THE FOOD SAFETY Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has said 3,414 consumer complaints were handled by its advice line in 2021, an increase of 23% on the previous year.

The increase in the number of complaints can be partially attributed to the removal of Covid-19 restrictions for foodservice businesses last year, the FSAI said, noting that the 2021 numbers are more in line with the pre-Covid-19 figures of 3,460 in 2019.

Most of the complaints received in 2021 were related to either unit food (36%) or poor hygiene standards (24%).

The safety authority said that all the complaints it received last year were followed up and investigated. It found that reports of contamination of food with foreign objects were frequent in 2021.

Examples included glass being found in porridge and sweet potato fries, metal found in baked beans, a maggot found in soup, and a metal screw in spareribs.

Small pieces of stone, insects, and strands of hair in food were also reported.

Complaints about unfit food cited issues such as a can of orange juice filled with beans, a piece of wood found in a container of soup, an exploding bottle of fruit juice, a spider in a takeaway cocktail and a disposable glove in a pie.

Of the complaints that weren’t over unfit food or hygiene standards, 622 were complaints of suspected food poisoning, 162 were over unregistered food businesses, while 97 were on the non-display of allergen information.

A further 344 complaints were labelled “other”. The FSAI said this related to unregistered food businesses or Covid-19 restrictions.

A further 4,718 queries were made to the FSAI’s advice line from people working in the food service sector. These queries ranged from food labelling and supplements legislation to requests for FSAI publications.

FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said that having people spotting and reporting inappropriate and unsafe food and practices greatly aids the FSAI’s work with the food inspectors and provides them with information to act upon.

“Consumers are becoming more aware and having a greater understanding of what they should expect from food businesses in Ireland. There has been a considerable increase in complaints regarding unfit food and poor hygiene standards and we thank the public for their increased vigilance. While the figures may be higher in 2021 than 2020, this can partly be contributed to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions.,” said Dr Byrne.

“With the removal of Covid-19 restrictions, food businesses have reopened their doors and welcomed back customers and staff. Food business owners and managers should continue to use our website and Advice Line for the most recent updates regarding food safety best practices.

“The FSAI’s Advice Line, supported by a comprehensive website and online publication ordering system, are important resources for the food industry to visit and engage with experts for free advice. We urge food businesses to ensure they are meeting their food safety legal requirements and they should also take full advantage of the information and support provided.”