How to report unsafe food or a food problem
Last reviewed 5 October 2026 against the sources listed below.
If you find a problem with food you bought, or think food made you ill, you can report it. Reports help councils investigate and can lead to a recall.
Who to report to
The FSA says members of the public should report food problems to their local council's food safety team. Use the GOV.UK postcode tool, find your local food safety team, and enter the full postcode of the food business. In Scotland, see Food Standards Scotland.
What you can report
According to the FSA, you can report problems including:
- suspected food poisoning
- a foreign object in your food
- food with visible signs of mould or decay
- food sold past its use-by date
- missing or incorrect allergen information
- dirty premises, poor hand hygiene or poor food handling
Council food safety teams can't help with food quality or customer service problems. Take those, and refunds or missing deliveries, to the business.
Before you report
- Keep the food and its packaging if you can, or photograph the product, batch code and date.
- Keep your receipt or proof of purchase.
- Note where and when you bought it.
- If you are unwell, get medical advice first (NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency).
Food fraud
To report food crime, such as products deliberately mislabelled or substituted, use the FSA's National Food Crime Unit service, linked from the GOV.UK report a food problem page.