Food complaints

How do I register a complaint?

If you have a complaint about food bought, provided or manufactured in Belfast, we'll investigate it for you. You can register a complaint by:

Why complain?

If you have concerns about a food premises in Belfast let us know. Our food team will investigate your complaint and the investigation will have two main aims:

What happens first?

Within five working days of you making your complaint we'll: If you have a sample of the food we'll ask you to bring it into our offices.

As part of your complaint the premises that sold you the food may be visited and inspected.

If your food wasn't purchased in Belfast, you'll be asked to contact the local authority where you made your purchase. We can assist with contact details so that you can contact them directly. Alternatively, we can refer the complaint for you.

If you have a disability and are unable to come to the office we can arrange to collect the food sample from you.

What if I don't live in Belfast?

If you don't live in Belfast you may be able to take the food to your own local authority, which can arrange to send it to us. It's advisable to telephone first to check whether your local authority can assist.

If you have the receipt and any labelling or packaging for the food, please bring them with you. If you can't visit our offices immediately, it's usually advisable to freeze the product if it is perishable.

Information we require

When we contact you we'll ask for additional information. We need to know:

How do we investigate your complaint?

Often we send samples of food to a council-appointed public analyst who gives us an expert opinion on what is wrong with it. The food is very often destroyed during analysis so we can't return it to you later. This process can take up to 2 months.

If you don't have the original food, we'll visit the premises and collect samples of similar food which will be sent to the Public Health Laboratory for microbiological analysis. This can take up to 2 weeks.

We'll always inform you of the results of any testing carried out or samples taken.

We'll consider what precautions have been taken to prevent your complaint. If the complaint arose through circumstances which couldn't have been foreseen or prevented, the law prevents us from taking action.

How long does an investigation take?

The time taken to investigate a complaint will vary, ranging from a few days to many months. Cases that result in a formal caution or prosecution can take over a year to complete.

What are the likely outcomes of your complaint?

The complaint investigation will establish whether any offence has been committed. If there haven't been any offences and there is no continuing risk to health, the investigation will be closed.

If we have sufficient evidence to prove that an offence has been committed, we'll consider the following issues in deciding what action to take: Our main aim is to make sure that the public is protected from the possibility of any similar complaints in the future. The action we take will be informal or formal.

Informal action

This usually involves a written or verbal warning. Informal action will be taken when:

Formal action

This involves formally cautioning the company or prosecuting it in court. In the case of prosecution you must be willing to give evidence of: In some cases, you may be asked to attend court as a witness but often evidence can be given in the form of a written and signed statement. It'll be necessary to release your name to the company if we take legal proceedings.

You'll be told about the outcome of the investigation and the investigating officer will explain to you the reasons behind the final decision in your case.

We'll keep your identity strictly confidential. Sometimes a business may want to apologise, in these cases we'll only reveal your identity if you give your consent.

Consideration will also be made to our enforcement policies.

Will this investigation help me to claim compensation?

Our food team won't give you advice about your right to compensation. You'd need to take independent legal advice regarding this. The Citizens Advice Bureau can provide further information regarding your legal rights.

Important information to note

Do Don't

If you don't have a sample of the food

If the complaint doesn't involve a food sample we'll still investigate it.

Common Complaints

The following are typical food complaints together with a short explanation and suggestions for the most suitable course of action. Foreign objects in food are a common complaint but not all pose a risk to health.

If you require further advice, please contact us.

