Common complaints and how to report a food or health and safety issue
Food complaints
Common complaints are:
- mouldy food
- food which contains a foreign matter (for example, a piece of metal, glass, plastic or insect)
- foods which may have been contaminated (for example, with chemicals or odours)
- food which has been sold past its 'use by' date
What you can do
Return the food to the place you bought it from (most businesses will offer you a refund). Contact the manufacturer, there may be a contact number on the side of the packaging.
With any food complaint, we recommend that you freeze the item to prevent further deterioration. Particularly where there is a delay in you returning it to the premises.
Take photos of the problem and keep all the packaging. If it's a foreign matter in the food, leave the item where you found it and take a picture. Take pictures of the packaging, particularly of dates and coding.
Contact us to make a complaint
If you're not satisfied with the response you've received from the place you purchased the food (or the manufacturer) you can forward the complaint to us. Our contact details are at the bottom of the page.
Forward us your photos if you've taken any. If you still have the product, we can arrange collection, or you can bring it to our office.
What we do
We investigate all complaints about food hygiene, potential food poisoning and the hygiene of premises. An officer may visit the premises to:
- look at the condition of the food business
- assess food hygiene procedures and practices
- take samples of foods for examination
We'll keep you updated of our findings, and the outcome of our investigation.