We monitor food safety and food hygiene issues in the borough and take appropriate action where necessary.
Food hygiene
Food hygiene incorporates:
aspects of food microbiology
premises used for food trade, ranging from manufacture to retail or storage
practices used in the storage, production, service or sale of food items. This also includes the people involved with food either preparation, handling and distributing or service and sale
Food standards
Food standards, or food safety, is the trading standards element of food. It includes:
dates and durability of food - ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates
labelling of food items - wording, quantities, clarity
ingredients and composition of food - declaration of ingredients, allergen information
quality of food and unfit food
claims and marketing or advertising wording relating to food
descriptions and true names of foods
food fraud
imported foods
Reporting a problem
You can contact us about problems relating to food hygiene and food standards/safety.
The information below shows the types of problem we handle and links to the relevant contact forms.
We cannot necessarily deal with all reports made to us, but the information we receive may still be useful for consideration at the business' next food hygiene inspection. How we investigate complaints depends upon the type of complaint and whether we have received other similar complaints.
The report forms are designed to provide further information depending on the nature of your complaint in the event we are unable to deal with it in Swindon.
We cannot get you a refund for your food or get involved in any compensation claims.
Problems with a food product, such as something in the food that shouldn’t be there.
Examples include:
a foreign object found in the food (glass, mould, hair, insects etc)
food that appears to be contaminated with chemicals
food that has been provided with visible signs of mould or decay.
Please note there can be naturally occurring issues with certain foods that may make the food look less appetising, but these are not necessarily a risk to health.
More information about common complaints and how they may be dealt with: Common food complaints (PDF)
Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating contaminated food. Symptoms usually begin within 2 to 5 days after eating contaminated food, although they may start at any point between a few hours and several weeks later.
The symptoms of food poisoning can be very similar to other illnesses, making it difficult to confirm the cause. If food poisoning is suspected we recommend submitting a stool sample through a GP to assist with diagnosing the cause.
If you are ill and your job involves handling food or you are working in health care or are a nursery worker, you must contact us and not return to work until you are symptom-free for 48 hours. In some cases you may be excluded from work, school or we may ask children attending nurseries and childminders to stop going. We will let you know if this is necessary.
You must inform your employer of your symptoms.
Parents or guardians of children aged under five years or children or adults unable to implement good standards of personal hygiene, are advised to keep them away from school or other establishments until they have also been symptom-free for 48 hours.
If you are suffering from food poisoning you must try to avoid spreading the problem to others.
For medical advice you must contact your doctor.
Passing it on
The germs that can cause food poisoning are easily passed from person to person when you go to the toilet. Even when using toilet paper you can pass them on when you touch the toilet seat, the flush handle, taps, food utensils and food itself. Others touching these items could then pick up the bug and could become ill.
The risk of passing it to other people is greater when people are handling food, involved in health care, are in nurseries, schools and playgroups and in hospitals, due to the close person to person contact and because they are sharing facilities. Good personal hygiene will help prevent the spread of the food poisoning bacteria.
Hand washing
Always wash your hands after going to the toilet, whether toilet paper is used or not. 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 when washing their hands.
Food preparation
Do not prepare food if you are suffering from food poisoning. You must be symptom free for 48 hours before handling food.
Hand drying
Individual disposable paper towels are the best. Communal linen and terry towels should not be used. Mechanical air-drying facilities may also be used.
Disinfection
The following equipment should be disinfected regularly using an appropriate solution:
Toilet seats
Flush handles
Toilet door handles (inside and out)
Wash hand basin taps
Further advice and information
If you require more detailed information on a specific illness, visit the Gov.uk website.
Examples include:
labelling of any food item - wording, quantities, clarity
ingredients and composition of food - declaration of ingredients, allergen information
claims and marketing or advertising wording relating to food
descriptions and true names of foods
food fraud
imported foods
Dates and durability of food - 'use by' and 'best before' dates
It is not illegal to sell food after its 'best before' date. 'Best before' dates mean that the manufacturer guarantees that the food will be of best quality up to that date. After that date, the quality may decline. 'Best before' dates are usually for longer life products.
We use the information reported to us to help monitor poor food safety and hygiene practices at food business in Swindon.
Examples include:
temperature control - keeping cold food cold and hot food hot, suitable refrigerated storage, effective cooking practices
personal hygiene – people involved with food must have a good standard of personal hygiene, clean protective clothes, regular and effective handwashing
cross contamination – practices, raw and ready to eat, equipment
premises in which food is stored, prepared, and handled - condition, cleaning, repair, suitability, pest-free
Your statutory rights are not affected should we take formal action. You may wish to consider withdrawing the complaint from the council and undertaking private legal action. Alternatively, you may take private action upon completion of our investigation, if appropriate.