Common food complaints
Type of food Complaint Details Action
Bakery goods Bakery char Bread and cakes may contain bits of overcooked dough that has flaked off the bakery tins. It's not necessarily an indicator of poor hygiene, although they may be mistaken for rodent droppings. These are black and a regular torpedo shape, while bakery char is blackish and comes in uneven shapes. In both cases no public health risk and we advise you contact the manufacturer or retailer.
Carbonised Grease The machinery used to produce bread and cakes is lubricated with a non-toxic vegetable oil. Occasionally some oil may become incorporated into dough giving areas of the product a grey/greasy appearance.
Chocolate or confectionery Bloom Chocolate may develop a light coloured bloom if stored at too high a temperature. It isn't mould but is due to fat separation. It's not harmful. No public health risk. Return to retailer.
Crystals Large crystals may form in confectionery and may be mistaken for glass. The crystals will dissolve in warm water.
Dried foods Insects Dried products such as flour, sugar and pulses may contain small insects such as psocids (book lice). These don't carry disease, but they eat through the paper of the packet. They breed very quickly in warm dark, humid conditions, and so spread into uncontaminated food very quickly. No public health risks. Throw out all affected food, clean cupboards with a weak bleach solution and dry thoroughly. Store new dried goods in airtight containers, make sure there is good ventilation in kitchen.
Fish Luminous marine bacteria Luminous bacteria can sometimes be found on seafood. Crabmeat, cooked shrimp and simulated seafood products made from surimi are the most common seafood associated with luminescence or glowing. When seafood glows it means that luminous bacteria are present. This suggests that the seafood was held for a time at a temperature that bacteria could grow. It doesn't mean the seafood is unsafe or of low quality. There are no reports of illness from luminous marine bacteria growing on seafood. No public health risk. Return to retailer or manufacturer.
Codworm White fish such as cod or haddock may be infested with a small, round brownish yellow worm. These are found in the flesh. They are killed by cooking and are harmless to humans. The affected parts of the fish are usually cut away, but some may be overlooked. No public health risk. Contact manufacturer.
Meat Skin, bone, etc Products made from meat and or poultry may contain small bones or skin or parts of blood vessels. These are unsightly but not a health risk as they are normal parts of the original animal. No public health risk. Contact manufacturer.
Tinned food Insects Occasionally small grubs may be discovered in canned vegetables. These are commonly found in sweetcorn and tomatoes. The grubs are in fact the larvae of a moth. They live inside the kernel and so are impossible to see before processing. They are killed and sterilised by the canning process. As the use of pesticides decreases, the incidence of these pests will increase. In these cases there is no public health risk. Contact manufacturer.
Wasps and fruit flies These are common in tins of fruit. They are naturally associated with ripe fruit and don't carry disease.
Struvite Certain naturally occurring elements in fish may develop into hard crystals during the canning process. These crystals may be mistaken for glass fragments and are called struvite. It isn't harmful and will be broken down by stomach acids if swallowed. It's especially common in tinned salmon. Struvite crystals will be dissolved if placed in vinegar and gently heated, glass won't. No public health risk. Contact manufacturer if struvite, or Environmental Health if glass.
Mould Dented, damaged, or incorrectly processed tins may allow mould growth to occur. This could indicate an error in production or storage. Possible public health risk. Contact Environmental Health.
Vegetables and fruit Stones, soil and slugs Fruit and vegetables commonly have soil, stones or small slugs adhering to them. This is quite normal as they originate in the soil. No public health risk. Wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly.
Greenfly Salad vegetables may have green fly attached, especially lettuce. This is becoming increasingly common as the use of pesticides decreases. Greenfly are difficult to wash off and they aren't harmful. In fact they demonstrate that the salad is fresh. No public health risk. No action required, wash thoroughly.
Mould growth This will naturally occur when fruit and vegetables become damaged and bruised. This will be minimised if the buyer checks the produce before purchase. No public health risk. No action required, dispose of damaged items.

Faecal sample submission

If you've been ill as a result of a food and have made a complaint, we may suggest that you submit a faecal sample to your doctor.

Use these methods to collect some of your stool for testing at a laboratory.
  1. Obtain a sample jar from your doctor or alternatively we can provide you with one. (see contact details)
  2. Place several sheets of kitchen roll on top of the water in the toilet bowl or hold a clean disposable plastic container or bag underneath.
  3. Pass the motion on to this.
  4. Use the scoop provided place one scoopful into the container.
  5. Replace the lid and firmly close.
  6. Make sure the outside of the container is clean.
  7. Thoroughly wash your hands with hot water and soap.
  8. Write your name, date of birth and date and time you collected sample on the label and place the sample in the bag provided.
  9. Thoroughly wash your hands with hot water and soap.
  10. Keep the sample in a cool place.
Please note