Guide
Who enforces Natasha’s Law?
Local authority food teams (environmental health / trading standards, depending on the council) enforce PPDS allergen labelling in the UK. They use FSA or FSS guidance and can advise, require improvements, and take formal action where food information is unsafe or non-compliant.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
Your local authority
Day-to-day enforcement sits with the council that covers your premises. Officers may visit, ask how you build labels, and check packs in the fridge. They are also the best people to ask about edge cases.
National bodies
The Food Standards Agency (and Food Standards Scotland) set guidance and support consistency. They are not usually your first call for a single café inspection — start locally.
How to be inspection-ready
- Show master ingredients lists and supplier specs
- Demonstrate labels matching what is on sale today
- Explain your update process when recipes change
Tone
Most visits start with advice. Accurate labels protect customers — that is the shared goal.
Questions
Can the FSA fine me directly?
What if I trade on a market across councils?
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