Bludot Technologies has new rules on food safety wrapped up
Bludot Technologies in Northern Ireland has developed a unique digital platform to help UK food businesses meet the stricter requirements on labelling of pre-packed foods. Known as ‘Natasha’s Law’, the new legislation comes into effect in October 2021 and requires Allergen and Nutritional information to be included on all packaging.
Based in Cookstown, Bludot Technologies is a specialist in technology solutions for the food, retail and hospitality sectors.
Allergen Intelligence streamlines the creation, display and printing of mandatory allergen and nutritional information, making it simple for businesses of all sizes, to meet the requirements of the new legislation.
Creating compliant labels is getting increasingly complicated. Food businesses, both large and small, are aware of the need for technology to help overcome these challenges. The “Intelligent Algorithm” at the core of the Bludot solution effortlessly creates and manages all the information necessary to produce compliant food labels.
The new law, in addition, has implications for restaurants providing digital click n collect and home delivery services for consumers.
Allergen Intelligence is major component within Bludot’s comprehensive digital offering for food retailers that enables them to embrace growing trends among consumers for online ordering.
John Melarkey, Bludot Technologies Chief Revenue Officer, commenting on the market leading technology solution, said: “We’ve been working on the new technology platform for more than 2 years in response to the debates around consumer safety that led to “Natasha’s Law”, the objective of which is to protect food allergy sufferers in particular. It will also help to ensure confidence among consumers in general about the pre-packaged food they buy.
“Natasha’s Law brings greater transparency about what people are buying and eating. Allergen Intelligence in its own small way is helping to make food safer to eat”
“Pre-packed food for direct sale will soon require more detailed labelling about allergens from October. We’ve used our extensive experience in the food industry to design a digital platform to help the industry comply with the much tighter safety legislation for consumers.
“While the new legislation applies to onsite pre-packaged food, all food producers need to factor in the new requirements which may be extended to the industry in due course,” adds Mr Melarkey.
The new regulations follow the tragic death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse after suffering a severe allergic reaction to a pre-packed baguette bought at Heathrow Airport in London in July 2016
‘Natasha’s Law’ will come into force in October 2021, giving businesses a transition period to prepare for the new rules. The Food Standards Agency will publish information for industry on October 1 to help ensure that businesses of all sizes can prepare and adapt to these changes.
It replaces the current situation in which food prepared on the premises in which it is sold is not required to display allergen information on the label.
BLUDOTs unique Allergen Information hub provides a fully-integrated and real-time system for streamlining the creation and monitoring of mandatory food nutritional information and allergies for product labelling.
The allergen feature is an integral and important part of a much more extensive digital solution provided by Bludot Technologies for the food and retail industry. The technology is aimed at food stores and other key retailers such as convenience stores and is designed to assist in enhancing their business by streamlining sales and the whole customer experience.
Other key features for food retailers include facilities for click and collect, click and delivery, pre-ordering, scan, pay and go and for mobile payments at the pump in petrol forecourts.