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Information believed accurate but not guaranteed. The Union County Health Department disclaims liability for any errors or omissions. Contact the Union County Health Department at 937-642-0801 or toll free 888-333-9461 or email at HC@uchd.net.
 

 

 
 

What to Do If You Have a Problem
with Food Products

Problems: (Click on the problem for a solution)
A. Your hot dog has a strip of plastic inside. (or something other than the hot dog!)
B. The canned chili contains a metal washer.
C. You think a restaurant dinner made you ill.
D. A sugar-coated roach was in your box of cereal.

What can you do?
For help with meat, poultry, and egg products: (examples A and B): Call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555.

For help with restaurant food problems: (example C): Call the Health Department in the city or county where the restaurant is located. (Union County Health Department's phone is 937-642-2053)

For help with non-meat products: (example D): For complaints about food products which do not contain meat or poultry -- such as cereal -- call or write to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Check your local phone book under U.S. Government, Health and Human Services, to find an FDA office in your area. The FDA's Seafood Hotline is at 1 (800) 332-4010.

In order for the USDA to investigate a problem with meat, poultry or egg products, you must have:

  1. The original container or packaging;
  2. The foreign object (the plastic strip or metal washer, for example); and
  3. Any uneaten portion of the food (refrigerate or freeze it).

Information you should be ready to tell the Hotline on the phone includes:

  1. Your name, address and phone number;
  2. Brand name, product name and manufacturer of the product;
  3. Size and package type;
  4. Can or package codes (not U.P.C. bar codes) and dates;
  5. Establishment number (EST) usually found in the circle or shield near the "USDA passed and inspected" phrase;
  6. Name and location of store and date you purchased the product.
  7. You can complain to the store or the product's manufacturer if you don't choose to make a formal complaint to the USDA.

If you think you are ill, see a physician!

  1. If an injury or illness allegedly resulted from use of a meat or poultry product, you will also need to tell the Hotline staff about the type, symptoms, time of occurrence and name of attending health professional (if applicable).
  2. If you can't reach the Hotline staff, or if an injury or illness allegedly resulted from restaurant food, call the Union County Health Department at 937-642-2053 or toll-free at 888-333-9461.
  3. If an injury or illness allegedly resulted from non-meat food products, call or write to the FDA.


THE BOTTOM LINE
If you sense there's a problem with any food product, don't consume it.

"When in doubt, throw it out."