Advice to consumers

Please note: if you have a food complaint and the food was bought in another district to Telford and Wrekin, we will pass the food and investigation to the local authority in which district the food was bought.

Steps to take:

• bring all of the food (or all that remains uneaten), all packaging and any object found, to our offices at Darby House, Lawn Central, Overdale, Telford, TF3 4JA as soon as it is convenient for you to do so, and as soon as possible in the case of perishable food or a problem which is changing, such as food going off. (If you are unable to bring these things to us, because of limited mobility for example, please contact us. Alternative arrangements may be possible)
• if possible, bring the food in a sealed plastic bag
• if the food is perishable (and it might 'go off' for example), put it in a freezer until you bring it to us
• gather as much information about the product as you can to give to the officer dealing with the investigation
• if you have any doubts about whether there is something wrong with food, please contact us for advice.

Problems with food are found in three main ways:

• Seeing something out of the ordinary
  Looking at food is the most common way of finding something wrong with it, and detects those things wrong which can be seen! These include pieces of plastic, glass or metal in food. Items such as these have the potential to cause harm and should be reported to Telford & Wrekin Council so that an investigation can be conducted to find a cause and prevent recurrence.
   
• Smelling something out of the ordinary
  By smelling food it is sometimes possible to sense anything wrong. An 'odd' smell may be caused by a chemical in the food. It is uncommon, but not impossible, for food to be contaminated with substances such as cleaning chemicals. These sorts of problems should be reported to Telford & Wrekin Council so that an investigation can be conducted to find a cause and prevent recurrence.
  
  If a smell suggests to you that food is 'going off', this may be caused by bacterial contamination or faulty packaging. Always check the best before/use by date on the package of 'off' smelling foods, and the information describing storage times and special storage conditions once opened (refrigeration for example). If you notice that a package is damaged in any way (a broken seal for example), this could be the source of a problem when food is 'going off'. When food is bought within its use by or best before date and any storage instructions followed and still something wrong found, the matter should be reported to Telford & Wrekin Council so that an investigation can be conducted to find a cause and prevent recurrence.
   
• Feeling something out of the ordinary
  Feeling something in your mouth is probably the most unpleasant way of detecting something wrong with food. These sorts of problems should be reported to Telford & Wrekin Council so that an investigation can be conducted to find a cause and prevent recurrence.

Some food complaints may not be dealt with as things can go wrong with food which have little or no effect on health

It may be unpleasant to find something wrong with your food, but not all things you might find affect your health. Below are examples of things which can be wrong with food but not harmful.

• Fruit flies and green flies in fruit and vegetables
  Small flies can be found amongst fruit (fruit flies) or vegetables (greenflies). These types of flies do not carry disease and are not harmful. You may want to contact the food seller.
   
• Caterpillars and maggots
  Sometimes these are found in tins of vegetables, in particular in tomatoes or sweetcorn. These grubs are moth larvae. They are killed and sterilised by the canning process and are not harmful. You may want to contact the food seller.
   
• Small stones and soil in fruit and vegetables
  Small stones and fragments of soil are often found attached to fruit and vegetables. These types of foods naturally occur in the soil so this is relatively common. If you find stones or soil in fruit or vegetables, it is best just to wash the product thoroughly.
   
• Crystals in canned fish
  Crystals which resemble glass are sometimes found in canned fish. The crystals are known as struvite and occur naturally. They do not pose a health risk if swallowed. You can check to see whether they are glass by placing them in vinegar and heating them gently. If they dissolve they are struvite, if they do not then they are possibly glass and you should bring the food in.
   
• Crystals in sweet and chocolates
  Sugar crystals are found in sweets and chocolates and can look just like glass. Sugar crystals will dissolve in hot water. If they do not dissolve then they may be glass and you should bring the food in. Sugar crystals are not harmful.
   
• Codworm in white fish
  Small, yellow-brown coloured worms can sometimes be found in the flesh of white fish such as cod and haddock. They are killed by cooking and are not harmful.
   
• Bakery char in bakery products
  Bakery goods such as bread and cakes sometimes contain small bits of overcooked dough which could resemble rodent droppings. These can be hard or soft and get into bakery goods by falling off previously used baking tins. They are not harmful.
   
