What role does consumer and Food Business Operator behaviour and perception play in ensuring food safety and standards?
The Behaviour and Perception Area of Research Interest (ARI) looks at understanding the role that consumer and business behaviour and perception has in ensuring food safety and standards. The overarching aim of this ARI is to investigate consumers’ and businesses’ behaviours, beliefs and potential misconceptions around food hygiene and safety.
Under this ARI we will identify research gaps, collect evidence and data on a range of topics, including:
This ARI will provide a range of evidence that will be analysed and used by FSA teams in alignment with the FSA’s mission. Through identification of knowledge gaps, we can inform policy making in an efficient and targeted way, to achieve higher regulatory compliance, as well as a positive impact on consumers’ health. As the independent government department with the exclusive remit for food, it will enable us to fulfil a crucial role in informing the wider debates around issues such as food affordability.
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is designed to help consumers make more considered choices about where they eat out or shop for food by providing ‘at-a-glance’ information about the hygiene standards of food businesses found at the time of their last inspection by a local authority’s food safety officer.
This report provides a rapid review of the evidence of the psychology of food choice, consolidating current knowledge and direction of development of research in relation to the psychology of food choice.
A literature review of the evidence on barriers and facilitators to the reduction of meat and dairy consumption among the general public.
A report on the findings of reviews reporting on the acceptability and efficacy of population-scale initiatives to reduce fat, salt and sugar consumption.
This report gives a high-level summary of social media analysis divided by key categories to build our understanding of the views and concerns of the public when it comes to food. The analysis includes deep dive analyses on key category macro trends and key findings from audience analysis.
Research exploring UK public views and experiences around meat and dairy consumption, including key drivers of participants’ chosen dietary approach.
In December 2021, the FSA commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct an online survey to understand consumer awareness and perceptions of alternative, or novel, sources of protein.
Research and consumer insight on behaviours and attitudes to food insecurity, food availability, consumer concerns and confidence in the food chain.
The Food Standards Agency with Ipsos UK carried out research in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to monitor consumer hand hygiene behaviour during the pandemic.
The COVID-19 Consumer Tracker and the Food and You 2 survey indicate that a substantial minority of consumers eat food after the use-by date (UBD) has expired. The FSA wished to discover more about the drivers of consuming food after the UBD, and barriers to compliance with the UBD
A mixed method social science research project to understand consumer perceptions of genome edited food and its potential future labelling.
Social research on coated frozen chicken products to cook and eat at home.
A toolkit and checklist to help our policy, science and strategy teams to plan effective risk communications.
The Citizen Science and Food report sets out how citizen science has been applied and how it is relevant to the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) areas of research interest.
A survey to explore how consumers perceive food-related risks.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned independent research to explore the views of food and drink manufacturers in Northern Ireland (NI) on front of pack nutritional labelling (FOPNL) including the impact of this labelling on manufacturers reformulation efforts.
A rapid evidence review looking at the factors influencing food behaviours and how they may be susceptible to disruption from life events or ‘moments of change’.
Research into how food business operators in the meat, wine and dairy sectors views the FSA and its Official Controls.
We have commissioned independent research to assess the proportion of food businesses that are displaying their food hygiene ratings since 2011. This report provides the findings from the 2019 wave of research making comparisons to previous years where possible.
The Food Standards Agency with Ipsos Mori and Bright Harbour carried out research in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to monitor the experience and behaviours of consumers when it comes to key food risks during the pandemic.
We run an annual consumer attitudes survey on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) to track consumer awareness of the scheme, attitudes towards it and the use of the ratings over time.
Given the Food Standard Agency (FSA)’s focus on protecting consumer interests in relation to food, understanding consumer views of emerging and new food technologies is important. The FSA commissioned Collingwood Environmental to provide an up to date literature review and deliver qualitative research to explore what consumers views are on emerging technologies.
Social science research to improve the understanding of Generation Z (broadly 16-25-year-olds) and their attitudes towards food and the food system.
Research exploring how a regulator can communicate food risk most effectively in modern society.