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Attitudes to food safety and security in the UK

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The UK’s Food Standards Agency has released the results of its “Food and You 2”, a biannual survey of consumer knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The survey was conducted between April and June 2021, and hence records food behaviours linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most respondents reported that they were confident that the food they buy is safe to eat (90%), that food labels convey accurate information (83%), and that the Food Standards Agency makes sure food is safe (75% of respondents who had heard of the FSA).

Only 20% of respondents had a concern about the food they eat. Of those, the most common concerns were linked to nutrition and health (38%) and food production methods (33%). When all participants were presented with a list of concerns about food, 63% agreed that they had a concern about the amount of sugar in food, and 61% were concerned about food waste.

85% of respondents were classified as food secure, while 15% were classified as food insecure (defined in detail on page 74 of the report). Food insecurity was highest in Wales (18%) and lowest in England (15%).

Read the full report, Food and You 2 - Wave 3, here. See also the TABLE explainer What is food security?

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