The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the national agency responsible for food safety and hygiene across the UK. The council is responsible for regulating food hygiene in food businesses. We have a programmed inspection process for food premises to ensure hygiene standards are being maintained.

Our approach is to work with businesses to raise standards giving advice to food business operators, but at times enforcement action is required to ensure appropriate standards are maintained.

Further consumer advice can be found on the Food Standards Agency website. 

Can I make a complaint about a food premises?

We investigate complaints from members of the public about poor conditions of hygiene in a premises, including poor hand hygiene, food handling or dirty premise's, allegations of suspected food poisoning, food contamination and certain quality issues e.g. mouldy food. 

If you wish to make a complaint regarding a food business within Hertsmere you can email the Commercial Team by emailing: environmental.health@hertsmere.gov.uk  

Issues regarding labelling and allergies, i.e. a lack of labelling, items being mis-sold or incomplete allergen information etc is handled by Hertfordshire Trading Standards.

We can not assist in matters regarding poor customer service or unsatisfactory meals. 

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS)

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) allows consumers to choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving you clear information about a businesses hygiene standards.

Following an inspection from one of our Environmental Health Officers a business will be issued with a rating from 5 to 0. The ratings can be found for all businesses online and whilst not a legal requirement in England to do so, many businesses will also display their rating in their windows. 

Further information explaining the rating scheme can be found on the Food Standards Agency website.

Food hygiene at home

Knowing how to store, cook and reheat food at home helps improve food safety and reduce food waste. The Food Standards Agency have dedicated pages to assist the public including busting common myths and misconceptions, best before and use-by dates,  chilling, cooking, cleaning, cross contamination and much more. All can be found under their consumer pages on their website. 

Allergen information

If you suffer from a food allergen or an intolerance it is important you have the information you need to make safe food choices. 

The Food Standards Agency are responsible for allergen labelling and providing guidance to consumers. You can also sign up to their Allergy Alert Service to receive notifications when they publish allergy product recalls. 

What to do if you suspect you have food poisoning

It is recommended you consult with your GP as soon as possible for advice and to discuss submitting a sample for examination. Samples can show if a food-bourne illness is present, or it could show if you have a virus which can cause similar symptoms to food poisoning. 

Further information on infectious diseases and food poisoning including how to report a case of suspected food poisoning can be found on our dedicated page.