Report from third wave of Food and You 2 survey published
The Food and You 2 survey, which includes data from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is used to collect information on the public’s self-reported consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours relating to food safety and other food-related issues.
Main findings
Confidence in food safety, authenticity, and the food supply chain
- Most respondents (90%) reported that they were confident that the food they buy is safe to eat
- More than 8 in 10 (83%) respondents were confident that the information on food labels is accurate
- Almost three quarters of respondents (73%) reported that they had confidence in the food supply chain
Concerns about food
- Most respondents (80%) had no concerns about the food they eat, and only 20% of respondents reported that they had a concern.
- The most common prompted concerns, from a given list of food related issues, were related to the amount of sugar in food (63%), and food waste (61%).
Food security
- Food security levels were comparable across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Over three quarters of respondents were food secure (i.e. had high or marginal food security) in England (85%), Wales (82%) and Northern Ireland (84%). Approximately 1 in 6 respondents were food insecure (i.e. had low or very low food security) in England (15%), Wales (18%) and Northern Ireland (16%)
Food shopping and labelling
- Most respondents reported that they often check the use-by (84%) or best before (82%) date when they have bought food.
- Most respondents (83%) who go food shopping and take into consideration a person who has a food allergy or intolerance were confident that the information provided on food labelling allows them to identify foods that will cause a bad or unpleasant physical reaction.
Online platforms
- Around half (52%) of respondents had ordered food or drink via on online ordering and delivery company (for example, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats) and 30% had ordered via an online marketplace (for example Amazon, Gumtree, Etsy)
- Fewer respondents had ordered food or drink via social media (for example, Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor) (14%) or a food sharing app (for example Olio, Too Good To Go) (8%).
Food-related behaviours and eating habits
- Eating habits had changed for most respondents in the last 12 months, with only 19% of respondents indicating that there had been no change in their eating habits
- The most common changes related to what and where respondents ate (57% eaten out less, 55% eaten at home more, 50% cooked more at home, 39% eaten fewer takeaways)
Resources
Technical Note
Food and You 2 is the FSA’s biannual survey. The survey uses a 'push-to-web’ methodology in which participants are invited to take part by post and are provided with the option to complete the survey online or on paper. This methodology allows us to collect robust data using a random probability sampling approach, while allowing the survey to be run more frequently, to be more responsive to new and emerging issues, and for more people to take part.
Fieldwork for Food and You 2 wave 3 was conducted between April 2021 and June 2021. A total of 6,271 adults (16 and over) from 4,338 households across England, Wales and Northern Ireland completed the survey.
