There are regulations in UK law to protect you from eating food which is unsafe, or not as described on a menu or on package labelling. Use this page to check how these protections work, and to help you to decide if you should report a business which is breaking the rules.
If you have a food allergy or intolerance
Visit the Food Standards Agency for detailed information about all aspects of managing food allergies, and the legal responsibilities of businesses to protect you and give you an informed choice about the foods you eat.
Look for the Food Hygiene Rating
Your main protection is the Food Hygiene Rating (FHR) of the establishment. This covers issues that you can't see as a customer, like the way that food is sourced, stored and prepared, and the condition of the kitchens. Most reputable establishments will display a sticker showing their current FHR, somewhere that you can easily see it.
Visit the Food Standards Agency website to learn more about:
Check the menu
By law, menus must include accurate information about the dishes, including:
- descriptions of ingredients (such as the type of meat or cheese in a recipe, or whether a product contains organic ingredients)
- indications of foods which meet special dietary requirements (such as halal, vegetarian or vegan options)
- clear labelling of allergens in the dish
- the average number of calories per portion of the dish
If you think that a business is breaking these rules, and you cannot resolve it during your visit, you can report the issue to Trading Standards
Restaurants, street stalls and delivery services which offer takeaway food must let you know about any allergens in their dishes, both when you order, and when they give you the food.
Labelling on manufactured and pre-packaged foods includes information which aims to ensure food safety and food standards. By law, labels must include the following information.
Select any item for more detail.
The name of the food
Net quantity or weight
List of ingredients and the quantity of key ingredients
Nutritional information
Allergens
Dried and sweetened dried fruit (25%) [sultanas, sweetened dried pineapple (10%) (sugar, pineapple, acid: citric acid, preservative: sulphur dioxide), dates, raisins], barley flakes, oat flakes, wheat flakes, toasted and malted wheat flakes (wheat, barley malt extract). May contain nuts.
How long the food will last (best before and use by dates)
How to store, prepare or cook the food
Name and address of the food business operator and origin of the food
Report it
If you find that a business is selling food without proper labelling, you should report the problem.
If you think the problem will affect food hygiene or safety, please also report it to the Public Protection Team by calling 01225 477508 or emailing public_protection@bathnes.gov.uk.
Find out more
Visit the GOV.UK website pages on food packaging and labelling for a full statement of the regulations that businesses must comply with.