Food hygiene complaints

Food premises

Food premises are routinely inspected for food safety and hygiene. The environmental health department also investigate complaints about food premises linked to food safety and hygiene. Complaints might include:

• People smoking in kitchens, storerooms or preparation rooms
• Pets or animals in kitchens, store rooms or preparation rooms
• Sightings of vermin or pests on food premises
• Poor levels of cleanliness in kitchens, store rooms or preparation rooms
• Poor food handling practices
• Undercooked food
• Large accumulations of food waste

Complaints regarding the quality of food, standard of décor in dining areas or pets outside of food preparation areas cannot be investigated.

To report a food hygiene concern, please email: envhealth@cheltenham.gov.uk.

Items in food

Whilst food is generally manufactured to high standards, occasionally things go wrong. 

If you find an unacceptable object in your food, you should leave the item as found within the food. We may need to examine the food item as part of our investigation and will advise you if this is the case. If the food is perishable, please place it in your freezer. 

Alternatively, you can complain directly to the manufacturer or retailer.

Food businesses usually have systems in place to protect against things going wrong. We will investigate to try to establish what went wrong. The business must demonstrate to us that procedures were in place to manage food safety.

Note: We are unable to assist with any refunds or civil claims you wish to make against a business.

To report a problem with a food item please email: envhealth@cheltenham.gov.uk.

Suspected food poisoning

Sickness and diarrhoea can be symptoms of food poisoning and other illnesses. If you are experiencing food poisoning symptoms then these can usually be treated at home. The most important thing is to have lots of fluids to avoid dehydration. If your symptoms persist then we would recommend contacting your GP or, in an emergency, call 999.

If your GP submits a stool sample for laboratory testing and food poisoning is subsequently confirmed, the environmental health department in the area that you reside will be notified via the GP or the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Confirmed food poisoning notifications will be followed up by the local authority, with a case history and any appropriate action taken dependent upon the causative organism identified.

Knowing the type of food poisoning that you have will be crucial to our investigation. Without this, it is difficult for us to know what caused your symptoms as food poisoning type symptoms are often seen in other illnesses not related to food. It is often hard to trace the source of food poisoning particularly if only one person has been unwell, however it's important to let us know especially if several people are ill.

To report a suspected food related illness please email: envhealth@cheltenham.gov.uk.

 

Food standards

Complaints relating to issues that affect food standards rather than food safety are dealt with by Gloucestershire Trading Standards. Examples of such complaints may include:

• Food quality, for example affecting taste, smell, colour or texture.
• False descriptions and/or inappropriate labelling of food and drink.
• Food and drink that has been tampered with, for example water or fat added.
• Food that is past its 'best before' date.

 

Related Pages

• Food hygiene ratings