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Food prices and ultra-processed foods remain the top consumer concerns, FSA annual insights report reveals
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published the end of year report from its monthly Consumer Insights Tracker (CIT) summarising the key findings between April 2024 – March 2025.
When we asked people about their concerns, nearly 9 in 10 cited food prices, and more than three-quarters expressed concern about ultra-processed or the over-processing of food. These levels have remained broadly stable since July 2023.
The survey also asked consumers about cell-cultivated meat, often referred to as ‘lab-grown meat’. Responses were mixed: around a quarter of respondents said they would be willing to give it a try when available, while almost 60% said they would not include it in their diet.
Over the past year people continued to report doing potentially risky things to save money on their energy bills. For example, around a quarter said they did at least one of the following:
- reduced the length of time food is cooked for
- lowered the cooking temperature for food
- turned off a fridge/freezer containing food
- changed fridge/freezer settings to a warmer temperature
- ate food cold because they could not afford to cook it
The FSA launched a new food safety campaign on 7 June 2025, aimed at changing potentially risky practices in the kitchen. Consumers can also find lots of advice and information about keeping safe when preparing food on our website.
“Our latest annual data shows that food prices remain a top concern for most people. It also shows that many people are doing risky things to save money. Our new campaign is aimed at helping people understand how to keep themselves and their families safe when cooking and preparing food at home.”
The full report is available in the research section of our website.
About the Consumer Insights Tracker
The CIT is the FSA’s monthly tracking survey that monitors changes in consumers’ behaviour and attitudes in relation to food.
Each month, the survey is conducted with approximately 2,000 adults (aged 16 or over) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who are signed up to YouGov’s online survey panel.
The CIT complements the FSA's official statistic Food and You 2 survey which collects more comprehensive data on an annual basis, providing longer term monitoring of consumer behaviour and attitudes over time.
To find out more
The next quarterly report covering findings from April - June will be published on 30 July 2025.