We’ve had lots of questions about how Natasha’s Law affects events like school cake sales, so we asked the Food Standards Agency to clarify.
They told us that Natasha’s Law only applies to registered food businesses, so in most cases, PTAs and Friends associations don’t need to adhere to it.
The FSA website says “If you supply food on an occasional and small-scale basis, it is unlikely you will need to register (as a food business). You may need to register with your local authority as a food business if you provide food on a regular and organised basis.”
BUT the FSA strongly recommends full allergen labelling on any food sold to allow customers to make safe choices. Any food supplied, sold or provided at charity or community events must be safe and comply with food law.
Here are 5 tips from The Allergy Team to host a successful cake sale that ALL students and their families can enjoy:
1. Plan ahead to make sure there are free-from treats on offer.
2. Consider a mix so you don’t end up with 5 egg-free cakes, but nothing that’s dairy or wheat-free.
3. Remind everyone contributing free from food to avoid cross-contact or cross-contamination when they’re baking.
4. Ask bakers and cooks to list any of the main allergens in their food (and make sure the right ingredients’ list stays with the right dish).
5. Set up the free-from cakes or treats at one end of the table or on a separate table.
Have one person in charge of the free-from area and make sure every serving plate has its own knife or cake slice to avoid cross-contamination.
