Food Complaints

• Foods causing illness
  If you are a resident of the borough we can investigate allegations of food poisoning. If you live outside the borough you should contact the local authority in which you live to report your illness.
• Foreign Objects in food
  A foreign object can be anything that has found it’s way into foods that shouldn’t be there, such as glass, insects and plastic.
• Labeling
  Complaints are often received about food sold ‘out of date’. There are two types of date codes on pre-packed foods. A Best Before date is the date up to when the food will be in its best condition, it is not illegal to sell a food item beyond a best before date. (Although this is not a practice encouraged). A Use By date is found on highly perishable foods and is the date up to which the food can safely be consumed. It is illegal for a business to sell a food item beyond a Use By date.

Download our advise sheet for further details and what you contact details for making a complaint.

The Food Safety Team

It is our aim to ensure that food sold and manufactured in the Newtownabbey Borough Council area is safe to eat. To achieve this, the Food Safety Team carryout a wide rang of duties to safeguard the public health of all people living in or visiting the Borough.

The Food Safety Team carryout regular inspections of Food Establishments within the Borough, including restaurants, cafes, pubs, hotels, supermarkets, shops, kitchens serving food to the public and food manufacturers.

• We inspect food establishments to ensure that food is being handled and produced hygienically.
• We investigate food complaints (linked to section on food complaints etc).
• We respond to consumer complaints and concerns regarding unhygienic food premises.
• We investigate cases of food poisoning.
• We provide food hygiene training for businesses and voluntary groups.
• We provide advice and guidance to new and existing food businesses.
• We respond to food alerts issued by the Food Standards Agency about potentially unsafe food.
• We carryout programmed food sampling of businesses to ensure the food they produce is safe.

Related Documents to Download:

Complaints About Food (.pdf 13Kb)

Food Safety Team (.pdf 25Kb)

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