Natasha’s Law and Benedict’s Law: what is the difference between the two allergy laws 

Keeping children with allergies safe at school requires much more than knowing what is on the lunch menu.

It requires accurate information, clear processes, confident staff and good communication between schools, parents and catering teams.

Two important developments, Natasha's Law and Benedict's Law, have helped put allergy safety firmly on the agenda. While they address different parts of allergy management, together they reinforce just how important clear information and robust processes are wherever food is prepared, provided or served.

For schools, MATs and school caterers, understanding the difference between the two is an important place to start.

What is Natasha's Law?

Natasha's Law came into effect across the UK in October 2021 and changed the requirements for labelling food that is prepacked for direct sale, commonly known as PPDS food.

The law was introduced following the death of Natasha Ednan Laperouse, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction after eating a baguette containing sesame that was not included on the label.

Under Natasha's Law, businesses producing PPDS food must label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within that list.

PPDS food is food that is packaged at the same place where it is offered or sold to consumers and is already in that packaging before it is ordered or selected.

For schools and caterers, Natasha's Law reinforces the importance of accurate allergen information and clear communication when food is prepared and provided.

But allergen labelling is only one part of keeping children with allergies safe.

That is where the more recent Benedict's Law becomes particularly relevant to schools.

What is Benedict's Law?

Benedict's Law is named in memory of five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who died from anaphylaxis at school in 2021.

Following campaigning by Benedict's family and the wider allergy community, allergy safety provisions became part of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. New statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools comes into effect from 1 September 2026.

The significance for schools is considerable.

Rather than allergy safety varying according to the individual policies and practices of different schools, the changes are intended to establish clearer and more consistent requirements across schools in England.

What does Benedict's Law mean for schools?

From September 2026, maintained schools and academies in England will be required to strengthen their approach to allergy safety.

According to the new guidance, key requirements include:

- Having a whole school allergy policy

- Relevant schools must develop and publish a dedicated allergy policy, separate from their wider medical conditions policy.

- Providing allergy awareness training for staff

- Staff need appropriate training covering allergy awareness and emergency response, including recognising symptoms, responding to an emergency and using adrenaline devices.

- Holding spare adrenaline auto injectors

- Schools are required to have spare, in date adrenaline devices available for emergency use.

- Putting Individual Healthcare Plans in place

Pupils with serious allergies should have individual healthcare and action plans so their needs and the appropriate response are understood.

The guidance also recommends having a named senior leader responsible for the school's allergy policy, with the policy reviewed at least annually.

Allergy safety is about prevention as well as emergency response

One of the important themes within the new guidance is that allergy management should not begin when something goes wrong.

Schools are encouraged to consider how exposure to allergens can be reduced throughout school life, including in classrooms, on trips and visits, during activities involving food and in other situations where pupils could encounter an allergen.

It means allergy management needs to become part of everyday school processes.

And that makes the quality of information particularly important:

- Who has an allergy?

- What are they allergic to?

- Is the information current?

- Do the people responsible for the child have access to it?

- Does the catering team have the information it needs when preparing and serving food?

- And when information changes, how is that communicated between the parent, school and caterer?

Policies and training are essential, but they need to be supported by reliable everyday processes.

Creating an inclusive experience matters too

There is another important aspect of Benedict's Law that should not be overlooked: inclusion.

Children living with allergies should be able to participate in school life alongside their peers wherever this can be achieved safely.

The guidance recognises the potential social impact of allergies, including isolation and bullying, and emphasises that pupils should not simply be excluded from activities because of the risk of encountering an allergen.

That principle matters at lunchtime too.

Some schools have traditionally used visible identifiers such as wristbands or lanyards to help catering teams identify pupils with allergies.

While these approaches can communicate important information, they can also make a child visibly different from their peers.

A more discreet approach can help schools support safety while also considering the dignity, wellbeing and inclusion of the individual pupil.

Natasha's Law and Benedict's Law: what is the difference?

Put simply, Natasha's Law is primarily about food labelling, while Benedict's Law is about allergy safety in schools.

Natasha's Law requires businesses producing PPDS food to provide a full ingredients list with allergens appropriately emphasised.

Benedict's Law goes wider within the school environment, covering areas including school allergy policies, staff awareness and emergency response training, spare adrenaline auto injectors and Individual Healthcare Plans.

They are different requirements, but they share an important principle.

People need clear and accurate information to make safer decisions.

What should schools be thinking about now?

With the new requirements taking effect from September 2026, schools should be considering how allergy safety works not just in policy, but in practice.

That includes reviewing how allergy information is collected, updated and shared, how staff access the information they need, how schools communicate with parents and caterers, and how allergy management works during the lunchtime rush.

For MATs, there is an additional consideration.

How consistent are those processes across the Trust?

Having strong procedures in one school is valuable, but Trust leaders also need visibility across their schools and confidence that appropriate processes are being followed consistently.

Caterers face a similar challenge across multiple sites. The right information needs to reach the right people, particularly when menus, pupils and dietary requirements can vary considerably from one school to another.

How Scopay can support safer allergy management

Technology alone cannot remove allergy risk or make a school compliant.

What it can do is support the people and processes responsible for managing that risk.

That is an important distinction.

Scopay is developing a more connected approach to school meal management, helping schools, MATs, caterers and parents work with clearer, more current information throughout the lunchtime journey.

Dietary Requirements

Scopay Dietary Requirements helps schools, Trusts, caterers and parents work from clearer information around allergies and dietary requirements.

This supports the wider process of keeping relevant information current and available to the people who need it.

It also supports dietary requirements beyond allergies, including requirements associated with religion, culture and personal preferences, helping schools create a more inclusive approach to dining.

Point of Service

Information is particularly important at the moment a meal is actually served.

Scopay Point of Service helps give serving teams relevant information when the pupil reaches the counter, supporting more informed meal service and reducing reliance on separate paper records or visible identifiers such as wristbands and lanyards.

That can support a more discreet lunchtime experience for pupils while helping catering staff work with the information they need during a busy service.

Meal Management

Allergy management does not exist in isolation from the rest of school catering.

Scopay Meal Management brings more of the meal journey together, from planning and parent pre orders through to meal numbers and reconciliation.

Connecting these processes can help reduce administration and paperwork while giving schools and caterers better visibility across their meal operations.

For MATs, this connected approach can also support greater oversight and consistency across schools within the Trust.

Better information. Stronger processes. Safer lunchtimes.

Natasha's Law changed the way allergen information is communicated on PPDS food.

Benedict's Law represents another significant development, placing greater emphasis on consistent allergy safety practices throughout schools in England.

For schools, MATs and caterers, the challenge now is turning policy into effective everyday practice.

That means bringing together people, information and processes so staff can make informed decisions, parents can have greater confidence and pupils can enjoy a safer, more inclusive lunchtime experience.

Scopay can help support that journey.

If you are reviewing your allergy and dietary requirement processes ahead of the new academic year, or want to see how Scopay Dietary Requirements, Point of Service and Meal Management could support your school, Trust or catering operation, get in touch with our team to arrange a conversation or personalised demonstration.

Safer for pupils. Simpler for staff. Smarter for schools, MATs and caterers.