A fingernail in a cake, a slug in a noodle dish and a live moth in a bag of salad were among more than 6,000 complaints made to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) last year, new data shows.
Complaints to the watchdog totalled 6,135 in 2025, which represented an increase of 23 per cent year on year. The FSAI said the increase reflected an upward trend over the past decade. All complaints were followed up and investigated by food inspectors throughout the country.
Unfit food, which is defined as food that is not safe to eat, was the most frequently reported complaint in 2025, accounting for 33 per cent of the 6,135 complaints received. Unfit food also includes contamination with a foreign object.
Other complaints included a staple found in an Indian meal, a battery found in a pack of almonds and a fly floating in a milk bottle.
The second most frequently reported complaint related to poor hygiene standards, which made up 28 per cent of the total.
Other common complaints included rodents spotted in food businesses, staff not wearing appropriate clothing, and poor personal hygiene, including staff not changing gloves often enough.
Staff were also criticised for not washing hands, as well as for smoking in their aprons. Other complaints detailed food not being stored correctly, with fridges and freezers not cold enough.
Suspected food poisoning was the third most frequently reported complaint, making up 26 per cent of all complaints in 2025, a decrease from 29 per cent in 2024. Some 656 complaints related to labelling, while 150 more concerned allergen information.
Greg Dempsey, chief executive of the FSAI, stressed the importance of making complaints to the agency so food safety issues could be addressed.
“Complaints allow us to quickly identify and respond to specific risks, ensuring that any potential threats to food safety are addressed without delay,” he said.
“The continued increase in engagement reflects growing consumer awareness and confidence in reporting issues, as well as a strong expectation that high standards of food safety and hygiene are consistently maintained across the food chain.”
A spokeswoman for the FSAI said the increase in reports could be down to more awareness of food safety issues following a listeria outbreak and food alerts issued last summer.
The agency received 3,747 queries from people working in the food industry throughout the year, including from caterers, food manufacturers, retailers and others.