“I encourage businesses large and small to work with the Food Standards Agency to get this right. Success will mean more choice and better protection for the millions of people – our families, friends, colleagues and neighbours across the UK – who have food allergies.”
Heather Hancock, Food Standards Agency Chair
Natasha’s Law
UK Food Labelling Resource
The UK Food Labelling Resource is a non-profit information group set up by Nutritics, a global provider of allergen management and nutrition labelling solutions and other experts in food, nutrition and allergen research and labelling from Manchester Metropolitan University, EuroFir and Quadram Institute.
In bringing together stakeholders from across all aspects of the food industry, our goal is to support the effective roll-out of new food labelling legislation in the UK such as the UK Food Information Amendment 2019 which is due to come into effect in October 2021. This initiative is not affiliated or associated with NARF, the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
Nutritics
Nutritics is a global leader in nutrition science, food law and technology. We are dedicated to making food information more accessible and more valuable to implement using technology. Our nutrition software, digital menus and food labelling products are used by clients in over 170 companies, from nutritionists to restaurants, cafes, public health bodies, sports organisations, hospitals and universities.
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University has a long and successful history of teaching Food & Nutrition, offering programmes that are at the cutting edge of meeting the needs of students, industry and society.
EuroFIR
EuroFIR AISBL is an international, member-based, non-profit Association under Belgian law was set up in 2009 to ensure sustained advocacy for food information in Europe. Its purpose is to develop, publish and exploit food composition information, and promote international cooperation and harmonisation of standards to improve data quality, storage and access.
Quadram Institute
The Quadram Institute’s mission is to deliver healthier lives through innovation in gut health, microbiology and food. The Institute is creating new interfaces between food science, gut biology, human health and disease, capitalising on the world-class bioscience cluster based at the Norwich Research Park. Scientists and clinicians work closely with major national and international funding bodies and charities, collaborators and investors to ensure translation of our fundamental science to benefit patients, consumers and the wider society.
Allergy UK
Allergy UK is the leading national patient charity for people living with all types of allergy. The company’s vision is for everyone affected by allergy to receive the best possible care and support, with a mission is to raise the profile of allergy at all levels. Allergy UK works with government, professional bodies, healthcare professionals, and corporations, to promote awareness of allergy, and help improve the lives of the millions of people affected by allergic disease.
Ten Kites
Ten Kites is a UK-based menu publishing platform. Ten Kites empowers food businesses to publish fully compliant, personalised digital menus across multiple customer touch points, including web pages, mobile apps and digital displays. The company supports some of the UK’s biggest multi-brand groups across casual dining, pubs, bars and restaurant groups, including TGI Fridays, Fullers Pubs, Shepherd Neame, Carluccios and Wagamama, with thousands of sites reliant on their automated solutions. Ten Kites was acquired by Nutritics in July 2021.
Advisors and Speakers
Damian O’Kelly
CEO & Founder, Nutritics
Damian O’Kelly is a nutritionist and founding CEO of Nutritics. Nutritics’ mission is to make evidence-based nutrition more accessible to consumers and businesses around the world and to use technology to empower better food choices. He holds a BSc in Sport Science and Health from DCU, Ireland and an MSc in Sports Nutrition from Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.
Frankie Douglas
Head of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Nutritics
Frankie Douglas is a public health nutritionist specialising in nutrition related food law. She has worked on public health nutrition for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the development of MenuCal, a calorie calculator and allergen management system designed to support SME food businesses.
Haleh Morajej Senior Lecturer, Nutritional Sciences,
Manchester Metropolitan University I Department of Health Professions
Haleh Moravej is the National Teaching Fellow of 2018, a multi-award winning senior lecturer, a nutrition entrepreneur and highly experienced media nutritionist. She is the creative entrepreneur and founder of MetMUnch, an international award winning student social enterprise at MMU (www.metmunch.com)
Haleh has pioneered a highly creative and innovative program of nutritional intervention that examines how individuals’ diets, and other lifestyle behaviours, interact with the risk for mental health problems. Haleh is the clinical advisor to Anxiety UK and has worked with GMP, Manchester Council, Science and Industry Museum and National Association of Care Home Catering to name a few.
Haleh has been a senior food consultant working with food industry and small to medium size enterprises at Manchester Food Research Centre. She has been instrumental in many brands going from inception all the way to supermarket shelves. Her recent research projects are future food trends, healthy diets and exploring links between health, nutrition, food waste and sustainability.
