Recent food allergy law changes: what Benedict’s Law, Natasha’s Law and Owen’s Law mean

Food allergy deaths are preventable, yet they continue to occur. In recent years, important legal changes have been introduced to improve allergy safety in schools, retail and hospitality. This blog explains recent food allergy law changes in the UK, including Benedict’s Law, Natasha’s Law and the proposed Owen’s Law, and what they mean for schools, venues, employers and consumers.

Leigh Day is proud to have supported a number of families in pursuing accountability and reform following these tragedies. However, the current legal framework remains fragmented, with important protections still depending on where food is served and in what setting.

Three legal developments help show both the progress that has been made and the gaps that still remain.

Benedict’s Law

Why Benedict’s Law matters: what the inquest found

Michelle Victor, Leigh Day Partner and Head of the Food Safety Team, represented the family of five-year-old Benedict Blythe at a jury inquest into his death at Peterborough Coroner’s Court. The inquest in July 2025 concluded that Benedict died from accidental exposure to cow’s milk protein, causing fatal anaphylaxis.

The inquest revealed multiple factors contributed to his death, including the:

• Breakdown of agreed allergy management processes, leading to increased risk of cross‑contamination between dairy-free milk with lactose-free (containing dairy) milk; 

Benedict’s Law has now come into effect in all schools in England. Its core pillars are:  

1. Mandatory allergy policies in every school 
- Schools must have a clear, published, whole‑school allergy policy 
- This includes procedures for prevention, communication, and emergency response 

2. Compulsory training for all staff 

- All school staff must be trained to recognise allergic reactions and respond to anaphylaxis 
- Training includes how to use adrenaline auto‑injectors (e.g. EpiPens)

3. Access to life‑saving emergency medication 
- Schools must hold spare adrenaline auto‑injectors on site for emergency use 
- Ensures immediate response even where a child has no prior diagnosis

These three pillars are designed to work together to create a consistent, national framework so every school is properly prepared to prevent and respond to life‑threatening allergic reactions.

Natasha’s Law

At present, UK law still allows allergen information for restaurant food to be provided verbally, creating ongoing risk—particularly in fast-paced hospitality environments.

As of September 2026, Owen’s Law has not yet been enacted, but it is supported in principle by the Food Standards Agency and remains under active consideration.

What do these changes mean in practice?

For schools

Benedict’s Law introduces clearer legal duties around allergy training, spare adrenaline auto-injectors, individual healthcare plans and school-wide allergy policies. This should help reduce inconsistency and improve pupil safety. However, it is important that any training provided to the school staff is effective and will enable them to recognise the early signs of anaphylaxis and respond quickly.

To make the training effective, Benedict’s family say schools should go beyond online training modules by incorporating practical emergency drills, regular refresher sessions, competency assessments and robust reporting of incidents and near misses. They believe that allergy safety should be embedded within the culture of a school, not simply evidenced on paper.

For restaurants and venues

Natasha’s Law improved allergen information for prepacked food for direct sale, but gaps remain for non-prepacked food sold in restaurants, cafés and other hospitality settings. Owen’s Law is intended to address some of those remaining risks by reducing reliance on verbal communication.

For employers

Employers, particularly those operating canteens, events or other food services, should be aware that expectations around allergy management and allergen communication are continuing to evolve. Clear systems, staff training and accurate information remain essential.

For consumers and families

These legal changes improve protection, but they do not yet create a fully consistent system. Consumers and families may still encounter different standards depending on whether food is provided in a school, a sandwich shop or a restaurant.

Why current food allergy laws still leave gaps

Food allergies require consistent, robust and enforceable protections. Benedict’s Law, Natasha’s Law and the proposed Owen’s Law each represent important progress, but they apply in different settings and do not yet create a unified system of protection.

As a result, allergy safety still depends too heavily on where food is served, how it is labelled and whether staff have the right training and information. A more consistent legal framework is needed to better protect children, families, workers and consumers, and to help prevent further avoidable deaths.

Further information and support 

You can also read more about our work supporting families affected by serious allergic reactions and failures in food safety and allergen management.