Types of complaints we receive about food
Environmental Health receives many complaints relating to food each year. Foreign
objects in food are a common complaint but not all pose a health risk. The following
are typical food complaints together with a short explanation and suggestions for the
most suitable course of action. We also receive complaints regarding labels and
ingredients on food. Most relate to the “use by” and “Best before” dates
Bakery Char: Bread and cakes may contain bits of overcooked dough which has
flaked off bakery tins. It is not necessarily an indicator of poor hygiene, although they
may be mistaken for rodent droppings. Rodent droppings are black and a regular
torpedo shape, while bakery char is greyish and comes in uneven shapes.
Action: There are generally no public health risks – we will contact the
manufacturer/retailer to establish that they have proper cleaning procedures in place
and that this is not a regular occurrence or that the company have been told to rectify
this on numerous occasions.
Carbonised Grease: The machinery used to produce bread and cakes is lubricated
with a non-toxic vegetable oil. Occasionally some may become incorporated into
dough giving areas of the product a grey/greasy appearance.
Action: no public health risk - contact manufacturer as above
Sugar Bloom: What is sugar bloom?
Sugar bloom is condition affecting the surface of chocolate.
The chocolate adopts a dull, tannish-white colour and feels gritty when touched. Only
appearance is affected - not taste. It is caused by condensation of water vapour from
air on the chocolate surface. The sugar in the chocolate dissolves in the water, then
the water evaporates and the sugar crystals remain on the chocolate. It is not
harmful.
Action. no public health risk - return to retailer
Fat Bloom A condition affecting the surface of chocolate. The appearance is similar
to sugar bloom (dull, white), except it is shiny and feels greasy when touched. Taste
is unaffected. It is caused by the migration of cocoa butter crystals to the surface and
subsequent recrystallization. The "migration" is hastened by warm temperatures and
prolonged storage. Sometimes may be mistaken for glass. The crystal will dissolve
in warm water, glass won’t.
Insects: Dried products such as flour, sugar and pulses may contain small insects
such as psocids (book lice). These do not carry disease, but they eat through the
paper of the packet. They breed very quickly in warm dark, humid conditions, and so
spread into uncontaminated food very quickly.
Action. No public health risk - throw out all affected food, clean cupboards with mild
bleach solution and dry thoroughly. Store new dried goods in airtight containers,
ensure good ventilation in kitchen
Insects: Occasionally small grubs may be discovered in canned vegetables. These
are commonly found in sweet corn and tomatoes. The grubs are in fact the larvae of
a moth. They live inside the kernel/tomato and so are impossible to see before
processing. They are killed and sterilised by the canning process. As the use of
pesticides decreases, the incidence of these pests will increase.
Action. No public health risk - contact manufacturer
Wasps & Fruit Flies: These are common in tins of fruit. They are naturally
associated with ripe fruit and do not carry disease.
Action. No public health risk - contact manufacturer
Struvite: Certain naturally occurring chemicals in fish may develop into hard crystals
during the canning process. These crystals may be mistaken for glass fragments and
are called struvite. It is not harmful and will be broken down by stomach acids if
swallowed. It is especially common in tinned salmon. Struvite crystals will be
dissolved if placed in vinegar and gently heated. Glass will not.
Action. No public health risk - contact manufacturer if struvite, Environmental Health
if glass
Mould: Dented damaged or incorrectly processed cans may allow mould growth to
occur. This could indicate an error in production or storage.
Action possible public health risk - contact Environmental Health
Mould pouches (soft plastic containers) are replacing cans as a method of holding
processed foods. Pouches are lighter and easier to pack and transport but are less
resilient to puncture damage through miss handling and display during distribution
and sale at retail premises. A small pin hole which may be very difficult to see with
the naked eye can create aerobic conditions inside the pouch and subsequently
make to food inside unfit due to mould growth.
Action possible public health risk - contact Environmental Health
Note: Mould growth will naturally occur when fruit and vegetables become damaged
and bruised. This will be minimised if the buyer checks produce prior to purchase. As
a general rule vitamins in fruit denature more quickly at room temperature so it is a
good idea to store fruit in the refrigerator unless you intend to eat it within a few days.
