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Complaints

  • Cleanliness/sanitation
  • Poor employee practices
  • Improperly cooked or handled food
  • Foreign material in food
  • Foreign material in a product
  • Chemical taste/smell
  • Tampering

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.

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.

Food Complaints

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.