Oxford City Council

The Council investigates complaints about food purchased in Oxford that poses a public health risk. We cannot deal with compensation claims, you must go directly to the company who sold the food.

We can deal with:

Food that is unfit to eat or actually makes you ill
Food that is so contaminated that it could not reasonably be eaten e.g. a mouldy pie
Food containing a foreign object that may cause harm e.g. glass in food

Common problems are covered in our Common Food Complaints list below. For these minor problems, there is no risk to health and it is best to complain directly to the company who sold the food. Most large supermarket chains have efficient quality control and complaints procedures. This will enable you to obtain a refund.

We can't deal with:

Chemical Contamination
Quality and nature of food e.g. cod sold as haddock
Composition of Foods e.g. sausages must contain a minimum percentage of meat
Food labelling
Weights and measures

These matters are dealt with by Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards. You can contact them by phone on 0845 051 0845 or by email at trading.standards@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Who should I contact?

If you have a complaint about food that poses a public health risk, which you have bought in the Oxford City Council area please contact us on 01865 249811 or Email Us.

Investigation Process

If you allow us to investigate your complaint we will not be able to return the food to you.

You will need to:

Arrange to bring the food into our offices
Bring the original packaging and receipt if its available
If the food is perishable, it is best to freeze it
If there is a foreign object in the food - do not remove it
You will be asked to provide details of the complaint and to sign a consent form

Common Food Complaints

Type of Food	Type of Complaint	Risk to Public health	Who to complain to
Tinned Fruit and vegetables	Insects, grubs, wasps, fruit flies live naturally and may be harvested along with fruit and vegetables, but are killed by the canning process	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Fresh Fruit and vegetables	Soil, small stones, slugs often adhere to fruit and vegetables. This is quite normal as they originate from the soil.	No risk - simply wash fruit and vegetables	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Fresh Salad vegetables	Greenfly can be found on salad leaves. They are difficult to wash off but they are not harmful.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Tinned Fish	Hard crystals known as 'Struvite' can form in fish. They can be mistaken for glass. They are not harmful and will be broken down by stomach acid.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Fresh Fish	Can be infested with small, round, brownish yellow worms. These are found in the flesh. They are killed by cooking and are harmless to humans.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Seafood	Luminous bacteria causes seafood to glow and can sometimes be found on crabmeat, cooked shrimp, prawns and simulated seafood products made from surimi.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Meat and meat products	Skin, small fragments of bone, hair, bristles, blood vessels - these are normal parts of the animal - They are unsightly but are rarely a health hazard.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Bread and cakes	Sometimes small lumps of overcooked dough known as 'bakery char' can be found in bread or cakes. It is not necessarily an indicator of poor hygiene. Can be mistaken for rodent droppings.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Bread and cakes	Machinery used to make bread and cakes is lubricated with vegetable oils. Sometimes in can be incorporated into the dough giving areas of grey/greasy appearance.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Dried foods	Insects like beetles, weevils and moths can infest dry products like flour, pasta, sugar, pulses. They do not carry disease and are harmless. Food must be thrown away into external bins, and shelves cleaned.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer
Chocolate	Can develop a light white 'bloom' if stored at too high a temperature. It is not mould it is due to fat separation - it is not harmful.	No risk	Take product back to the supplier or retailer

Recycling, rubbish and waste

Food Complaints

Who should I contact?

Investigation Process

Common Food Complaints

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