Complain about a food business

We investigate concerns and complaints about unsatisfactory food premises, food handling practices and complaints about food purchased in Oxford that poses a public health risk.

What we deal with

• sighting of pests such as rats, mice or cockroaches in a food premises
• poor levels of cleanliness in kitchen, storerooms and food service areas
• unhygienic food handling
• food that is unfit to eat, or makes you ill
• contaminated food that can't be eaten  (e.g. mouldy)
• food containing foreign objects that could cause harm (e.g. glass)

What we don't deal with

• poor quality service
• misrepresentation of a service
• overcharging or prices
• chemical contamination of food
• the quality and nature of food (e.g. cod sold as haddock)
• the composition of food (e.g. percentage of meat in a sausage)
• food labelling
• Weights and measures of food

These are dealt with by Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards.

Common food complaints

Here are some common food complaints where there is no risk to public health and the product should be taken back to the supplier or retailer.

Tinned fruit and vegetables

Insects, grubs, wasps, fruit flies live naturally and may be harvested along with fruit and vegetables but are killed by the canning process.

Fresh fruit and vegetables

Soil, small stones, slugs often adhere to fruit and vegetables, this is quite normal as they originate from the soil.

Fresh salad vegetables

Greenfly can be found on salad leaves which are difficult to wash off but they are not harmful.

Tinned fish

Hard crystals known as 'Struvite' can form in fish and can be mistaken for glass but they are not harmful and will be broken down by stomach acid.

Fresh fish

Can be infested with small, round, brownish yellow worms. These are found in the flesh. They are killed by cooking and are harmless to humans.

Seafood

Luminous bacteria causes seafood to glow and can sometimes be found on crabmeat, cooked shrimp, prawns and simulated seafood products made from surimi.

Meat and meat products

Skin, small fragments of bone, hair, bristles, blood vessels - these are normal parts of the animal - They are unsightly but are rarely a health hazard.

Bread and cakes

Sometimes small lumps of overcooked dough known as 'bakery char' can be found in bread or cakes. It is not necessarily an indicator of poor hygiene. Can be mistaken for rodent droppings.

Machinery used to make bread and cakes is lubricated with vegetable oils. Sometimes in can be incorporated into the dough giving areas of grey/greasy appearance.

Dried foods

Insects like beetles, weevils and moths can infest dry products like flour, pasta, sugar, pulses. They do not carry disease and are harmless. Food must be thrown away into external bins, and shelves cleaned.

Chocolate

Can develop a light white 'bloom' if stored at too high a temperature. It is not mould it is due to fat separation - it is not harmful.

Reporting a food complaint

You will need to:

• Arrange to bring the food into our offices.
• Bring the original packaging and receipt if its available.
• Freeze the food beforehand if it is perishable.
• Leave any foreign objects in the food - do not remove them.
• Provide details of the complaint and to sign a consent form.

If you allow us to investigate your complaint we will not be able to return the food to you.