Report unsafe food, dirty food businesses or food crime
We give complaints priority based on their risk of harm. To ensure we understand the problem concerned we will want to contact you if you allege food poisoning or serious injury due to something in food.
For more information on food, food hygiene and monitoring, visit our food page.
To report an issue with food that you have purchased please use the Report contaminated food form.
To report an issue with a food premises please use the Report issues with a food premises form.
If you believe you are suffering from food poisoning caused by eating food bought in Leeds please contact us using the Suspected food poisoning form. For any medical advice, please consult your doctor.
What do we do with anonymous complaints?
We do not share your personal details without your consent. If we cannot confirm certain details with you, the least we will do is to note your complaint on our files. We will consider your complaint when the next inspection is due.
What do we mean by ‘unsafe’ food?
Unsafe food is likely to cause food poisoning or serious injury. For example, food that you can eat straight from the pack without any further heating that is also past the Use By date, or food that contains hard sharp items such as glass.
We are unlikely to investigate some common problems with food. Please see our Common food problems we are unlikely to investigate (PDF 167KB) document for details.
What if you no longer have the food you want to complain about?
We need to see any items causing your concern. We will accept photographs initially, but may ask to see the items directly. If you no longer have those item/s, we will note your allegation and consider it at the time of the next inspection.
What might we do with any items you give to us?
Our aim is to prevent a similar problem happening again. Once you give any items to us it is on the understanding that you give up ownership. If you later intend to use the items to gain compensation, we advise you to seek advice from a solicitor instead. We may forward any items you give to us, to others to help any further investigation that may prevent the problem happening again. Your details will however remain anonymous unless otherwise agreed with you.
Should you contact a different Agency with your complaint?
If your allegation concerns:
- food that is not as described, or expected,
- allergy information on or missing from labelling, menus or similar
please direct your concern to West Yorkshire Trading Standards.
What do we consider to be a 'dirty food business'?
If you think that a business is:
- so dirty, or
- how food is handled is so poor,
- that the situation may cause food poisoning, or
- harmful items to enter food,
then you should report it to us. Please describe your concerns clearly, so that we can decide what to do next.
We will also consider allegations concerning food crime, such as illegal slaughter or use of items intended to be waste.
Do we tell you what we find when visit the business involved?
We do not usually tell you what we find but we will let you know if we intend to provide you further information. We rate most food businesses and publish the rating as part of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. If after a visit we re-rate the business, based on what we find, the new rating will appear on the FHRS website for you to view. You can also check the Food Alerts website which is run by the Food Standards Agency. You may also request certain information from us in writing, by submitting a freedom of information request.
