FAQs for Schools on Allergens and Nutritional Labelling 

Which schools do these laws apply to? 

Coverage differs by legislation. Natasha's Law applies UK-wide to any school, college, university or nursery producing PPDS food. The School Food Standards apply in England to all maintained schools, and to academies only where their funding agreement requires it - independent schools generally aren't covered. Benedict's Law, from September 2026, applies more broadly across England, including independent schools and school-based nurseries (though not standalone private nurseries).  

Does Benedict's Law apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland? 

No, currently Benedict's Law only applies to schools in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland follow their own education laws. However, the Benedict Blythe Foundation is campaigning to ensure all schools in the UK get these potentially life-saving rules. (Look out for updates on our site.) 

Are the School Food Standards the same across the UK? 

England has School Food Standards as outlined above. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own school food regulations and nutrition standards. 

• Scotland: Scottish Government Healthy Eating in Schools Guidance
  
  
• Wales: Welsh Government Healthy Eating Regulations 2025
  
  
• Northern Ireland: Department of Education Northern Ireland Nutritional Standards
  
  

Does Natasha's Law apply to school canteens? 

Yes, if the school or its caterer prepares and packages food on-site before a pupil selects it (for example, pre-wrapped sandwiches or salad pots), that food counts as Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) and must carry a full ingredients list with allergens highlighted in bold. 

What are the 14 allergens that must be labelled? 

The 14 allergens recognised under UK law are: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide/sulphites, and tree nuts. 

Are PTA and fundraising events always exempt? What if parents seal the cakes in advance? 

Usually, but not automatically. Natasha's Law applies specifically to registered food businesses. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed that PTAs selling food on an occasional, small-scale basis (e.g. a summer cake stall) are unlikely to need to register as a food business. Because of this, sealing or wrapping cakes in advance does not automatically trigger Natasha's Law for volunteers, and full Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) labelling isn't a strict legal requirement in most cases. 

However, the "regularity" of the event matters. If a PTA operates a highly regular, weekly tuck shop or café, the local authority may require them to register as a food business. Then, any pre-wrapped items would legally fall under Natasha's Law. 

The FSA still strongly recommends full allergen labelling on anything sold at these events. The underlying risk to pupils and families doesn't change just because the event is run by volunteers rather than the catering team. Best practice is to ask parents to include a simple ingredient slip on any wrapped items they bring in. 

What is Benedict's Law and when does it come into force? 

Benedict's Law refers to new statutory guidance for schools in England, announced by the Department for Education in March 2026 and due to come into force from September 2026, becoming a statutory legal duty on schools from 2027. It requires schools to stock spare adrenaline auto-injectors, train all staff in allergy awareness, and maintain a Stand Alone Allergy Policy. 

How can schools prepare for Benedict's Law? 

Schools should review their medical conditions policy, plan for whole-staff allergy training, ensure Individual Healthcare Plans are in place for pupils who need them, and confirm they have a process for stocking and using spare adrenaline auto-injectors ahead of the September 2026 deadline. 

Do the School Food Standards cover allergens? 

No. The School Food Standards govern the nutritional content of school meals - things like portion sizes and limits on fried or sugary food. Allergen labelling is governed separately by Natasha's Law. 

Does it make a difference if we use a contract caterer rather than catering in-house? 

It changes who does the day-to-day work, but not who's accountable. If you outsource catering, your contract caterer is typically the one preparing food, producing PPDS labels and holding the detailed ingredient data. But the school remains responsible for pupil safeguarding and for satisfying itself that its caterer’s processes are compliant. Local authority environmental health teams enforce allergen regulations across all premises supplying food, including where a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) or academy uses an external catering contract, so the legal exposure doesn't transfer away from the school simply because someone else is doing the cooking. 

In practice, this means schools using contract caterers should build compliance checks into the contract itself: ask your caterer how they source and update allergen data, how often recipes are audited, and how allergen information reaches parents and staff - rather than assuming labelling is "handled" because it's someone else's kitchen. For Benedict's Law specifically, staff training and emergency AAI provision sit with the school regardless of who runs the kitchen, since that's about whole-school safeguarding rather than food preparation.