Service Make a complaint about a food outlet
We deal with complaints about:
- Dirty premises
- Unhygienic practices
- Food that may have been contaminated or unfit to eat
In the current situation we are prioritising our work and it may be some time before an officer can respond to enquiries. Please bear with us.
Start the journey
More info about the journey
The name and address of the food business.
If relating to a particular food:
- if any of the food is left, freeze it in a clean freezer bag if it is likely to deteriorate before it can be collected.
- any wrapping associated with the food
- any bill or receipt for the food
Details of anyone you have already spoken to at the business.
Once we have collected the relevant information, we use national and local guidance on food safety to decide what action to take. We may refer your complaint to another authority to investigate if the food was purchased or produced outside our area, or should be dealt with by another agency such as Trading Standards Departments or the Food Standards Agency.
In many cases the action taken will be informal. We will only give your details, i.e. name, address, etc. to the food business concerned if you ask us too. If we decide to deal with matters in a formal manner and take legal action, you will be asked to produce a statement and we may need further details.
It may take several weeks to collect all the necessary evidence and decide what action is appropriate. We will tell you what the outcome of the investigation is, usually in writing.
Can I get compensation?
We do not discuss compensation on your behalf, this is a matter between you and the retailer or the manufacturer.