• Carbonised grease in bakery products
  Some bakery products may have areas which appear dark and greasy. This is carbonised grease which comes from machinery used in the production of bakery goods. The grease is a non-toxic vegetable oil and is not harmful.
   
• Chocolate 'mould'
  Chocolate products can sometimes develop light coloured zones which resemble mould. They are not mould and occur if the chocolate is stored at high temperatures. In fact, mould grows on chocolate incredibly rarely. These patches of 'Bloom' as they are known are not harmful. You may want to contact the retailer or manufacturer if you find chocolate bloom. 

If you think you may have food poisoning caused by food prepared outside the home, please complete our online form:

Report food poisoning Online

The symptoms of food poisoning vary depending on the type of infection, symptoms that are common to most food poisoning infections include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• stomach cramps
• fever
• headache
• dizziness.

It is important to remember that it can take time for the symptoms of food poisoning to show, this is known as the incubation period (time taken from eating the contaminated food to the first symptoms). This varies with each type of organism - from within a day to and in some cases can be up to 10 - 15 days after consumption of the food. It is important to realise therefore, that the last meal you ate may not always be the cause of your symptoms.

Most people with food poisoning will recover without the need for treatment. However, occasionally, food poisoning can have more serious health effects, particularly in people vulnerable to the effects of an infection. For example, babies, young children, the elderly and those with a condition that weakens the immune system, can experience more severe symptoms.

If you suspect you have food poisoning it is recommended that you visit your doctor as soon as possible. You may be asked to submit a faecal sample for examination. Samples are useful in that they might be able to show which food-borne illness you are suffering from, or could rule out food poisoning. Viruses can also be detected.

Consult your doctor immediately if the person affected is a baby, a young child, elderly or if they have an existing illness or condition. You should also contact your doctor if symptoms are prolonged or severe (e.g. bloody diarrhoea). Good personal hygiene will help prevent the spread of food poisoning bacteria.

If you or a member of your family are suffering from the symptoms of food poisoning, it is recommended that you follow the advice below to try and prevent the spread of the illness:

Hand washing

• Always wash your hands after going to the toilet.
• Always wash hands before handling food, handling food utensils (cutlery or crockery) and feeding young children.
• Children should be supervised when going to the toilet and should be encouraged to wash their hands thoroughly.

Food preparation

Do not prepare food if you are suffering from food poisoning symptoms. You should be symptom free for 48 hours before handling food.

Nurseries, playgroups, child minders etc.

If a baby or child is suffering with food borne illness, they should be kept away from nursery and playgroups etc. So as to minimise the potential spread of the illness to the staff and other children. They should be symptom free for 48 hours before returning to nursery or playgroup.

Disinfection

A number of proprietary disinfectant products are available, alternatively a disinfectant solution can be made up by adding one teaspoon of household bleach to 1 litre of water. Any contaminated or potentially contaminated surfaces should be regularly disinfected, in particular hand contact surfaces for example door handles, toilet flushes, taps, light switches etc.

Stay hydrated

It is important that you drink plenty of fluids while you are ill to prevent dehydration.

What do we investigate?

We have a statutory duty to investigate certain diseases. Cases can be notified to Environmental Health in a number of ways including information from a GP or UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Different diseases will be investigated in different ways. This will usually be done by a standard questionnaire. Depending on the disease an officer may visit or phone to complete this or send the questionnaire for the infected person (or their parent/guardian if under 16 years old) to complete themselves and return to us.

The information received on the questionnaire is used to help the officer decide whether any further action is required. If a food premises is implicated an investigation may be necessary. The reason for these investigations is to try and reduce the spread of disease. So information required will include:

• occupation (some occupations have a higher risk of passing on disease e.g. a food handler)
• recent food history (this could range from a few hours to several weeks so the earlier we can ask the questions the easier it is for people to remember the answers)
• recent travel history or functions attended
• close contacts (some diseases can be spread from person to person).

Viral Infections such as 'Norovirus' (Winter Vomiting Disease) can give rise to very similar symptoms to food poisoning, but in the majority of cases these are not linked to food, but by hand to mouth contamination and often only last between 2 - 3 days. There are no long term effects that result from being infected.

