Natasha’ s Law is a UK Food Law Amendment that came into effect on 1st October 2021. It requires businesses to ensure that all pre-packaged food being sold has a detailed list of all ingredients and that it also highlights any of the 14 most widely acknowledged allergens if they are present.
The amendment was brought about due to the lobbying of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who tragically died after eating a baguette that had sesame seeds baked into the dough; as this allergen was not declared, she had assumed the item was safe to eat – unfortunately this was not the case, and she went into anaphylactic shock shortly after consuming the item and then sadly passed away. Due to this, her parents had been petitioning for food sellers to adhere to stronger guidelines; meaning that those suffering with food allergies would have greater confidence when eating out.
According to the new guidelines, all PPDS (Prepacked for Direct Sale) food, will have to clearly display the following information;
• Name of food item
• Full ingredients list, with all allergens either highlighted or emboldened
It is estimated that at least 1 in 5 people suffer with an allergy within the UK.
So what are the main allergens?
- Celery
- Cereals containing Gluten
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk
- Mollusc
- Mustard
- Nuts
- Peanuts
- Sesame Seeds
- Soya
- Sulphur Dioxide (Sometimes known as ‘Sulphites’)
They can be found in most foods, but luckily nowadays, manufacturers have come up with alternatives that range from Gluten Free Bread and Pasta to Dairy Free Ice cream!
From Friday 1st October; all pre-packaged food sold by Hobbs will have the necessary labelling and if you have any concerns about allergens, please do not hesitate to contact us as we will always try to find a suitable alternative if your child has a diagnosed allergy.
