Information for consumers

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. 

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

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.

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. 

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. 

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.