FOOD businesses are being reminded of the importance of providing allergen information to customers.
It comes after the increase in home baking outlets, including cake sheds and online sellers.
Trading Standards officers at Staffordshire County Council are encouraging all food businesses to ensure their products are labelled correctly to help keep customers with allergies safe.
Under Natasha's Law, food firms of all sizes must provide full ingredient labelling on food classified as Prepacked for Direct Sale with any of the 14 major allergens clearly highlighted.
Cllr Anthony Screen, cabinet member for community safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“It’s wonderful to see that entrepreneurial spirit is very much alive in Staffordshire with lots of small food businesses like cake sheds opening and providing delicious foods.
"We want to support our small independent food businesses so they can get things right and our Trading Standards team are helping them make sure they are aware of their responsibilities on providing clear allergen information.
"The labelling rules for food businesses are complex and apply whether you're running a large bakery, selling from a market stall or operating a cake shed from your driveway.
"For someone with a food allergy, missing or inaccurate information could have very serious consequences. That's why allergen labelling rules are so important.
"People buying baked goods should always check ingredient labels carefully and seek advice from the seller if they have any concerns about allergens."
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