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World desk3 min

How to Report a Food Safety Problem to the FDA

Use FDA’s Report a Problem portal for most food complaints, USDA’s hotline for meat or poultry, and 911 for a life-threatening emergency.
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For a U.S. food safety concern involving food other than meat or poultry, start at the FDA’s Report a Problem portal. If you cannot use SmartHub, call 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) and follow the prompts. Meat and poultry complaints go to the USDA, not the FDA. If someone is having a life-threatening emergency, call 911 first.

Choose the right reporting route

The correct agency depends on what the product is. FDA’s current non-emergency guidance routes food complaints for products other than meat and poultry through its consumer reporting options.

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Concern Where to report
Food other than meat or poultry FDA Report a Problem portal; if you cannot use SmartHub, call 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) and follow the prompts. See FDA’s non-emergency reporting guidance.
Meat or poultry USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), as directed by FDA’s routing guidance.
Dietary supplements, pet food or treats, or livestock food Use the relevant route shown by the FDA Safety Reporting Portal directory; these categories have separate routing from the ordinary food complaint path.
Life-threatening medical emergency Call 911. A complaint form or hotline is not emergency medical care.

What problems can you report?

You do not need to prove that a food caused an illness before reporting a concern. Describe what happened and identify the product you suspect; distinguish what you observed from what you believe may have caused it.

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  • Illness after eating a particular food, including when more than one person may be affected.
  • An allergic reaction when a known food ingredient was not identified on the label.
  • Problems involving infant formula or baby food.
  • Suspected tampering, or a can that is swollen or leaking.
  • Product concerns such as an unusual color or taste, defective packaging, or another apparent quality problem.

FDA describes these as reportable concerns even when they are not all medical emergencies. For a serious or worsening reaction, seek medical care rather than waiting to complete a report.

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Gather useful details without delaying care

A clear report helps FDA evaluate the product and compare the complaint with other reports. Before filing, note the details you have; do not postpone urgent care or a report just because you cannot find every item.

  • What happened and when, including when the food was eaten or the problem was noticed.
  • The food’s name and brand, and where and when it was bought or served.
  • Lot or batch code, best-by or use-by date, and manufacturer or establishment details if visible.
  • Whether anyone else became ill or had a reaction.
  • Any packaging, label, receipt, or photograph you can readily keep or provide.

FDA says complaint coordinators gather information about the product, lot codes, manufacturer, and illness or injury. Missing details or contact information can make evaluation or follow-up harder, but the absence of a receipt or code is not a reason to withhold a concern.

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Submit the report online or use another FDA route

Online: Report a Problem

  1. Open the FDA Report a Problem portal.
  2. Follow its current routing questions and select the report type that matches the issue. The portal offers intake for personal experience and an option for insider information, including information from current or former company employees and industry representatives or vendors who learned of an issue through their work.
  3. Describe the event and product, then provide the identifying details and contact information you have.

FDA’s portal estimates that the online report takes 5–10 minutes; the portal page was updated March 14, 2026. The time is an estimate, not a requirement to delay care or reporting until every detail is assembled.

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Phone, MedWatch, or a Consumer Complaint Coordinator

If you cannot use SmartHub, call 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) and follow the prompts. FDA’s non-emergency page also describes voluntary MedWatch online or paper submissions and the option to speak with a Consumer Complaint Coordinator. Check the current FDA non-emergency page for the live form and route; older coordinator phone numbers found in older material are no longer in use.

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What happens after you report?

FDA records reports so staff can review them and compare them with similar complaints. Depending on the concern and what the agency finds, it may assess seriousness, look for patterns, inspect a facility, sample a product, issue a safety alert, or ask a company to change a product, process, packaging, or distribution or to recall a product. A report contributes information to that process; it does not guarantee an investigation, recall, or individual response.

FDA explains its consumer complaint process in FDA 101: How to Use the Consumer Complaint System and MedWatch and its overview of how it works to protect consumers from foodborne illness and other adverse events.

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