Food safety

If you're concerned about the hygiene and safety standards of a particular food business in Boroondara or you have suspected food poisoning, you can make a complaint and we'll investigate.

You can make a complaint about a food business if you:

• think you have suffered an illness as a result of consuming food purchased from their premises, such as stomach cramps, diarrhoea or vomiting
• have found a foreign object (for example, glass or an insect) in food purchased from their premises
• have concerns about poor food preparation, handling, or display practices at their premises
• have concerns about the cleanliness of their premises.

Make a food complaint

There are 3 ways you can report suspected food poisoning, report a foreign object found in food, or make a complaint about poor food safety practices or cleanliness at a food business in Boroondara.

Make a food complaint online

• call us on (03) 9278 4444 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or (03) 9278 4710 (Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:15pm)
• email Health Services at [email protected]

To help us investigate suspected food poisoning, you'll need to tell us:

• what food you purchased
• where and when you purchased the food (date and time)
• what time you consumed the food (date and time)
• when the illness started (date and time)
• whether anyone else who ate the same food experienced similar symptoms.

It's also helpful if you:

• write down everything you consumed in the 3 days before the onset of symptoms
• if possible, keep any remaining suspect food or packaging in the fridge.

We recommend that you see your doctor, who may suggest a faecal test. Tests on a faecal sample can help indicate what made you sick and can assist the investigation.

It's important to note that food poisoning can often be as a result of anything eaten in the 3 days before symptoms begin, so it may not be caused by the most recent meal you ate.