Label it safe

A product’s labelling is so much more than an opportunity to identify ‘what’s inside’ and promote the company producing it. It is also a clear and simple way of sharing health and safety information with the customer from ingredients, allergens and best before dates for food products, through to product safety marks for other consumables.

Allergen labelling changes for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS)

From the start of October 2021, the requirements for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food labelling changed in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. Also known as Natasha's Law, this labelling change helps to protect consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging.

Any food business that produces PPDS food is required to label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list. Allergenic ingredients must be emphasised within this list. This can include food that consumers select themselves, for example from a display unit, as well as products kept behind a counter, or some food sold at mobile or temporary outlets.

Examples of food considered PPDS

Foods that may be provided by a baker or related food business include:

• Sandwiches, cakes, bread, and pasties that are packaged on the premises prior to the consumer ordering or selecting them

• Multi-packs of cakes, sausage rolls, baps, cobs or rolls packaged on the premises prior to the consumer ordering or selecting them

For further information on this visit: www.food.gov.uk

Businesses given more time to apply new product safety marking

The new UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking replaces the product safety labelling the UK previously used while a member of the EU, such as the CE mark. Originally due to come into force from 1 January 2022, the Government announced recently that due to the impact of the pandemic on businesses, the introduction would be delayed by 12 months until 1 January 2023. This means that businesses have an additional year to apply for new product safety markings for most products placed on the market in England, Scotland and Wales. Businesses will need to apply UKCA marks for certain products to demonstrate compliance with product safety regulations. CE marking can still be used until then.

Selling goods in Great Britain

The UKCA marking applies to most goods previously subject to the CE marking. It also applies to aerosol products that previously required the ‘reverse epsilon’ marking.

The technical requirements (‘essential requirements’) you must meet – and the conformity assessment processes and standards that can be used to demonstrate conformity – are largely the same as they were for the CE marking.

The following web page has been created to help businesses to find out if they need to use the UKCA marking and how to use it: www.gov.uk/guidance/using-theukca-marking