Food safety complaints

Food premises complaints

We can only investigate complaints about food premises or food sold within the Arun district. If your complaint relates to a business outside of Arun, you will need to contact the relevant local authority.

We will consider factors such as the public health risk, previous history and current food hygiene rating to help decide which complaints are investigated.

Complaints we typically investigate

  • pest infestations  
  • poor levels of cleanliness in kitchens and preparation rooms
  • poor food hygiene and handling practices
  • outbreaks of food poisoning (laboratory confirmation)
  • foreign body complaint that has caused or is likely to cause actual physical injury (for example, glass or small pieces or metal in food) - we’ll need to see the item and if possible, all packaging and receipts
  • unsafe food for sale

Complaints we we are unlikely to investigate

Examples of when we will not investigate include the following:

  • matters where there is no risk to public health or safety
  • if there is no evidence (including where the food items cannot be provided)
  • the manufacturer has done all that was reasonable to prevent the occurrence (known as a due diligence defence)
  • a food poisoning allegation where there is no laboratory confirmation
  • low risk issues where the previous history is good
  • food past the best-before (this is not an offence)
  • product, quality, description or issues of that nature - these complaints are dealt with by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards

Make a complaint

To make a complaint about:

  • suspected food poisoning,
  • food products
  • poor food safety and hygiene practices

use the below button and complete the form.

Make a food safety complaint