Guide
Is soup in a takeaway cup PPDS?
Soup portioned and lidded before customers choose it is usually PPDS. Soup ladled into a cup after the customer asks is usually not.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Soup portioned and lidded before customers choose it is usually PPDS. Soup ladled into a cup after the customer asks is usually not.
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
Soup portioned and lidded before customers choose it is usually PPDS. Soup ladled into a cup after the customer asks is usually not. 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: Change the label when the recipe changes.
- Prelidded fridge cups → PPDS
- Ladled to order → usually not
- Stock and cream are allergen traps
- Croutons packed in the cup must be listed
Worked example
Worked example for “Is soup in a takeaway cup PPDS?”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — prelidded fridge cups → PPDS. Then contrast it with ladled to order → usually not. 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. (Soup portioned and lidded before customers choose it is usually PPDS.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Prelidded fridge cups → PPDS | For “Is soup in a takeaway cup PPDS?”, “Prelidded fridge cups → PPDS” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Ladled to order → usually not | For “Is soup in a takeaway cup PPDS?”, “Ladled to order → usually not” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Stock and cream are allergen traps | For “Is soup in a takeaway cup PPDS?”, “Stock and cream are allergen traps” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Croutons packed in the cup must be listed | For “Is soup in a takeaway cup PPDS?”, “Croutons packed in the cup must be listed” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Using a generic “soup of the day” label all week
Change the label when the recipe changes.
Go deeper
Next: How to label soup. Fridge pot workflow. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do I need the recipe name on the cup?
What about insulated delivery flasks for catering?
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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