The 'Food and You' survey

Food and You is a biennial survey that collects robust quantitative data to allow us to compare reported attitudes and behaviours between different groups within the population, and how these change over time.

The survey also gives us the opportunity to carry out follow-up interviews (with people who give us their permission to do so) to explore some issues in greater depth.

The survey began in 2010 and is an important vehicle for measuring progress against the Agency’s Strategic Plan to 2015. About 3,000 people from across the UK, selected using random probability sampling, were interviewed. Wave 2 was carried out in 2012.

The survey also gives us the opportunity to carry out follow-up interviews (with people who give us their permission to do so) to explore some issues in greater depth.

Food and You is compliant with the Government Social Research (GSR) Code of Practice. Compliant reports are published with the GSR logo.

History of the Food and You survey

In 2009 the Agency carried out a scoping study to review existing research (predominately quantitative) exploring attitudes and reported knowledge and behaviours towards food.

In 2010, Wave 1 of Food and You was carried out and the report was published in 2011.

In 2012, Wave 2 of Food and You was carried out and the report was published in March 2013.

Related Items

More in this section

  • Food and You 2010: view the survey results

    Thursday 3 March 2011

    Food and You was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency to collect robust information on people’s attitudes towards, and knowledge of, food issues such as food safety and healthy eating, as well as their behaviour.

  • Food and You 2012: view the survey results

    Tuesday 26 March 2013

    Food and You is a biennial survey exploring the public’s attitudes, reported knowledge and behaviour relating to food safety and production. Wave 2 of the survey was published in March 2013.