FSA’s flagship survey shows over half of people are highly concerned about food affordability

The findings have been published in the first Food and You 2 Trends report, published today, which presents changes in consumers’ attitudes and behaviour between 2020 and 2023.  

The latest analysis shows that just over half of respondents – 51% – are now ‘highly concerned’ about the affordability of food, rising from 26% three years ago. 

The FSA uses the Food and You 2 survey to monitor consumers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding food safety and other food-related issues. The survey, which was first run in July – October 2020, is conducted twice a year with consumers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The latest wave of the survey was carried out between October 2022 and January 2023.   

The latest report shows that: 

• The percentage of respondents who were highly concerned about the affordability of food almost doubled, from 26% in Wave 2 (November 2020 to January 2021) to 51% in Wave 6 (October 2022 to January 2023). 
• The percentage of respondents who were highly or somewhat concerned has risen from 75% in Wave 2 (November 2020 to January 2021) to 87% in Wave 6 (October 2022 to January 2023). 
• Following a period of stability, reported levels of household food insecurity (which means having limited or uncertain access to adequate food) increased from 15% in Wave 3 (April 2021 to June 2021) to 25% in Wave 6 (October 2022 to January 2023). 
• Public confidence in food safety and authenticity has remained high across all waves.  
• Public trust and confidence in the FSA have remained high across all waves. 

Emily Miles, the Chief Executive of the FSA, said: 

“This report shows that the majority of people are worried about food prices – with almost twice the number of people being ‘highly concerned’ about food affordability compared to three years ago. This, in addition to the rise in household food insecurity, shows the continuing struggle that many people are facing with the cost of living. 

“We will share these insights with the governments we serve in Wales, Northern Ireland, and Westminster, so they can use them to inform their policy making and address these important issues.” 

Other key findings from the report include: 

• Respondents’ confidence that the food they buy is safe to eat (92% average across Waves 1-6), and that the information on food labels is accurate (86% average across Waves 1-6) has remained consistently high. 
• Across all waves, around three-quarters of respondents reported that they were confident (i.e. very confident or fairly confident) in the food supply chain. 
• The number of respondents who reported they are confident that the FSA can be relied upon to protect the public from food-related risks, and take appropriate action if a food-related risk is identified, has remained consistently high (between 80-85%) across Waves 1-6. 
• Respondents’ trust in the FSA has also remained consistently high (between 75-78%) across Waves 1-6. The percentage of respondents who reported distrust towards the FSA has remained very low (between 1-2%), across all six waves. 

The FSA’s home food fact checker has tips for consumers on how to help make food go further and stay safe.  

Read the report     

The Food and You 2 Trends report is available in the research section of our website.