Make a complaint about food or a food business

You can complain about food you have bought in Richmond upon Thames, or a food business located in the borough.

Before you start

Make sure that you should be complaining to us, rather than the company who sold you the food.

Who to complain to

You should complain to us if the food:

• Has actually caused food poisoning
• Could not be reasonably eaten and appears hazardous to health
• Contains a foreign object, such as a piece of metal
• Is contaminated with chemical or improper additives
• Has the wrong composition
• Is labelled wrongly or with misleading claims, such as beef sold as lamb

You should complain to the company who sold you the food if:

• The food is unsatisfactory and you simply want a refund. We are unable to seek a refund on your behalf
• The complaint is not of a serious nature, such as insects in fruit and vegetables

Complaints about food

We can only take action if the food was purchased in the borough of Richmond and there is:

• A public health risk
• A good chain of evidence
• Evidence that the company concerned has not taken all reasonable to steps to prevent the problem

You may need to must be willing to make a recorded statement about the incident. You should keep all available packaging and proof of purchase.

Complaints about a food business

We can only take action if the food business is location in the borough of Richmond and the premises:

• Poses a serious risk to health, such as evidence of mice, rats or cockroaches
• Is flooded with water or sewage
• Smells of gas
• Has staff or customers who are smoking inside
• Presents a potential risk to public safety

We can also take action if you believe that you have suffered food poisoning after eating at the premises.

You will need

You will need to provide:

• Your details
• Details of the food business you wish to complain about (name, address and a description of the problem)
• Any supporting evidence, for example photos

What happens next

Your complaint will be passed to the Food Safety team and an officer will reply to you as soon as possible. We aim to respond within 14 days of receiving the complaint.

All complaints received are dealt with in chronological order.

Start your complaint