Allergen compliance, in plain English
Questions, answered.
The law, the language, and exactly what PlateProof does — and doesn’t — do.
What is Natasha's Law, and who does it cover?
- Natasha’s Law (the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019, in force since 1 October 2021) requires food prepacked for direct sale— items packaged on the same premises before being sold, like a grab-and-go sandwich — to carry a full ingredient list with the allergens emphasised. It doesn’t replace the wider duty under EU Regulation 1169/2011 to provide accurate allergen information for all food, including loose and buffet items; it raised the bar for one category. PlateProof helps you produce and evidence that information either way.
What are the 14 allergens — and how is the US different?
- UK and EU law (EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II) names 14 allergens that must be declared: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide/sulphites, lupin and molluscs. The United States (under FALCPA) recognises 9major allergens — sesame became the 9th via the FASTER Act on 1 January 2023. PlateProof uses the UK/EU 14 as its baseline (the broader set), so a card built for a UK kitchen also covers the US majors. More detail in our allergen matrix guide.
What's the difference between “Contains” and “May contain”?
- “Contains” is a statement of fact: the allergen is a deliberate ingredient. “May contain”(precautionary allergen labelling) flags a real risk of unintended cross-contact — shared equipment, a shared fryer, airborne flour. It should reflect a genuine assessed risk, not be used as a blanket disclaimer. On a PlateProof card the two are shown distinctly, and a “may contain” never overrides or hides a confirmed “contains”.
What does “due diligence” mean for allergens — and how do you prove it?
- Under the Food Safety Act 1990 (section 21), a food business’s legal defence is showing it took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence. The catch is that the burden of proof sits with you — “we always check” carries little weight without a record. PlateProof exists to close exactly that gap: it captures the source photo, the AI reading, and a named chef’s sign-off into one timestamped record, so your diligence is evidenced, not just asserted. We walk through this in how to prove allergen due diligence.
What does PlateProof actually do?
- Four steps. Photograph the recipe or an ingredient packet on any phone. The AI reads the allergens and tags each by provenance (read off a label, estimated, or declared by hand). A named chef reviews and signs off — they own the declaration, you hold the evidence. Then you print buffet and menu allergen cards, each with a QR code anyone can scan to verify the signed declaration, plus a full compliance pack. One signed record, every output.
Is the AI deciding which allergens are present?
- No. The AI suggests— generously, because over-declaring is the safe direction — but it never has the final word. A named human reviews every finding and signs off, and can add allergens the AI couldn’t see (a scratch sauce, shared-surface cross-contact). That human signature is the quality gate and the point at which accountability transfers. The machine assists; the person decides.
Does PlateProof certify my food, or guarantee it's safe?
- No — and that’s deliberate. PlateProof does not certify food, grade your kitchen, or guarantee anyone’s safety; the food business operator owns the allergen declaration. What it does is make that declaration accurate, evidenced and defensible — turning the diligence you already do into proof you can produce on demand. We sell the proof, not the promise.
How does scan-to-verify work?
- Every signed card carries a QR code. Scanning it opens a public page — no login — showing the signed allergen declaration for that dish: what was confirmed, by whom, and when. So a diner, an inspector or an auditor can confirm on the spot that the card is genuine and current, not a photocopy of something that’s since changed.
Turn faith into evidence.
See it on your own dishes — a quick walkthrough, no obligation.