Complaints

Complaints about manufactured foods can vary from finding physical hazards like metal fragments to products making people sick after eating them. The majority of these complaints are on products that are actually manufactured outside Missouri. DHSS will refer the appropriate information to the Food and Drug Administration’s complaint coordinator or the United States Department of Agriculture’s complaint reporting system. When reporting a concern about a manufactured food the complainant should be able to answer some questions on what problem the product caused, when it happened, where they obtained the product and provide information off the label as to the manufacturer’s name and the UPC code. To report concerns about manufactured food products it is recommended that consumers begin by contacting the Local Public Health Agency (LPHA) in their area. Consumers can use the Department’s directory of LPHAs to find contact information. Complainants may also contact the Department of Health and Senior Services directly.

Food inspectors can access information on complaint investigations in the Environmental Health Operations Guidelines. The complaint form used for recording the information necessary to begin an investigation is available online.