Five key ways to get ready for Natasha's Law
The deadline for Natasha's Law looms. Here are the five key actions businesses should take to get ready.
With barely one month left to go, most large operators have implemented robust processes to ensure their businesses are fully compliant. However, for smaller businesses that have been dealing with the unprecedented challenges of the past year, there is still much left to do!
With only weeks left to go, what are the essential actions that businesses should take to make sure they're ready for inspection?
1: Audit your menu
Assess your menu across the entire year, including seasonal changes, to better understand which foods are classified as PPDS (pre-packed for direct sale). Focus on ensuring that these items are always labelled for the appropriate allergens, in compliance with Food Standards Agency regulations. To remind yourself of these, visit natashas-law.com.
2: Communicate with suppliers
Your suppliers MUST provide you with all the ingredient and allergen information in their products. Make sure you speak to your suppliers, in particular on challenge areas around stock and substitutions. This data must be accurate and up-to-date, and you should agree policies around product changes. Download this guide to getting ready which includes a section on supplier communications.
3: Automate label printing
By using labelling software like Nutritics, you can automate the creation and printing of accurate and fully compliant labels, on demand. Using labelling software that integrates all your supplier data into one dashboard saves hours of time and significantly reduces the risk of human error. For a free assessment of the costs of label automation for your business book here.
4: Train your staff
Every individual in your organisation should be allergen aware. There are multiple providers of allergen awareness training. Allergy UK has extensive information and runs the Allergy Aware program designed for businesses. It's critical that all staff, not just those involved in food preparation, have a clear understanding of the importance of allergen labelling and what the regulations mean.
5: Make use of the Resources
Visit Natashas-Law.com where there are a number of free, informational guides to help you prepare. There are detailed FAQs and detailed guides that have been verified by experts, including this Guide to Preparing for Audits, which you will find in the resources section.
If your business wants to avail itself of a free business consultation from Nutritics, one of their labelling experts can help assess your business and advise you on supplier engagement, label automation, printer requirements and much more. This is a no-obligation chat with an expert that will help your business prepare.
