Food safety and food poisoning

Rules

If you have eaten or bought food that is not safe or of a satisfactory standard, you have the right to make a formal complaint. Food is considered unsafe/unsatisfactory when it:

• Results in you experiencing vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pains
• Contains a foreign object, for example, glass, insects, hair
• Is contaminated by chemicals such as disinfectants or detergents
• Appears to be contaminated in some way - this may be noticed by a bad taste or smell

In addition, you can also make a complaint if you are unhappy with the hygiene standard in a food premises, e.g., supermarket, restaurant, etc.

If you suspect that there is something wrong with the food you have been served or purchased

When eating out:

• Do not accept an unsatisfactory meal in a restaurant or café – send it back, leave or ask for an entirely fresh serving on a clean plate
• Always remember that hot food must be served piping hot

From take-aways

Store the affected food in a sealed container in the fridge until it is examined by the authorities.

Purchased products

• Make a note of when and where the food was purchased, when the food was first opened and when the problem was first noticed
• Keep the food product in the fridge or freezer, cover it and store it away from other food
• Do not remove any foreign objects from the food product
• Keep all the labels and packaging from the food product