Below is a list of some of the food borne illnesses we would investigate, with links to information on the GOV.UK website:

• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Campylobacter
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Cryptosporidium
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Shigella (dysentery)
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about E.coli
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Giardia
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Legionnaires' disease
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Norovirus
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Salmonella
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Gastrointestinal infections (suspected food poisoning)
• visit the GOV.UK website for more information about Typhoid and Paratyphoid (enteric fever).

You must ensure that hands are thoroughly washed to ensure the infection is not spread. Visit YouTube for advice on hand washing.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) will help you choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving you information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels, and other places you eat out. Supermarkets and other food shops are also included in the scheme.

The scheme is run by the Council in partnership with the Food Standards Agency.

Each business is given a ‘hygiene rating’ when it is inspected by our food safety officers. The hygiene rating shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law.

Visit the Food Standards Agency website for hygiene ratings for Telford and Wrekin

If you think you have seen or bought food or drink that is not properly labelled, incorrectly described, stolen or even poached, see below for guidance on what to look for, and how to report it in confidence.

Food frauds don't just affect you financially they can also harm your health and create an unfair business advantage.

We need to identify and act on food fraud to protect the public, protect legitimate businesses of Telford and Wrekin and to punish fraudsters.

What is food fraud?

Food fraud occurs when illegal, low quality and deliberately mis-described food is sold to customers as legal, premium or accurately described food for financial gain and with the intention of deceiving the consumer. Although there are several kinds of food fraud, the two main types are:

The sale of food which is unfit and potentially harmful, such as:

• recycling of animal by-products back into the food chain
• packing and selling of beef and poultry with an unknown origin
• knowingly selling goods which are past their safe 'use by' date.

The deliberate mis-description of food, such as:

• products substituted with a cheaper alternative, for example, farmed salmon sold as wild, and basmati rice adulterated (mixed) with cheap varieties
• making false statements about the source of ingredients, ie their geographic, plant or animal origin.

Food fraud may also involve the sale of meat from animals that have been stolen and/or illegally slaughtered, as well as game animals like deer that may have been poached.

We are also interested in hearing about non-registered and non-approved premises being used for food storage, preparation, slaughter and processing.

If you are currently working or have been working for a business which may be involved in food fraud activities, or if you, as a customer, have seen or been offered or sold foods which make you suspicious, then please contact Telford and Wrekin Health Protection team on 01952 381818 or email food@telford.gov.uk. Alternatively, contact the Food Standards Agency via foodfraud@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk or telephone the food fraud hotline on 020 7276 8527, where you can leave an anonymous message.

For further information visit the Food Standards Agency website.

Different rules and restrictions apply depending on the type of food and whether this food has originated from within the EU or from outside the EU

You can bring the following into Great Britain from any country without any restrictions:

• bread, but not sandwiches filled with meat or dairy products
• cakes without fresh cream
• biscuits
• chocolate and confectionery, but not those made with a lot of unprocessed dairy ingredients
• pasta and noodles, but not if mixed or filled with meat or meat products
• packaged soup, stocks and flavourings
• processed and packaged plant products, such as packaged salads and frozen plant material
• food supplements containing small amounts of an animal product, such as fish oil capsules.

From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

You can bring in the following for personal use:

• dairy
• fish
• meat (there are restrictions if you’re bringing in more than 2kgs of pork or pork products)
• other animal products - for example, eggs and honey.

You cannot bring in food from other countries on a connecting flight.

If you’re bringing in pork or pork products over 2kgs they must:

• be commercially packaged with an EU identification mark 
• or stamped with a health mark if it’s a carcass.

From countries outside the EU

If you’re bringing food from a country outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, the following rules apply.

You cannot bring in:

• meat or meat products
• milk or milk-based products, except powdered infant milk, infant food or special food (including pet food) needed for medical reasons.

You can bring in up to 2kg per person of:

• honey
• powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food (including pet food) needed for medical reasons - you can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use)
• shellfish, such as mussels or oysters
• snails - these must be preserved or shelled, cooked and prepared
• frogs’ legs - these must be the back (hind) part of the frog with the skin and internal organs removed
• insect meat.

You can bring in up to 20kg per person in total of fish, including:

• fresh fish - must be gutted
• fish products
• processed fish - must be dried, cooked, cured or smoked
• lobsters
• prawns.

You cannot bring in caviar unless you have a CITES permit.