Complaints about a food business

If you have a food safety complaint in Knowsley find out how and who to contact.

We investigate complaints about food businesses in Knowsley. We also investigate complaints about food products bought from businesses in Knowsley.

What we investigate

We only investigate complaints about food safety. We cannot investigate complaints about poor food quality or customer service.

Examples of complaints we investigate

  • Pests seen in food premises
  • Unhygienic food handling practices
  • Food that has not been cooked properly and poses a food safety risk
  • Foreign objects in food that could cause illness or injury

We cannot

  • Request compensation on your behalf
  • Investigate your complaint without a confirmed diagnosis, unless you have a stool sample

What you need to do

  1. Keep as much evidence as possible, including the food, any receipts and packaging.
  2. Contact your GP and arrange to submit a stool sample if you are ill and believe it is linked to a food business.
  3. Notify us of your concerns, even if you do not have a confirmed diagnosis.

How we investigate

There are many illnesses that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms, many of which can be caused by things other than eating food. Some forms of illness can take several days to cause illness after the initial infection and, therefore, it is not possible to attribute a particular food business without a confirmed diagnosis

The UK Health Security Agency will notify us if you submit a stool sample and an illness of concern is identified. We may contact you to ask you to complete a detailed health questionnaire.

We may choose not to investigate your complaint if

  • You have not provided a stool sample and do not have a confirmed diagnosis
  • Your complaint is not about food safety
  • Your complaint is about a food business that is not in Knowsley

Make a complaint

Contact

Environmental Health Service

Email

environmentalhealth@knowsley.gov.uk

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