Luminous marine bacteria: Luminous bacteria can sometimes be found on
seafood. Crabmeat, cooked shrimp and simulated seafood products made from
surimi (fish puree or slurry) are the most common seafood associated with
luminescence or glowing. When seafood glows it means that many luminous
bacteria are present. This suggests that the seafood was held for a time and
at a temperature where these bacteria could grow. It does not mean the
seafood is unsafe or low quality. There are no reports of illness from luminous
marine bacteria growing on seafood
Refrigerate all seafood products as close to 32°F or 0°C as possible to slow
the growth of bacteria. Consume cooked seafood products within a day or two
after purchase.
Codworm: White fish such as Cod or Haddock may be infested with a small, round
brownish yellow worm. These are found in the flesh. They are killed by cooking and
are harmless to humans. The affected parts of the fish are usually cut away, but
some may be overlooked. Occurrence of this problem has been greatly reduced by
changes to fishing practices at sea. Fish are now gutted before landing which
reduces the migration of the parasite from the fishes gut.
Action. No public health risk - contact manufacturer
Skin, bone, etc: Products made from meat and/or poultry may contain small bones
or skin or parts of blood vessels. These are unsightly but rarely a health hazard as
they are normal parts of the original animal.
Action. No public health risk - contact manufacturer
Stones, soil & slugs: Fruit and vegetables commonly have soil, stones or small
slugs adhering to them. This is quite normal as they originate in the soil.
Action. no public health risk - wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly
Greenfly: Salad vegetables may have green fly attached, especially lettuce. This is
becoming increasingly common as the use of pesticides decreases. Greenfly are
difficult to wash off but they are not harmful. In fact they demonstrate that the salad is
fresh.
Action. No public health risk - no action required
Food Labelling and food labels
“use by” and “best before” dates
Indications of minimum durability are required on all goods that are pre packed for
sale. There are some exemptions to this and the law in this are is too complex to
explain all the exemptions here.
Exemptions generally are; food sold from catering establishments or retail shops sold
without packaging or packed by that establishment on those premises. The term is
called “prepacked for direct sale” certain flour and confectionary products are also
exempt.
“use by” is a term used for perishable foods that will become unsafe to eat after the
date shown. This is why the use by date is often a week or two at the most. You
should also note that there are always instructions on foods with a use by date
explaining storage instructions and also how long to keep the food once opened.
Most food deteriorates in a two or three days after opening unless they are frozen
straight away.
“best before” is used to indicate that the quality of the food may be affected after the
date specified. This is why the best before date is a much longer date often months
or even years.
You may find a best before date on a carton of juice sold at ambient temperature in a
sealed container as it is ultra heat treated. It will still say on the pack once opened
refrigerate and use within a few days.
A carton of pasteurised juice sold from the chilled display cabinet will have a use by
date with similar instructions once opened.
It is a criminal offence to contravene the labelling regulations and sell food without an
indication of minimum durability part from where there are exemptions.
It is a criminal offence to display and or sell food that has gone past its “use by” date.
Food can be sold on the day of the expiration of the “use by” date and should be
consumed on that day or destroyed.
It is not an offence to sell or display food that has gone past its “best before” date.
Some companies buy up stocks of out of date “best before” food and sell it at a
reduced price. This is a legitimate business and cannot be outlawed.
Regardless of the “best before” date it is an offence to sell food that is unfit for human
consumption. But the fact that the “best before” date has expired is not on its own
proof of fitness or unfitness.
“Display until” and “sell by” are not legal terms and are used by retailers to control
stock.
Pre packed food should have the following information: exemption are the same as
for “use by” and “best before”
The product should have;
A legal name
Ingredients list
Quantitative Ingredient declaration if applicable
Use by or best before date
Storage and use conditions
Business name and address
Instructions for using the product
Treatment or condition declaration
Special additives declaration
Special irradiation declaration
Packing gas declaration
Sweeteners declaration
Nutritional labelling (law on nutritional labelling is changing so not specified here)
Genetically modified organisms declaration
There are a number of offences for claiming that food is not what it is
Certain claims are conditional and can only be made of specified products
Misleading descriptions are outlawed