How to Lodge a Complaint About Food Products

By eHow Health Editor

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) resolve food quality issues. You can help by reporting any problems you come across.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Phone Directories

Step1

Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (800) 535-4555 if you have a problem with meat, poultry or eggs; the FDA's Seafood Hotline at (800) 332-4010 if you have a problem with seafood; and your local FDA office for any other type of food issue.

Step2

Report any problems with food you buy at a restaurant to your local health department.

Step3

Provide the appropriate agency with the brand name, product name and manufacturer, a description of the package, any package code or date, the store where you bought the product, and the purchase date.

Step4

Keep any packaging, the uneaten portion of food, and any foreign objects found in the food if that's the issue. This may help inspectors determine the nature of the problem.

Tips & Warnings

Government offices are often listed at the front of phone directories and are separated into city, county, state, and federal sections.
Don't eat food that looks or smells like it might be spoiled. Return it to the store or throw it out.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Because most food borne illnesses are caused by improper handling of food, contacting the Health Department in your City, County or State should be the first step. This is because these agencies are able to act quickly and in many cases can prevent any further food borne illnesses particularly if they are due to improper food handling or illnesses of food service workers. Numerous food borne illnesses are caused by workers not washing their hands after using the restroom or working with one food and not washing their hands in between these procedures.

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