Natasha’s Law: What Do You Need to Know?

According to the NHS website, allergies are thought to have affected at least 1 in 4 people in the UK at some point in their lifetimes. There’s also evidence to suggest that the number of allergies is on the rise, with adult allergies admissions to hospitals increasing by more than 50% in the last 7 years, according to NHS 2019/20 Hospital Stats.

Therefore, mistakes in the labelling, and any inefficiencies within the processes can result in dangers for a significant proportion of the population. Despite this, product recalls are still a very common occurrence.

This means that there are a significant proportion of people who run the risk of suffering from Anaphylaxis should they ingest the food they are allergic to, because of a mistake. Tasks that are simple for many of us, such as selecting a fresh sarnie from a sandwich shop shelf, are a great deal more complex for those who need to keep close track of ingredients. For food and beverage organisations, not only are mistakes in packaging a concern but current legislation must also be obeyed.

However, one of the key issues with current allergen legislation is that it leaves a great deal of room for miscommunication and a lack of transparency, due to the ingredients and allergen information often not appearing on the product. Currently, food that is prepacked for direct sale isn’t legally required to include ingredients and potential allergens on the label. Staff are required to be trained on the subject and must be able to give correct and accurate allergen information, should they be asked for it, but the information is not specified on the labelling, leaving room for a lack of communication.

However, a revision to the current legislation is on the horizon and will require companies to complete preparations.

The introduction of Natasha’s Law means that from 1^st October 2021, all food that is prepacked for direct sale must include a clear, full list of ingredients on the label, this must include all allergens on the Annex II list. The aim of this is to ensure there is full transparency between the customer and company regarding the contents of the food.

The introduction will change the way food and beverage organisations package PPDS. Chiefly, it will involve examining the current product information management processes and considering how the correct allergen information for each product will make its way onto the label for PPDS food.

For this to take place, food companies need an organised system in place to ensure the correct and accurate transfer of product data from the supplier to the label.

ARCUS^® Product Information Management (PIM) allows companies to collect accurate product information from their suppliers, who can input information directly into the system to reduce risks surrounding re-keying errors. The software also integrates with recipe management systems to push data from one system to another, allowing for a more streamlined process.

To learn more about Natasha’s Law, please read our full guide here.