Food complaints

If you have a complaint about food or a food business we may be able to investigate it if there is a risk to public health.

Complaints that we deal with

We investigate complaints about unsatisfactory food premises, poor food handling practices and food purchased in Broadland or South Norfolk where there is a potential public health risk.

Complaints include:

• poor levels of hygiene
• sightings of pests on the premises such as rats, mice and cockroaches
• food contaminated with foreign objects such as glass, flies or hair (in locally produced food)
• food that is unfit to eat, or makes you ill, for example beyond its use-by date, mouldy or undercooked
• food borne illness, for example vomiting and diarrhoea

To make a complaint, please first check the list of common food complaints to check whether there is an associated public health risk. You can then make a complaint by contacting us using the details at the bottom of this page. 

Complaints that we do not deal with

Trading Standards investigate food item complaints regarding food standards and consumer issues such as:

• chemical contamination of food
• composition of food, for example sausages must contain a minimum percentage of meat
• adulteration of foods, for example watering down orange juice
• food labelling offences and misleading claims
• quality and nature of food, for example cod sold as haddock

To report these complaints, contact Citizens Advice on 0345 404 0506 or visit the Norfolk Citizens Advice website. They will refer your complaint to local trading standards officers.