From October 2021, a new food allergen law (The Food Information Amendment) will be enforced, requiring food businesses to include full ingredients labelling on pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) foods. This law is designed to give allergy sufferers greater confidence when ordering food. From October, labels must clearly indicate what ingredients were used in the production of pre-packed food and list any allergies. More information is available on the Food Standards Agency website, specifically the page on Introduction to allergen labelling changes (PPDS).
How MKG help you meet these new standards in your food business
If your business produces pre-packed food, for example, sandwiches or salads, we can help. You can check if your business is classed under PPDS rules with this helpful tool. If so, you may like to first run through the Intolerance and Allergens page or consult our guide to allergies. We provide useful poster downloads that can help remind staff of the allergens in each of your prepared dishes.
MKG also sell the Daymark MenuPilot system that ensures food labelling compliance. It enables cloud-based centralised oversight of menus along with localised compliance through the printing of allergy labels for all your pre-packed food. If you wish to see a demonstration of this system, please contact your MKG account manager.
What is PPDS food?
Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food can include the following:
- Sandwiches and bakery products which are packed on site before a consumer selects or orders them
- Fast food packed before it is ordered, such as a burger under a hot lamp where the food cannot be altered without opening the packaging
- Products that are prepackaged on site ready for sale, such as pizzas, rotisserie chicken, salads and pasta pots
- Burgers and sausages prepackaged by a butcher on the premises ready for sale to consumers
- Samples of cookies given to consumers for free which were packed on site
- Foods packaged and then sold elsewhere by the same operator at a market stall or mobile site
- PPDS food provided in schools, care homes or hospitals and other similar settings will also require labelling
Training
Additional online training for you and your staff is available at the Food Standards Agency. Please visit the online food safety training page for more information.