The UK's 14 Allergens and Natasha's Law: What Parents Need to Know

We kept seeing 'Natasha's Law' mentioned alongside allergen labelling and assumed, wrongly, that it introduced a new UK-specific allergen list. It does not. It is a packaging requirement, and understanding what it actually covers turned out to matter more than we expected once we were reading labels on prepacked sandwiches and bakery items.

Direct Answer: The UK's 14-allergen list is identical to the EU's; Natasha's Law doesn't add a new allergen, it's a 2021 packaging rule requiring full ingredient lists with all 14 allergens emphasised on food prepacked for direct sale on the same premises, like in-store sandwiches.

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The UK's 14 allergens

The UK's allergen list is identical to the EU's: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts (almond, hazelnut, walnut, cashew, pecan, Brazil nut, pistachio, macadamia), celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10mg/kg, lupin, and molluscs. Post-Brexit, the UK retained this list via the Food Information Regulations 2014, as amended, rather than writing a separate one.

What Natasha's Law actually does

Natasha's Law is the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019, in force since October 2021. It closed a specific labelling gap: food that is prepacked for direct sale, made and packed on the same premises before a customer buys it, like an in-store sandwich or bakery item, previously did not need a full ingredient list. Natasha's Law requires those items to carry a full ingredient list with all 14 allergens clearly emphasised on the packaging.

It does not create a new allergen list, it does not cover loose food sold without packaging (verbal or menu disclosure rules apply there instead), and it does not require 'may contain' precautionary labelling, which is voluntary rather than a legal requirement, though using it in a misleading way can break food law.

Why the distinction matters

If you are checking a label and assuming Natasha's Law tells you what to look for, you are checking the wrong thing. The 14-item list is what to look for. Natasha's Law is why a wider range of prepacked foods, including things you might not expect like an in-store sandwich or bakery item made and packed on site, now have to show that list clearly instead of leaving it off entirely.

Tracking allergens in the UK

Since the UK list matches the EU's, families in the UK are working from the same 14 allergens covered in our EU allergens breakdown. The app treats UK and EU the same way for schedule purposes: 14 allergens, each tracked as not started, introduced, cleared, or reaction.

Keeping the list straight

The app's allergen schedule doesn't need you to remember which regulation applies, just the region. Set it to the UK and all 14 show up, ready to track as you introduce each one at home.

Questions parents ask

Is the UK allergen list the same as the EU list after Brexit?

Yes, the UK's 14-allergen list is identical to the EU's. After Brexit, the UK kept the list through the Food Information Regulations 2014, as amended, rather than writing a separate one. It covers cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10mg/kg, lupin and molluscs.

Source: Food Standards Agency: allergen guidance for food businesses; FSA technical guidance on food allergen labelling; The Food Information Regulations 2014; Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II

Does Natasha's Law apply to loose food?

No, Natasha's Law does not cover loose food sold without packaging; verbal or menu disclosure rules apply there instead. Natasha's Law covers food prepacked for direct sale, meaning made and packed on the same premises before a customer buys it, like an in-store sandwich or bakery item. Those items must carry a full ingredient list with all 14 allergens clearly emphasised.

Source: Food Standards Agency: introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food; Food Standards Agency: allergen guidance for food businesses

Is 'may contain' labelling a legal requirement in the UK?

No, 'may contain' precautionary labelling is not required by Natasha's Law. It is voluntary: food businesses can choose to add it, but it is not a legal requirement. What Natasha's Law does require is a full ingredient list, with all 14 allergens clearly emphasised, on food prepacked for direct sale on the same premises, such as in-store sandwiches and bakery items.

Source: FSA technical guidance on food allergen labelling; GOV.UK: precautionary allergen labelling (PAL); Food Standards Agency: introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food

Why does Natasha's Law matter for parents reading labels?

Natasha's Law matters because a wider range of prepacked foods, including things like an in-store sandwich or bakery item, now have to show the allergen list clearly instead of leaving it off. It does not tell you what to look for; the 14-item list does that. In force since October 2021, Natasha's Law closed a labelling gap for food made and packed where it is sold.

Source: Food Standards Agency: introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food; The Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019; Natasha's Allergy Research Foundation: Natasha's Law