Natasha's Law – Critical Industry Update
By Emily Ross, Inkvine
In this industry round-up we:
- Summarise the key recommendations made by FSA and industry leaders at the Nutritics hosted Labelling Resource Initiative webinar via Natashas-law.com last January
- Highlight labelling insights shared at the British Sandwich Association Webinar which ran in February for their members
- List upcoming events on Natashas-Law.com for contract caterers and multi-site operators in March and April as we prepare for the industry to recover
As the deadline for Natasha's law approaches later this year, the food business sector has seen increasing levels of concern from businesses across the UK needing to prepare. Large-scale organisations have dedicated resources from as far back as 2019 and have been working with software labelling partners such as Nutritics to deliver a phased approach to preparation and compliance.
Then Covid-19 arrived, creating chaos for businesses of all sizes and across all sectors, up and down the country. Businesses have worked hard to innovate, adapt and pivot to provide take-away, online ordering, social distanced seating and safe outdoor spaces. The added pressure of preparing for the new regulation has perhaps driven a "head in the sand approach" for many.
Nutritics is the global leader in food information and food labelling software, working with contract caterers, food suppliers, restaurants, cafés, hospitals, schools, universities and nutritionists in over 175 countries across the world and was in fact the first company to offer its customers a one-system solution to support Natasha's Law. Nutritics' customers include Leon, Aramark and Danone. Their all-in-one cost-effective solution includes supplier management, recipe and allergen analysis and label creation and printing. The system automatically identifies allergen and ingredient information in your foods and recipes, allowing any labels that you print to be set up for compliance with food regulations.
In recognition of the need to provide additional support for their customers getting ready for October 2021, Nutritics set up the free information resource www.natashas-law.com in partnership with food experts from Manchester Metropolitan University, EuroFIR and the Quadram Institute. This initiative offers regularly updated practical guides, training webinars and FAQs on food labelling regulations, all led by industry leaders and compliance experts.
Over 450 businesses attend live webinar hosted by Nutritics summarising requirements of Natasha's Law
On 26 January the UK Food Labelling Resource hosted the first in a series of free Natasha's Law webinars. Aimed at food businesses in the UK, the webinar brought together experts from all corners of the industry, including the FSA, Nutritics, MMU and EuroFIR. The series was launched in order to introduce businesses to the UK Food Information Amendment, otherwise known as Natasha's Law.
The goal of the first webinar was to provide businesses with advice on where to begin as they prepare for the 1st October, 2021. Attendees were treated to a number of high quality talks from industry experts. This was followed by a live Q&A session where the panel provided clarification around the legislation change. There were over 450 businesses in attendance.
A summary of all questions were added to the detailed FAQ section of Natashas-Law.com. There, anyone can post a question, and it will be answered, either privately or publicly by a team of labelling experts from Nutritics.com.
BSA webinar summary
On 17 February, the British Sandwich Association (BSA) which aims to improve the sandwich industry by setting standards and rewarding excellence in manufacturing, held a live webinar for its members to discuss business compliance. It welcomed Nutritics MD Stephen Nolan, alongside representatives from the FSA including who answered diverse queries such as supply chain management and staff training.
With vaccine rollouts beginning to make a positive impact on UK daily numbers, food businesses can take heart from the final comment made by Haleh Moravej, at the earlier Nutritics webinar in January. Moraveg was the National Teaching Fellow of 2018, and is a multi-award winning senior lecturer, nutrition entrepreneur and a highly experienced media nutritionist. She is also the creative entrepreneur and founder of MetMUnch, an international award-winning student social enterprise at MMU (www.metmunch.com)
Food and social eating, especially food that can be taken away, and eaten outside and enjoyed, is a critical means for social interaction and connection. People of all ages will need this connection once we come through this pandemic. The food sector should be prepared for huge demand in the coming months" – Haleh Moravej
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR CALENDAR
March 23rd: Caterer Allergen Event, sponsored by Nutritics
Special guests Include: Rachel Ward, Scientific Policy Director at IFST, James Stagg, Editor of The Caterer, and Stephen Nolan, MD of Nutritics. Registration coming soon.
Tuesday 20th April: Software Specific Seminar
This free, live webinar will help businesses across the board to understand all the essential checks needed to make sure their allergen and food labelling software is fully compliant.
This software webinar, hosted by Nutritics, is ideal for businesses looking for fast-track compliance with clear pricing guidelines and easy to roll out processes.
It will cover things like:
- What changes will I need to make to my current set up?
- What tests can I do to my current system to ensure compliance?
- What is the most cost effective solution for a business of my size?
- How can I work with suppliers to ensure seamless business continuity?
- How long will it take me to get ready?
This event is free and live to facilitate practical Q&A with industry experts (it will not be available to watch back)
