Natasha's Law labels
Free PPDS label maker: allergens in bold, text size checked
Type the name and the ingredients as they are on your supplier labels. The 14 allergens are emphasised automatically, ingredients that don't name their allergen are flagged (“tahini” → “tahini (sesame)”), and the text never shrinks below the legal minimum.
Checked against the official guidance on 18 September 2026
A PPDS label needs the full ingredients list.
Text at 10.0 pt (legal minimum 6.6 pt in Arial: x-height 1.2 mm). No allergen found in the ingredients.
Print at 100 % (“actual size”), without margins. Try a first page on plain paper and hold it against the label sheet.
What goes on a PPDS label
Food that is prepacked for direct sale — packed on your premises before a customer orders it — must be labelled with “the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within the list”. That is the whole legal core of Natasha's Law, in force across the UK since 1 October 2021.
- Name of the food: what it is, e.g. “Ham and English mustard sandwich”.
- Full ingredients list, including the ingredients of compound ingredients (the mayonnaise, the bread, the stock).
- Allergens emphasised: bold type, capital letters, contrasting colours or underlining.
- Legible size: an x-height of at least 1.2 mm (Article 13), about 6.6 pt in Arial; 0.9 mm when the pack's largest surface is under 80 cm².
A “may contain” statement is not a legal requirement on a PPDS label; the FSA recommends it where your risk assessment identifies a real risk of cross-contact (when it is justified).
Three labels that fail, and why
| On the label | The problem | Write instead |
|---|---|---|
| Tuna mayo sandwich. Contains: gluten, egg, fish. | No ingredients list: a “contains” box does not replace it on PPDS food. | Ingredients: white bread (wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, soya flour), tuna (fish), mayonnaise (rapeseed oil, egg yolk, spirit vinegar, mustard) |
| … flour (gluten), mixed nuts … | “Gluten” and “nuts” don't name the cereal or the nut. | wheat flour, hazelnuts, almonds |
| … hummus, halloumi, pesto … | The names don't say sesame, milk, nuts: the compound ingredients' allergens are hidden. | hummus (chickpeas, tahini (sesame)), halloumi (milk), pesto (basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts) |
Label sizes this template prints
Office printer, A4 sheets (Avery layouts and compatibles), or a label printer on rolls:
| Format | Size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A4 sheet · 14 labels | 99.1 × 38.1 mm | Avery L7163 and compatibles |
| A4 sheet · 8 labels | 99.1 × 67.7 mm | Avery L7165 and compatibles |
| A4 sheet · 21 labels | 63.5 × 38.1 mm | Avery L7160 and compatibles |
| A4 sheet · 16 labels | 99.1 × 33.9 mm | Avery L7162 and compatibles |
| A4 sheet · 6 labels | 99.1 × 93.1 mm | Avery L7166 and compatibles |
| Roll · 54 × 101 mm | 101 × 54 mm | Dymo 99014 and 4-inch thermal printers |
| Roll · 62 × 100 mm | 100 × 62 mm | Brother DK-11202 (QL printers) |
| Roll · 89 × 36 mm | 89 × 36 mm | Dymo 99012 (LabelWriter) |
| Roll · 62 × 29 mm | 62 × 29 mm | Brother DK-11209 — short ingredient lists only |
| Roll · 57 × 32 mm | 57 × 32 mm | Dymo 11354, Zebra 2.25 × 1.25 in — short lists only |
| Roll · 58 × 40 mm | 58 × 40 mm | Common direct-thermal food labels |
| Roll · 76 × 50 mm | 76 × 50 mm | Common direct-thermal food labels |
| Roll · 102 × 76 mm | 102 × 76 mm | 4 × 3 in, Zebra and 4-inch thermal printers |
The smallest rolls (62 × 29 mm, 57 × 32 mm) only fit short ingredient lists at the legal size: the maker tells you when the text no longer fits.
Not sure the food is PPDS at all? Read Natasha's Law explained, with examples, or use the FSA's labelling decision tool.
PPDS label questions
What must a PPDS label show?
The name of the food and a full ingredients list, with any of the 14 allergens emphasised within the list (bold, capitals, contrasting colour or underlining). The information has to be on the package or on a label attached to it, and the text must meet the legal minimum size (an x-height of at least 1.2 mm, or 0.9 mm when the largest surface of the pack is under 80 cm²).
Do PPDS labels need a use-by date, weight or nutrition information?
Not under the PPDS rules: the requirement is the name and the full ingredients list with allergens emphasised. QUID (the percentage of a named ingredient) is only required for meat products. You may add a date or storage instructions for your own food safety system, and the label maker has a line for it.
How often should PPDS labels be printed or checked?
The law doesn't set a frequency. What matters is that the label matches the food in the pack: print labels when you pack, and check them against the current recipe whenever a recipe, an ingredient or a supplier changes.
Can PPDS labels be handwritten?
Yes. The FSA says labels can be handwritten as long as they meet the legal font size requirements and show the name and full ingredients list with allergens emphasised.
Does this apply to food I deliver or sell online?
No. The PPDS labelling change does not apply to food sold by distance selling; allergen information must instead be available before the purchase is completed and when the food is delivered.
Official sources
- Introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food — Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK), updated 17 July 2026.
- PPDS allergen labelling changes for restaurants, cafés and pubs — Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK), updated 17 July 2026.
- Labelling guidance for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food products — Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK).
- Food Information Regulations 2014, regulation 5A — prepacked for direct sale — legislation.gov.uk.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Article 21 — labelling of allergens — legislation.gov.uk.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Article 13 — minimum font size — legislation.gov.uk.
- Food allergen labelling and information requirements: technical guidance — Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK), published 23 August 2023, revised March 2025.
- Allergen and ingredients food labelling decision tool — Food Standards Agency.
All sources opened and checked on 18 September 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.