Guide
What is PPDS food?
PPDS means prepacked for direct sale: food packed before the customer selects it, and offered by the same food business from the same premises or the same site (for example a market stall). A sandwich wrapped in the morning for the fridge is classic PPDS; a sandwich made to order at the counter usually is not.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The official idea in plain English
PPDS at a glance
| Situation | Usually PPDS? | What the pack needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sandwich wrapped in the morning for the fridge | Yes | Name + full ingredients with allergens emphasised |
| Sandwich made to order at the counter | No | Allergen information available — not a full PPDS pack label |
| Cake boxed before the customer chooses it | Yes | Name + full ingredients with allergens emphasised |
| Loose tray where customers point and you bag to order | No | Loose-food allergen information rules |
The FSA’s PPDS definition has two parts that must both be true: the food is in packaging before the customer chooses it, and it is sold by the same business from the same premises or location. Packaging that cannot be altered without opening or changing it is the usual test for “prepacked”.
Usually PPDS
- Cakes, cookies and slices boxed or bagged before opening
- Sandwiches and salads wrapped for a display fridge
- Pies, pasties and sausage rolls in sealed packs on the counter
- Meal-prep pots packed in a kitchen for collection from the same site
Usually not PPDS
- Food assembled to order after the customer asks for it
- Loose bakery items chosen from an open display (non-prepacked rules apply)
- Food packed by one business and sold by a different retailer (often fully prepacked, with different labelling duties)
Edge cases worth checking
Distance selling, free samples, wedding cakes boxed for collection, and hotel breakfast packs all create edge cases. When unsure, read the FSA PPDS introduction and ask your local authority — then label conservatively if the product is packed before selection.
Next step
If it is PPDS, the pack needs the food name and a full ingredients list with the 14 allergens emphasised.
Questions
Is PPDS the same as ‘prepacked’ in the supermarket sense?
Does a clear bag count as packaging?
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