same discipline: find every product and reprint. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do I need to recall sold packs?
What if only the garnish changed?
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