Prepacked for direct sale

Information for businesses who sell food that is prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) to consumers.

Woman taking at a pre-packed sandwich out of a supermarket fridge and reading the label

Selling food which is prepacked for direct sale

Since 1 October 2021, food businesses in Scotland and the rest of the UK must clearly label prepacked food made on-site with the product name and a full list of ingredients.

This law helps people better understand what’s in their food, especially if they have allergies, by making ingredient and allergen information more visible on packaging.

Examples include:

sandwiches placed into packaging by the food business and sold from the same premises
wrapped deli counter goods such as cheese and meats
boxed salads placed on a refrigerated shelf prior to sale

The law offers increased protection and confidence for consumers living with a food allergy or intolerance in the food they buy out and about. On pack information will include the 14 allergens specifically listed in food information law, as well as other ingredients which can trigger reactions.

This new requirement follows wide consultation, including engaging with business and enforcement stakeholders, and consumers on improving allergen information, to help prevent further food allergy deaths in the out of home environment.

Local authorities will have the responsibility for enforcement for the new PPDS labelling requirements as part of their risk-based controls approach.

What information is required?

You must include the name of the food and the ingredients list with any of the 14 allergens required to be declared by law emphasised within it, if they are ingredients of the food. Allergens could be emphasised by:

using a different text colour
writing the allergens in bold or underlining

Allergen guidance for prepacked for direct sale foods

Is my business affected?

If you're not sure how your business is affected by the requirements, answer a few questions below to find out.

Guidance on prepacked for direct sale labelling

Our guidance will help you check if your business is affected and what you need to do to meet the legal requirements.

Get information and answers to common PPDS questions.

Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) legislation toolkit

Toolkit

A stack of salads in boxes ready to be sold. The boxes are cardboard with a plastic lid.

We’ve also created a toolkit to help organisations share this information and support more food businesses with PPDS labelling across Scotland.

Download the toolkit

MenuCal

Business tool

Woman reading a laminated food menu at an outdoor café

To support businesses with meeting consumer and legislative expectations, Food Standards Scotland has adapted its MenuCal tool with functionality to manage, store and track the information required for allergen labels for food sold prepacked for direct sale.

MenuCal for allergens

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