Natashas Law: 4 Years On – Why Too Many Businesses Still Aren’t Following It
Four years after Natasha’s Law came into force, the law itself is working exactly as intended.
The problem? According to the Food Standards Agency’s official evaluation, one in four food businesses admit they’re not following it. When businesses fail in their legal duties, people with allergies suffer the consequences – and in the worst cases, may need to claim compensation.
This isn’t about flawed legislation. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse’s family fought for a law that saves lives when businesses follow it. What’s failing isn’t the law – it’s compliance. And that betrays everything Natasha’s legacy stands for.
What Natasha’s Family Achieved
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died on 17 July 2016 after eating a Pret A Manger baguette containing sesame seeds. She was 15 years old. The baguette had no allergen label.
Her parents, Nadim and Tanya, fought for five years to change the law. On 1 October 2021, Natasha’s Law came into force, requiring full ingredient labelling on all food pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS).
This was supposed to end the guesswork. No more trusting verbal assurances. No more “may contain” covering everything. Clear labels showing exactly what’s in the food – especially for pre-packaged supermarket products.
The law works. When businesses follow it.
What the FSA Data Actually Shows
Two years after Natasha’s Law passed, the Food Standards Agency surveyed food businesses. Here’s what they found:
Not Fully Compliant
Businesses admit they’re not following labelling requirements
Using “May Contain”
Making warnings meaningless when every product says the same thing
Stopped Selling PPDS
Switched to “non-prepacked” to avoid labelling requirements entirely
Consumers Saw Improvement
Less than half noticed better allergen information
And it’s getting worse, not better.
By mid-2024, allergen labelling errors accounted for 23% of all food recalls. In 2025? 35% of Food Standards Agency alerts were due to allergen labelling failures.
“Four years after the law passed, the trend is going the wrong direction. When one in four businesses admit non-compliance, the law isn’t failing – enforcement is.”
The Consequences: When Businesses Don’t Follow the Law
Hannah Jacobs was 13 years old when she died in February 2023 after drinking a hot chocolate from Costa Coffee. It contained cow’s milk despite her mother ordering a soya milk alternative and explicitly stating her daughter had a severe dairy allergy.
Hannah died two years after Natasha’s Law passed.
Now, Costa serves fresh food, not PPDS, so this wasn’t technically a Natasha’s Law violation. But it highlights exactly why Owen’s Law is needed – to close the restaurant gap. Similar failures occur in coffee shops and cafés across the UK. And it demonstrates what happens when businesses treat allergen management as a tick-box exercise rather than a life-or-death responsibility.
The coroner’s inquest found “a failure to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies combined with a failure of communication.” Staff had completed online training – some failing the quiz 20 times before passing, others using Google Translate to get through the modules. Training modules could be completed at home without supervision, with no verification that staff actually understood the material.
“That’s not training. That’s compliance theatre.”
From Natasha to Now: A Timeline of Failure
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse dies after eating unlabelled Pret baguette containing sesame
Natasha’s Law comes into force – businesses have the tools to prevent tragedies
Hannah Jacobs dies from Costa Coffee drink – two years after law passed, businesses still failing
FSA survey reveals 24% non-compliance – nearly two years to get ready, one in four businesses still not following the law
Allergen errors account for 23% of recalls – labelling failures increasing, not decreasing
35% of FSA alerts due to allergen failures – four years after the law, the trend is going the wrong direction
Seven Ways Businesses Are Gaming the System
From 18 years of handling restaurant allergy cases, here’s what’s happening on the ground:
| The Tactic | What It Looks Like | Why It Fails |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Disappearing Act | 17% of businesses stopped selling PPDS food. They switched to selling the same food as “non-prepacked” instead. Same product, different classification, no label required. | Legal loophole doesn’t protect customers. You’re still serving allergens without clear information. |
| 2. The “May Contain” Shield | 72% slap “may contain nuts” or “may contain milk” on everything. When every product carries the same warning, the warning becomes meaningless. | Customers can’t choose safer options if everything says the same thing. Warning fatigue is dangerous. |
| 3. Training Theatre | Staff watch a 10-minute video, then they’re “trained.” But when customers ask about allergens, they’re told “we can’t guarantee anything.” | That’s not training – it’s legal protection that leaves customers unsafe and staff unprepared. |
| 4. The Supplier Blame Game | “Our supplier changed the recipe, we didn’t know.” Natasha’s Law doesn’t let businesses outsource responsibility. | If you’re selling it, you’re responsible for labelling it correctly. No exceptions. |
| 5. The Verbal Loophole | Restaurants serving freshly-made food don’t need written labels under Natasha’s Law – only PPDS food does. Staff can tell you verbally. | But what happens when they get it wrong? No written record, no accountability, no protection. |
| 6. The Cost Excuse | Some of that 24% non-compliance cited costs. Labels cost pennies. Training costs time. | But someone’s life? There’s no excuse that justifies putting profit over safety. |
| 7. “Not Concerning” About Allergen Knowledge | At Hannah Jacobs’ inquest, a Costa regional manager testified it was “not concerning” if staff didn’t understand the word “allergen.” | That’s not a training failure. That’s a business model that treats customer safety as optional. |
Why Enforcement Is the Missing Piece
Here’s what the same FSA survey found: 75% of local authorities say they need more enforcement powers.
Translation: They’re not enforcing the law properly now.
Natasha died in 2016. Pret paid no fine. The law passed in 2021. Businesses admitted they weren’t complying in 2023. Recalls are increasing in 2024 and 2025.
The law works. But without enforcement, it’s words on paper.
This Is Exactly Why We Need Owen’s Law
Natasha’s Law covers pre-packaged food. But what about restaurants serving fresh food? What about cafés making your hot chocolate to order?
That’s where Owen’s Law comes in.
Owen Carey died in 2017 after eating at a restaurant. He asked about allergens. He was told the food was safe. It contained buttermilk. Owen was allergic to dairy. He died.
Owen’s Law would introduce corporate criminal liability for food businesses whose failures cause death. It’s the enforcement mechanism Natasha’s Law needed from the start.
Together, these laws honour both families’ campaigns. But only if businesses follow them.
“Natasha’s Law gave us the tools to prevent tragedies. Now we need Owen’s Law to ensure businesses actually use them.”
What Actually Needs to Happen
The answer isn’t more legislation. Natasha’s Law works when businesses follow it. We need:
Stronger Enforcement
75% of local authorities say they need more enforcement powers. Give them to them. Make non-compliance costly enough that businesses can’t afford to ignore the law. Fines must hurt more than the cost of compliance.
Proper Training Standards
Not 10-minute videos that can be failed 20 times. Real understanding of cross-contamination, supplier changes, and customer communication. Training must be verified, supervised, and tested properly – not completed at home using Google Translate.
Owen’s Law
To close the restaurant gap and introduce corporate criminal liability for food businesses whose failures cause death. When someone dies because a business didn’t follow the law, there should be consequences. Real ones.
Business Accountability Culture
Allergen management can’t be a tick-box exercise. It must be embedded in company culture from board level down. When 24% of businesses admit non-compliance two years after the law passed, that’s not confusion – it’s a choice. Make it the wrong choice.
Natasha’s family gave us the tools. Now we need to use them.