Research project

Consumer Insights Tracker October 2023

The Consumer Insights Tracker is an online monthly tracking survey commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Area of research interest: Consumer Interests (aka Wider Consumer Interests)

Project status: Completed

Authors: Food Standards Agency

Date published: 14 November 2023

Consumer Insights Tracker October 2023 (604.59 KB)

The Consumer Insights Tracker is an online monthly tracking survey commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). It monitors the behaviour and attitudes of adult consumers aged 16+ in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in relation to food.

The survey includes topics such as food availability, food affordability, consumer concerns in relation to food, confidence in the food supply chain and in the FSA as a regulator.

The full data set is published on data.food.gov.uk: Consumer Insights Tracker July 2023 - present.

Key findings for October 2023

Food affordability

25% are worried about their household being able to afford food in the next month, in line with last month (25%).
40% bought reduced or discounted food close to its use-by-date to save money, comparable with last month (41%).

Food concerns

89% are concerned about food prices, and 75% are concerned about food poverty and food inequality.

Food availability

21% are worried about there being enough food available for their household in the next month, in line with last month.

The FSA

Of those with some knowledge of the FSA, 74% are confident that the FSA protects the public from food-related risks, broadly comparable with last month (72%).

Food supply chain

72% are confident that those involved in the food supply chain ensure food is safe to eat. Only 36% are confident that the food supply chain ensures that there are affordable food options for everyone.

Food affordability

One in four (25%) are worried about their household not being able to afford food in the next month.

This is comparable to September, but statistically significantly lower than in July. This figure has remained stable for the past three months.

Proportion who reported worrying about their household not being able to afford food in the next month ^(footnote)

Line graph shows proportion worried about their household not being able to afford food for July (28%), August (25%), September (25%) and October (25%).

The following households are significantly more likely to be worried about their household affording food in the next month:

participants with a limiting disability/health conditions
households with children
most deprived groups

Proportion who reported worrying about their household not being able to afford food in the next month by demographic group ^(footnote)

The icons show differences in concern over food affordability by disability status and whether people have children in the household. 36% of those with a limiting health disability are concerned, compared to 21% without. 33% of those with children in the household are concerned, compared to 22% without. Limiting health condition or disability 36% yes and 21% no and children in the household yes 33% and 22% no.

The chart shows the differences in concern over food affordability by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). 35% of those in the most deprived deciles are worried, compared to 19% in the least deprived.

This is compared to 25% of all respondents who said they were worried their household will not be able to afford food in the next month.

2% report that they, or someone in their household, received a free parcel of food from a food bank or other emergency food provider in the last month. This is in line with September (3%).

Proportion who reported receiving a food parcel from a food bank or emergency food provider ^(footnote)

The chart shows the proportion using a food bank from August to October 2023, including others in the household. It is 2% in October.

73% report at least one of the following shopping, cooking or eating behaviours applies to them or their household.

This is not statistically significantly different from the proportion reporting this in September.

Reported shopping behaviours ^(footnote)

The chart shows reported shopping behaviours in October. 48% chose cheaper alternatives and 40% bought reduced or discounted food.

Reported cooking and eating behaviours

56% have used cheaper cooking methods instead of an oven to heat or cook food in the last month and 9% have eaten food cold because they couldn’t afford to cook it.

Proportion who did any of the following to reduce energy bills or save money in the last month ^(footnote)

The chart shows the ways people have reduced energy bills to save money in the last month. 56% used cheaper cooking methods.

Food availability

One in five (21%) are worried about there not being enough food available for their household in the next month

This figure has been stable between August and October, though is statistically significantly lower than in July.

Proportion who reported worrying about there not being enough food available for their household in the next month ^(footnote)

The chart shows the concern over food availability from July to October 2023. This has fallen from 24% to 21%.

Food concerns

89% are concerned about food prices, 75% are concerned about food poverty and food inequality

Proportion who reported concern about food by topic ^(footnote)

The chart shows the concern about various food topics, comparing them to September 2023. 89% are concerned about food prices.

Food supply chain

72% are confident that those involved in the food supply chain in the UK ensure that food is safe to eat, whilst only 36% are confident that they ensure there are affordable options for everyone

Proportion who reported confidence in the food supply chain ^(footnote)

The chart shows confidence in the food supply chain from July to October 2023. This has remained comparable over time (55%, 56%, 56% and 54%).

Proportion who reported confidence that those involved in the food supply chain ensure that... ^(footnote)

The chart shows confidence that food is safe to eat and there is enough food available from July to October 2023. 72% are confident that food is safe to eat, and 55% that there is enough food available. The chart shows confidence that food is of high quality and there are affordable food options from July to October 2023. 54% are confident that food is of high quality, and 36% that there are affordable food options.

The FSA

57% of those with some knowledge of the FSA trust the FSA to do its job

Following a decline in trust in the FSA between August and September, levels of trust remain stable in October.

Proportion that trust the FSA to do its job ^(footnote)

The chart shows trust in the FSA to do its job in August to October 2023, among those with some knowledge of the FSA. This has remained stable in October, at 57%.

Proportion who reported confidence that the FSA... ^(footnote)

The chart shows confidence that the FSA protects the public, takes appropriate action and communicates openly among those with at least some knowledge of the FSA, from August to October 2023. 74% are confident that the FSA protects the public from food-related risks and takes appropriate action about identified food-related risks. 64% say that the FSA communicates openly with the public.

Background and methodological information

Changes in approach

Following a review of the FSA's Consumer Insights Tracker by the FSA’s Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS), the project was recommissioned in early 2023.

In July 2023, the Consumer Insights Tracker was transitioned to a new supplier, YouGov. Changing supplier provided the opportunity to make the following methodological changes:

review the questionnaire content and question wording
expand the sample to include adults aged 16+ (previously 16-75)
boost the sample to include a larger number of participants from Northern Ireland
utilise a panel survey approach (previously an omnibus approach was used to collect the data)

Due to these methodological differences, data captured by YouGov (from July 2023 onwards) should not be directly compared to data captured by the previous supplier (April 2020 – June 2023).

Method

this research was conducted online using the YouGov panel which gives access to 400,000 active panellists in the UK.
this report presents findings from October 2023. Where appropriate, comparisons are made to the July 2023, August 2023 and/or September 2023 survey.
2,062 adults across England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in the October survey between 5th-10th October 2023.
quotas were set by age, gender, education and region. The data is also weighted to be representative of the population by these demographic variables. All results are based on final weighted data.

Notes for interpretation

figures may not add up to 100% on graphs due to rounding, or in some questions, respondents were able to select multiple answers.
significance testing is applied to the data to compare and determine whether a difference is “real”, or if it has occurred by chance (because not everyone in the population has been surveyed).
any differences between demographic groups and month to month which are reported (with arrows) are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level.
if you require further information on the statistical significance testing carried out, please contact the social science team.
where analysis is conducted by IMD, respondents are categorised within the country where they live, before a combined measure is created for the full sample.

For more information

visit our Consumer Insights Tracker webpage
or please contact the FSA Social Science Team