Food Complaints

What is a food complaint?
If you bought food from a shop, or had a meal at a restaurant or café and found it contained something that shouldn’t be there, for example plastic or hair, then this can be classed as a food complaint.

You may also wish to complain about the hygiene standards in a food business.

Who should I contact if I want to make a food complaint against a shop, restaurant of cafe?
You can use the contact details at the top of this page to inform us of problems such as:

  • Food containing foreign bodies, e.g. insects, metal or glass.
  • Food that is mouldy.
  • Food sold past it's "Use By" date.
  • Food that is contaminated or unfit to eat.
  • Hygiene standards in Food Businesses

Devon County's Trading Standards Departments deal with complaints such as:

  • Food that is past its "Best Before" date.
  • Chemical contamination of food.
  • Complaints about the quality of food.
  • Labelling and false description of food.

What will happen to my food complaint?
Once the officer investigating your complaint has collected the relevant information, the most appropriate action will be determined by reference to national and local guidance on food safety. You may find that your complaint has been referred to another Authority to investigate if it has been purchased outside.East Devon District Council’s area, or should be dealt with by another agency such as Trading Standards Departments or the Meat Hygiene Service.

In many cases, action taken will be informal. The investigating officer will give you an explanation of the outcome of the investigation and with your agreement disclose your details, i.e. name, address, etc. to the food business concerned. The Customer Services Section of most major food companies like to contact customers to provide assurance of the quality of their products. If we wish to deal with matters in a more formal manner and take legal action, you will be asked to produce formal statements and we may need further details.

It may take several weeks for the investigation to collect all the necessary evidence on which to decide what action is appropriate. You will always be kept informed of the outcome of the investigation and this is normally done in writing.

Can I get compensation?
We do not discuss compensation on your behalf, as this is a matter between you and the retailer or the manufacturer.

Page last updated on 25 November 2011