The Spreadsheet Trap: the Biggest Risk to UK Food Compliance?

For decades, the spreadsheet has been the "comfort blanket" of managing food processes. It’s flexible, it’s familiar, and it’s already paid for in company’s office software suites.

However, our State of the Food Technology Stack Survey has revealed a startling paradox: many are still clinging to using spreadsheets but, we don’t actually like them much!

According to the report, nearly 40% of food companies (and a staggering 70% of smaller firms) still rely on spreadsheets as a core part of their tech stack. Yet, when asked to rate their satisfaction, users gave spreadsheets a 2.9 out of 5—the lowest score of any solution in the survey.

For UK manufacturers navigating the most stringent regulatory landscape in a generation, any similar "satisfaction gap" isn't just a user frustration. It is a compliance ticking time bomb.

Why are Spreadsheets Bad for Food Safety Management?

The "Version Control" Nightmare: Natasha’s Law and the Margin for Error

Since the implementation of Natasha’s Law, the margin for error in allergen labelling has effectively vanished. In a spreadsheet-led environment, data is "static."

If a supplier changes an ingredient specification, a Quality Assurance (QA) manager must manually update the master sheet, the recipe sheet, and the labelling software.

The risk of "Data inconsistency"

If "Version 2.1" of a recipe is on the production floor but "Version 2.2" (with the new allergen update) is sitting on a Technical Manager's desktop, the results can be catastrophic. In a UK context, inconsistency doesn't just mean a messy report—it means a potential criminal prosecution.

The spreadsheet counterpoint – the all-in-one platforms

Dedicated software users in the survey reported significantly higher satisfaction (4.0 out of 5) because these systems provide a "single source of truth." When the spec changes, the label changes, without re-keying, without the possibilities of extra errors.

The Innovation Hurdle vs the Spreadsheet: UK NPD Agility Gap

The UK’s HFSS (High Fat, Salt, and Sugar) restrictions have forced New Product Development (NPD) teams into cycles of reformulation. The announcement around changes to SDIL thresholds and milk/milk-alternative exclusions is another such example.

To stay competitive, brands must pivot quickly to avoid marketing restrictions and "pester power" bans.
The survey found that R&D and NPD leaders are desperate for "access to shared data to innovate quickly."

• In a spreadsheet, calculating an HFSS score is a manual, formula-heavy chore. 
• If you tweak the sugar content, you have to manually re-verify the entire nutrient profile.

When your data is siloed in a "manual stack," your speed to market slows down. While your competitors could already be using automated platforms to model reformulations in seconds, spreadsheet-reliant teams are stuck cross-referencing cells, increasing the risk of a product hitting the shelves with an incorrect nutrient claim.

The Audit Trail: BRCGS Version 9 and the "Silo" Problem

If you’ve sat through a BRCGS Version 9 audit, you know that objective evidence of "where is the data?" is a question that can make or break your day.

The Trustwell report found that Supply Chain Visibility is now a top investment priority for 14.2% of the industry.

For the UK, the post-Brexit supply chain is more fractured than ever. Tracking a "Product of Origin" or a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) through a series of folders and Excel tabs is no longer considered "best practice" by modern auditors.

The survey noted that satisfaction with supply chain visibility in spreadsheets is a worse picture than the overall score - a dismal 2.62 out of 5.

Dedicated platforms offer an automated audit trail that shows who changed what and when - providing the transparency that UK retailers and auditors now need.

Moving Beyond the Comfort Blanket

The transition from spreadsheets to dedicated food technology is often seen as a "nice-to-have" digital transformation project. But as the survey results show, the industry is reaching a breaking point.

The "manual stack" creates data silos that lead to labelling errors, slow NPD cycles, and audit failures. In the UK, where regulations like Natasha’s Law and HFSS are 'set in stone', the cost of a human error and compliance failure far outweighs the cost of a software subscription.

It’s time to build a tech stack that works as hard as the people using it.

Are you ready to retire the spreadsheet? 

Get the full State of the Food Technology Stack Survey Report
See how the industry is navigating the shift to a connected, compliant future