Complaints
What should be reported?
1. Complaints about an establishment:
- Cleanliness/sanitation
- Poor employee practices
- Improperly cooked or handled food
- Foreign material in food
Information to include: name and location of establishment, date and time of visit, nature of the complaint, and any other pertinent details.
2. Complaints about a food product:
- Foreign material in a product
- Chemical taste/smell
- Tampering
Information to include: brand name of the item, where and when the item was purchased, product code and/or expiration date, (this is NOT the UPC code) and nature of the complaint.
3. Complaints of illness:
If you suspect you or your party have become ill from eating food purchased at a restaurant or food store, call your local health department as soon as possible. If you are still symptomatic and you have leftover food, the health department may ask for a sample.
Typical symptoms of foodborne illness include, but are not limited to nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, dehydration, headache, or fever. Depending on the bacterial, viral or chemical agent responsible for illness, symptoms may begin in as little as one half hour to several weeks. For more information, see our foodborne illness page.
Information to include: What was eaten, including beverages, condiments, dessert, symptoms, time of meal, when symptoms began, name of facility or product, date food was eaten, and the number of people affected. Include doctor or hospital information if applicable. The only way to confirm a foodborne illness is by a stool sample, which can be collected by a medical professional or the local health department.
Who should I report to?
1. Your local health department for complaints on retail establishments such as restaurants, groceries, taverns, or mobile food units.
2. The Indiana Department of Health Food Protection Program
- For complaints on establishments located on state property (i.e. state parks, state fairgrounds, Indianapolis Zoo)
- For food products manufactured, packaged, stored, repackaged or transported for distribution in Indiana.
3. The establishment where the food was purchased or the manufacturer of distributor identified on the product label, if applicable.
Submit a Complaint to the Indiana Department of Health
When filing a complaint, please provide as much detail as possible about the location of the complaint, when the activity occurred, and what happened.
Note: The information you submit on this form may be considered public record and subject to disclosure, upon request.
