Guide
Fish and chip shop PPDS labelling
Traditional fish and chips cooked and wrapped to order are usually not PPDS. Prepacked items — fridge-loaded fishcakes, boxed desserts, tartare pots filled in the morning, or sealed soft drinks with food bundles — can be PPDS and need Natasha’s Law labels when you pack them before selection.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The hot counter
Food battered and wrapped after the order is placed follows non-prepacked allergen information practice: know your batter (wheat, milk, egg), oils and additives, and tell customers accurately.
Cold and prepacked lines
Many shops now sell prepacked sides, specials and sweet items. If it is sealed before the customer picks it, apply PPDS labelling.
Allergens to watch
- Fish and crustaceans / molluscs as intentional ingredients
- Wheat in batter and rusk
- Sulphites in some prepared potatoes
- Egg and mustard in sauces
Cross-contact
Shared fryers are a risk-assessment topic for precautionary statements — separate from listing intentional ingredients on PPDS sides.
Questions
Is newspaper wrap PPDS packaging?
Do I label curry sauce if portioned ahead?
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