“From October 2021, Natasha’s Law will require food businesses to provide full ingredient lists and allergen labelling on foods pre-packaged for direct sale on the premises. The legislation is being introduced to protect allergy sufferers and give them confidence in the food they buy.“
I have been waiting for this day and I’m so proud of what the Ednan-Laperous family have achieved in such a short space of time. This new law will save lives.
If this had been done in Pret back then, when Natasha Ednan-Laperous bought a baguette she would still be here. Her loss is a tragedy that could have been avoided. Because she and her father checked with the staff and since it wasn’t labelled they all assumed it was OK.
Thankfully this loophole in the law has now been sewn up. But are food establishments ready?
If my local cafes are a benchmark I’d say some are ahead of the curve but others have a long way to go.
To find out more visit the Natasha’s Law website here.
How do I get training?
If you have a cafe or restaurant and want to learn more, speak to Caroline and Jacs at Food Allergy Training Consultancy.
How will it help?
Eating out, especially on the go, unplanned and impromptu, choices can be terrifying and not just for those with food allergies, for their friends, families and those serving them.
So how will it help me and others?
- Allergens will be labelled so I will be able to easily find out what I need to know to help me make an informed decisions.
- Staff at cafes will also have more confidence if allergens are written down.
- Allergen awareness is still quite poor, so the more people see them labelled clearly the more they will register the importance of allergen vigilance in all walks of life.
- Lives will be saved
- Young people are more at risk because they can be shy, and less confident about asking questions and may look at food and think it will be OK.
I think we still have a long way to go and no one should assume that all food establishments will be on board with this law today. You should still remain very vigilant, and if any cafes or shops cannot advise you on allergens present, don’t risk it and tell them about Natasha’s Law.
Putting your trust in anyone is hard, so you need to be confident, clear and consistent.
Unless you are confident that food is correctly labelled, please don’t take a risk.
GB News online TV talking about Natasha’s Law
I was on GB Newshis evening talking about Natasha’s Law so tune in at 6.20pm roughly and you should see me. It’s so great to see the media taking this seriously and spreading awareness because it will take time for people to understand the new law and get on board with how they need to label foods to be compliant with the regulations.
What do you think about Natasha’s Law?
Do you think it will give you more confidence when eating out?
Or do you feel like me? That it’s a huge step in the right direction but that it will take some time for it to actually become commonplace?
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