Technology & Natasha’s Law

What is Natasha’s law?

Natasha’s law is a new law coming into effect in October 2021, it relates to food hygiene and safety. In particular, how pre-packaged food is labeled for people who suffer from allergies. It is no secret what happened to NatashaEdnan-Laperouse who passed away from a severe allergic reaction in 2016, and this law has been passed to protect people who suffer from allergies to be able to shop for food and takeaways with confidence, here’s everything you need to know…

Who needs to know?

Any business that sells pre-packaged food must adhere to Natasha’s law, this includes:

• RestaurantsÂ
• Takeaway restaurants
• SchoolsÂ
• Fast food trucks and vans
• HospitalsÂ
• Delis and cafes

Time to rethink food hygiene and safety?

With Natasha’s law coming into effect in less than a month’s time, and approximately 8 out of 10 businesses saying they aren’t prepared, is it time to re-evaluate food safety altogether?

Maybe food safety and hygiene has been put on the back-burner with everything else that has been going on in the world recently. Upgrading your food hygiene and safety all together is a great way to take back control of your kitchen and keep your customers safe.

New innovative technology is emerging, and food safety has never been easier, with systems like the Sensee System in place it takes all the effort and man-hours out of the equation. The Sensee System is an automatic fridge and freezer temperature monitoring system that is essential to practicing food safety. It not only helps you and your business take control of your kitchen, it also:

• Helps you achieve and maintain a 5***** Food Hygiene Rating
• Reduces the risk of food poisoning
• No more gone off and wasted stock
• Saves electricity, saving your business money
• Completely automatic and paperless, available to download on a mobile app whenever, wherever.

To find out more about the Sensee System, check out one of our latest blogposts.

There are so many other technologies you can invest in to upgrade your food hygiene such as new food temperature thermometers, labeling devices, and more. So why cut corners? While you’re making an effort to comply with Natasha’s law, don’t abandon the rest of your kitchen.

What does your business need to be aware of?

All food allergies must be taken seriously, and providing accurate and detailed allergen information as well as properly educating your staff on your menu should be a top priority for any business serving food.

Natasha’s law in particular focuses less on fresh food, as staff should be able to inform so allergens can be avoided. Natasha’s law focuses on pre-packaged, sealed food so that consumers can see an honest and accurate allergen list that means they can shop confidently.

The top 14 allergens that need to be labeled are celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, milk, lupin, molluscs, mustard, sesame, peanuts, soybeans, sulfur dioxide and sulfites, and tree nuts.

However many other allergens are becoming increasingly popular and should be taken seriously, some of these include corn, chilli peppers, and lentils.Â

There are many resources available online to help you keep yourself and your staff up to date on allergens and ensure the safety of your customers including:

• https://www.foodallergy.org/resources
• https://www.allergyuk.org/
• https://natashas-law.com/

A safer future for everyone

Although Natasha’s law has come at a time of existing hardship for hospitality and food businesses, it is a positive thing for the future. This new law will allow people who suffer the most to feel safe when purchasing food and eliminates any room for loopholes in the law, inevitably saving lives. So don’t wait any longer, start upgrading your food hygiene and safety today and make your food business a safer place for you and your customers.