How did leading UK firms adapt to Natasha's Law – and what big lessons were learned?
Natasha's Law, which came into force on 1 October, was the reason that many food businesses in the UK began their digital transformation journey. Those that embraced technology solutions have transformed their operational efficiency while also delivering fully compliant, accurate labels for pre-packed foods.
Over the past year, tens of thousands of businesses including suppliers, producers, manufacturers, caterers, schools, hospitals, restaurants, bars and hotels have made use of the free supports provided by the Food Labelling Resource at www.natashas-law.com. These have helped to clarify business obligations, and break down allergen labelling into manageable steps. So what have been the big lessons learned?
Business leadership: lessons learned
Software solutions drive long term growth and savings
Digital transformation is a term that covers a wide range of areas, but in essence, when you make the switch to a software solution for the management of recipes and labels, you are starting your digital transformation journey. The best solutions are now smarter and better than ever before, and the right tools can provide significant business benefits, as well as reduce risk and increase compliance.
Allergen labelling is an opportunity, not a threat
This regulation came into force in direct response to the need to protect consumers with life-threatening allergies, but it also of importance to their friends and families, and to the millions of consumers with food intolerances. There is also a growing trend for reliable food information. Brands that invest in best practice communication of accurate information will be the ones that consumers will trust long term.
Market leaders take a holistic approach
Software is just one step on the road to compliance. Supplier communications, staff training, and substitution protocols are key components to success. Market leaders are taking a holistic approach, and empowering teams with connected tools and a unified commitment to accuracy and reliability of information. There's a brilliant overview of each of these areas is covered in the guide to getting your business ready, which has been downloaded thousands of times this year from the Food Labelling Resource website.
Have your say: And win a fabulous voucher to the value of £250!
To help get a sense of where businesses are now, we wanted to invite industry members to share their experiences around allergen labelling. This is a short anonymous survey, that will take no more than three minutes, and you could win yourself a fabulous restaurant voucher to the value of £250. Take the survey!
Preparing for calories on menus
From April, 2022 new legislation will require calories to be displayed on menus and will apply to all food businesses with over 250 employees. The UK Food Labelling Community Hub was created to help businesses adapt to food regulation changes, to empower them with free and accurate information about Natasha's Law. Now it will focus on the challenges faced with the inclusion of calories on menus. You can access hours of valuable panel discussions, workshops and webinars on this free forum. Click here to register and join This article has been sponsored by Nutritics, proud supporters of the Food Labelling Resource Initiative.
Photo: Naraoneil/Shutterstock.com
