Guide
Do I need nutrition information on PPDS labels?
Most café, bakery and deli PPDS packs do not need a full nutrition declaration under Natasha’s Law. The PPDS duties are the name of the food and a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised. Nutrition labelling follows separate rules that usually target other kinds of prepacked food.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
What Natasha’s Law actually requires
PPDS pack vs nutrition declaration
| Information | Typical café / bakery PPDS pack | Many other prepacked foods |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the food | Required | Required |
| Full ingredients + allergen emphasis | Required | Required |
| Nutrition table (energy, fat, etc.) | Usually not required for PPDS | Often required |
| Net quantity / date mark | Not the PPDS minimum set | Often required |
The PPDS allergen labelling changes were about transparency of ingredients and allergens on food packed for direct sale. They did not turn every brownie box into a supermarket-style back-of-pack with energy, fat and salt tables.
When nutrition information still appears
- You voluntarily want to show calories (for example for meal-prep customers)
- You are labelling food that falls under different, fuller prepacked rules
- A customer or contract (schools, care) asks for nutrition as a commercial requirement
Where to spend your effort
Get the ingredients list and allergen emphasis right first. Incorrect allergen information is the safety issue PPDS labelling targets. Add nutrition only when you have a reliable recipe calculation and a reason to show it.
Still unsure?
Ask your local authority which particulars they expect for your specific products — especially if you sell online or into institutions.
Questions
Does a calorie count replace ingredients?
Can LabelClear add nutrition?
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