Haleh is the creative entrepreneur and founder of MetMUnch, an international award winning student social enterprise bringing nutrition, community, creativity, employability and sustainability together while enhancing the student experience and confidence at MMU (www.metmunch.com)
Haleh has worked extensively with radio and TV. She has regularly featured at Rip of Britain, Truth and Scare, One Show, Channel 5 News, BBC Breakfast News, BBC Radio Sheffield and Manchester, BBC Radio 5, Granada Television and Calendar News in Sheffield. She has written numerous nutrition and health articles for local and national magazines and newspapers.
Paul Finglas
Managing Director, EuroFIR and Head of Food Databanks National Capability – Quadram Bioscience Institute
Paul Finglas is Head of the Food Databanks National Capability at the Quadram Institute (Norwich, UK) and EuroFIR Managing Director. He is also the President of EuroFIR AISBL. He has a research background in food, nutrition and health especially food composition and intake, labelling, health claims, and food reformulation.
Paul leads the team that publishes McCance & Widdowsons’ ‘The Composition of Foods’ in the UK and how these data are used to support dietary assessment methods.
Paul has a degree in Chemistry and has published over 200 papers in the field. He has led a number of UK and European research and innovation projects and is currently active in personalised nutrition and dietary devices using online platforms and helping to provide appropriate scientific validation of such advices via EIT Food and FNS Cloud (H2020) projects. Paul has a broad range of experience in science publishing and is Editor-in-Chief of two leading journals (Food Chemistry and Trends in Food Science and Technology). Paul currently sits on two non-profit Association Boards in the Netherlands and Belgium, and also a functional food start-up SME in the UK.
Dr Siân Astley
Senior Researcher & Communication Manager, EuroFIR
Siân Astley has worked extensively with individuals and organisations throughout Europe from a variety of disciplines including research, food and biotechnology industries and the media. She is the author of more than 300 popular science articles for magazines and trade publications as well as 25 peer-reviewed papers.
After 14 years as a bench-scientist, Siân became Communications Manager for NuGO, one of the first FP6 Networks of Excellence, and was the European Communications Manager for the Institute of Food Research in Norwich (UK) until April 2012. She was awarded her Diploma in Science Communication in 2009 (Birkbeck University of London).
Currently, Siân is a Senior Researcher and Communications Manager for EuroFIR AISBL, research activities, communications and training within EU- and otherwise-funded research projects, and Secretary to the Association and Quisper ASBL. She is an Editor for Food Chemistry and was appointed recently as Editor-in-Chief for Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences.
Maria Traka
Deputy Head of Food Databanks National Capability – Quadram Bioscience Institute
Dr Maria Traka is the deputy Head of Food Databanks National Capability. She has an active interest in personalized nutrition, prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, and the importance of the microbiome in modulating response to complex diets.
Maria’s previous work, during her PhD and post-doctoral studies, focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to disease prevention (e.g. prostate cancer). As a Senior Research Scientist at the Quadram Institute, she became increasingly interested in the role of cruciferous-rich diets, such as those high in broccoli, in maintaining a healthy metabolism. For this, Maria combined human dietary intervention studies with studies on cell and animal models, using RNA sequencing of patient tissues and detailed metabolic assays. Maria has always been keen in the opportunities that big data offers, in maximizing our comprehension of the effect of diet and how we can translate it to population benefit.
Jenny Plumb
Food Composition Research Scientist – Quadram Bioscience Institute
Jenny is a Food Composition Research Scientist within the Food Databanks National Capability team, at the Quadram Bioscience Institute, working with nutrient and non- nutrient data. Jenny manages eBASIS, a database on bioactive compounds in foods. And regularly provides training on database compilation and use to visiting workers, students and database users at internal and external events.
Natasha’s Law Risk Framework
From 1st October 2021, the UK Food Information Amendment 2019 (a.k.a. Natasha’s Law) will be rolled out in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to all businesses selling Prepacked for Direct Sale Foods (PPDS Foods). In this short, easily-digestible guide we provide a risk management framework that is specifically tailored to Natasha’s Law, helping you to comply with new regulations. This includes:
6 Key Challenges and Solutions for Them
The Role of Software in Mitigating Risks
Advice on How to Prepare Your Organisation for Change
A 6 Month Countdown To Natasha’s Law Roadmap