What PPDS labelling software actually does
Natasha's Law requires food that's prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) — packaged before a customer orders it, on the premises it's sold from — to carry a full ingredients list with the 14 regulated allergens emphasised, not just a verbal allergen answer. PPDS labelling software takes the recipe you've already built for costing and allergen purposes and turns it into that label automatically, rather than a separate typing job every time.
For the full detail on what counts as PPDS and what has to be on the label, see our Natasha's Law guide. This page is about the software side: what the real options actually print, and how they compare.
What to actually check before you buy
The comparison
All three options here treat PPDS/allergen labelling as a core feature rather than a bolt-on, but they're built for different jobs — Kitchen Control for a live-service kitchen that also sells some items prepacked; FoodCore for a producer packaging goods as its main business; MenuIQ for a multi-site group.
| Capability | Kitchen Control | FoodCore | MenuIQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full PPDS label generated from the recipe | Yes — built from the recipe already in the system | Yes — allergens auto-bolded | Yes |
| Label updates automatically if the recipe changes | Yes | Yes | Not detailed publicly |
| Use-by / shelf-life calculation on the label | Yes — calculated automatically | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Standard label printer support (e.g. Brother QL) | Yes | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Who it's actually built for | Independent kitchens selling live, with some prepacked items | Small producers packaging goods as the main business | Multi-site hospitality groups |
| Monthly price | £12.99 flat, one plan | Tiered plans, roughly £19–£65 depending on plan | Quote after a demo — not public |
Who each one is actually for
Kitchen Control
An independent kitchen that's mostly live service but also sells some things prepacked — sandwiches, salads, cakes in a chiller — and wants the label generated from the same recipe it's already costing.
FoodCore
A small producer whose main business is packaging goods to sell — a home baker, a market stall — where labelling is the primary daily job, not a secondary feature.
MenuIQ
A multi-site hospitality group needing labelling alongside nutrition data and HACCP tooling, with time for a demo-led onboarding process.
PPDS & food labelling: common questions
What is PPDS labelling software?
Software that generates the full ingredients label required under Natasha's Law for food that's prepacked for direct sale — a complete ingredients list in descending weight order with the 14 regulated allergens emphasised, built from the recipe already in the system rather than typed out by hand each time.
What counts as PPDS food?
Food that's packaged before a customer orders it, on the same premises it's sold from, ready for the customer to buy without opening the packaging first — a sandwich made that morning and put in a chiller cabinet, for example. Food made to order across a counter isn't PPDS; it's covered by ordinary allergen-information rules instead. Full detail in our Natasha's Law guide.
Do I need a special printer for PPDS labels?
No specific brand is legally required, but a standard label printer such as a Brother QL is the common choice for kitchens printing labels themselves, since it prints directly from a browser without special software. See our label printing guide for setup detail.
Can label software update automatically when a recipe changes?
In a properly built system, yes — the label is generated directly from the recipe's current ingredient list, so if an ingredient or allergen changes, the next label printed reflects it automatically rather than relying on someone remembering to update a stored template.
Kitchen Control generates PPDS labels straight from the recipe you've already costed — £12.99/month, one plan, no separate labelling add-on.
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