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Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) Food and You 2: Wave 4

Chapter 1: Awareness and recognition of the FHRS

This chapter provides an overview of respondents’ awareness and recognition of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS).

Awareness of the FHRS

Most respondents (89%) reported that they had heard of the FHRS. Around six in ten (59%) reported that they had heard of the FHRS and knew a lot or a bit about it. Almost a third (31%) of respondents reported that they had heard of the FHRS but didn’t know much or anything about it. Around 1 in 10 respondents (11%) reported that they had not heard of the FHRSFHRS.</p> " href="#">(footnote) .

Figure 1. Respondents who had heard of the FHRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A bar chart showing the percentage of respondents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who had heard of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
Had heard of the FHRS Had never heard of the FHRS
England 89 11
Wales 95 5
Northern Ireland 92 8

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Source: Food and You 2 Wave 4

Most respondents in England (89%), Wales (95%), and Northern Ireland (92%) had heard of the FHRS (Figure 1)**. Respondents in Wales (74%) and Northern Ireland (65%) were more likely to report knowledge of the FHRS than those in England (57%)**. 

Figure 2. Awareness and knowledge of the FHRS by age group

A bar chart showing the percentage of respondents of different age groups who had different levels of awareness of and knowledge of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
Have heard of the FHRS and have a bit / quite a lot of knowledge about it Have heard of the FHRS but don't know much / anything about it Have never heard of the FHRS
16-24 61 29 9
25-34 59 33 8
35-44 67 24 8
45-54 68 26 6
55-64 58 36 7
65-74 49 34 17
75+ 37 38 24

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Respondents aged between 16 and 74 years were more likely to have at least a bit of knowledge of the FHRS than those aged 75 years or over. For example, 68% of those aged 45-54 years reported knowledge of the FHRS, compared to 37% of those aged 75 years or over (Figure 2).

Awareness and knowledge of the FHRS also varied between the following groups of people

  • Annual household income: respondents with an income above £19,000 (for example, 62% of those with an income of £64,000-£95,999) were more likely to report knowledge of the FHRS compared to those with an income of less than £19,000 (53%)**.   
  • National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC): respondents in all other groups (for example, 62% of those in managerial, administrative, and professional occupations) were more likely to report knowledge of the FHRS than those who were long term unemployed and/or never worked (45%).
  • Responsibility for cooking: respondents who were responsible for cooking (60%) were more likely to report knowledge of the FHRS than those who do not cook (44%). 
  • Responsibility for shopping: respondents who were responsible for food shopping (59%) were more likely to report knowledge of the FHRS than those who never shop for food (46%). 

Figure 3. Locations where respondents had come across the FHRS.

A bar chart showing the percentage of respondents who had come across the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in different locations.
Series 1 Column1 Column2
Somewhere else 6
On another website 3
On another app (for example, Scores on the Doors Food Hygiene Rating) 3
In an advert or magazine article 6
In the local newspaper 7
On social media (for example, Twitter, Facebook Marketplace) 9
On the FSA's website 14
Word of mouth 16
On a food ordering / delivery website or app (such as Just Eat, Deliveroo, UberEats etc.) 22
On a food business' own website (such as a restaurant website) 37
A sticker in a food business 85

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Source: Food and You 2 Wave 4

Respondents were asked where they had come across the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. The most common place respondents had come across the FHRS was a food hygiene rating sticker displayed at a food business premises (85%). Over a third (37%) of respondents had come across the FHRS on a food business’ website, 22% had come across the FHRS on a food ordering and/or delivery website and/or app (for example, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats), and 14% of respondents had come across the FHRS on the FSA’s website (Figure 3)   (footnote)

Figure 4. Top 5 places where respondents had come across the FHRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A bar chart showing the percentage of respondents who had come across the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in different locations, comparing responses from Northern Ireland, England and Wales.
England Wales Northern Ireland
On the FSA's website 14 19 13
Word of mouth 16 22 19
On a food ordering/delivery website/app 23 22 15
On a food business' own website 38 38 30
A sticker in a food business 84 91 90

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Source: Food and You 2 Wave 4

Most respondents in England (84%), Wales (91%) and Northern Ireland (90%) had come across the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme via a sticker in a food business (Figure 4)**. 

Recognition of the FHRS

When shown an image of the food hygiene rating sticker, almost 9 in 10 (88%) respondents reported that they had seen the food hygiene rating sticker before. Recognition of the food hygiene rating sticker was slightly lower in England (87%) than in Wales (95%) and Northern Ireland (94%)  (footnote) **.

Figure 5. Food hygiene rating sticker recognition by age group.

A bar chart showing the percentage of respondents in different age groups who recognise the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme sticker.
Have seen the sticker before Have not seen the sticker before
16-24 96 2
25-34 93 2
35-44 94 3
45-54 94 2
55-64 87 6
65-74 78 15
75+ 60 27

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Source: Food and You 2 Wave 4

Younger adults were more likely to have seen the food hygiene rating sticker than older adults. For example, 96% of respondents aged 16-24 years reported that they had seen the food hygiene rating sticker, compared to 60% of those aged 75 years and over (Figure 5).

Recognition of the food hygiene rating sticker also varied between the following types of people: 

  • Annual household income: respondents with a higher income were more likely have seen the food hygiene rating sticker than those who had a lower income. For example, 95% of those with an income of £96,000 or above had seen the food hygiene rating sticker compared to 81% of those with an income of less than £19,000.   
  • NS-SEC: respondents in some occupational groups for example, managerial, administrative and professional occupations (89%) and full-time students (97%) were more likely have seen the food hygiene rating sticker than those who were long term unemployed and/or never worked (76%).
  • Responsibility for shopping: respondents who were responsible for food shopping (88%) were more likely to have seen the food hygiene rating sticker than those who never shop for food (76%). 

Figure 6. Food businesses where respondents had seen a food hygiene rating sticker in last 12 months.

A bar chart showing the percentage of respondents who had seen the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme sticker at different types of food business in that last twelve months.
Column1 Column1
On market stalls / street food 7
In other food shops 10
In schools and other institutions 13
In supermarkets 17
In hotels / B&Bs 28
In pubs 51
In coffee or sandwich shops 55
In takeaways 66
In cafes 71
In restaurants 81

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Source: Food and You 2 Wave 4

Respondents were asked where they had seen the food hygiene rating sticker in the last 12 months. Most respondents had seen the sticker in restaurants (81%), in cafés (71%), or in takeaways (66%) (Figure 6) FHRS sticker.</p> " href="#">(footnote).

Figure 7. Food business where respondents had seen the food hygiene rating sticker in last 12 months in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A bar chart showing the percentage of respondents who had seen the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme sticker at different types of food business, comparing responses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
England Wales Northern Ireland
On market stalls\street food 7 13 6
In other food shops 10 17 13
In schools and other institutions 12 21 19
In supermarkets 16 25 21
In hotels /B&Bs 27 33 39
In pubs 51 61 40
In coffee or sandwich shops 54 63 61
In takeaways 65 74 72
In cafes 70 79 77
In restaurants 80 82 84

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Source: Food and You 2 Wave 4

Most respondents had seen the food hygiene rating sticker in restaurants in England (80%), Wales (82%) and Northern Ireland (84%)**. Around 8 in 10 respondents in Wales (79%) and Northern Ireland (77%) had seen the food hygiene rating sticker in cafés compared to 70% of respondents in England**. Respondents in Wales (61%) and England (51%) were more likely to have seen the food hygiene rating sticker in pubs than those in Northern Ireland (40%) (Figure 7).