FOI request (FOIR-733210541)

Supermarkets selling food past its Use By Date

Requested Tue 22 July 2025
Responded Mon 28 July 2025

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information as two separate requests from two different departments.

Trading Standards:

1. How many complaints have been received by Trading Standards in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (to date) relating to supermarkets selling food past its Use By Date, including any complaints received via Consumer line.

2. For each complaint, please provide:

a. The month and year the complaint was received.

b. The name of the supermarket involved (if recorded).

c. A brief description or category of the issue.

d. Details of any enforcement or investigative action taken as a result of the complaint.

If you are unable to provide all the requested details due to time/cost limits, please prioritise providing a summary count of complaints by supermarket and year.

Environmental Health Department:

1. How many complaints were received in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (to date) about supermarkets selling food past its Use By Date?

2. For each complaint, please provide:

a. The month and year it was received.

b. The name of the supermarket (if available).

c. A short description or category of the issue.

d. Any enforcement or follow-up action taken.

3. How many food poisoning complaints were received in relation to supermarkets in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (to date)?

4. For each report of food poisoning, please provide:

a. The date of the complaint.

b. The supermarket involved.

c. The product in question (if known).

d. Any outcome or action taken, including whether the case was confirmed as food poisoning.

Please provide the answer in a spreadsheet.

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Response

Trading Standards is dealt with by East Sussex County Council, please visit their website for further information:

https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk

Please see the attached document in relation to complaints received via our Environmental Health Department.

Attachments

• FOIR-733210541_FOIR-733210541_1-Out_of_date_+_food_poisoning.xlsx