Research project

Consumer insights tracker report: key findings from December 2021 to March 2022

This publication provides a summary of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) latest consumer insights tracker data.

Area of research interest: Emerging challenges and opportunities

Authors: Maya King, Helen Heard, Ipsos

Date published: 30 May 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46756/sci.fsa.qsc504

Executive Summary

This publication provides a summary of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) latest consumer insights tracker data, which includes the following topics:
•   Household food insecurity
•   Consumer perceptions of food availability
•   Consumer concerns in relation to food
•   Consumer confidence in the food supply chain and the FSA

The data captured within this report is drawn from various tracking surveys commissioned by the FSA, via Ipsos’, from April 2020 until March 2022. The previous publication focused on data collected between April 2020 and November 2021, so this report provides commentary on the latest data from the 2021-22 winter period (December 2021 to March 2022).

Key findings from this report are:

Food affordability, food prices and food insecurity

the proportion of participants who were worried about food affordability was 31% in March 2022; the highest reported figure, and a statistically significant increase compared to April 2020, when tracking began (28%), and compared to the beginning of the winter period (24% in December 2021).
over one in five participants (22%) reported cutting down the size of their meals or skipping meals because they could not afford to buy food in March 2022. This proportion has remained relatively stable over the recent winter period (22% in both December and March 2022) but was significantly higher than the previous winter (19% in December 2020 to 17% in March 2021), and significantly higher than when tracking first began in April 2020 (18%).
in March 2022, 15% of participants reported using a food bank or food charity to access food. This is the highest proportion, and a statistically significant increase, since tracking began in April 2020 (8%). Although the reported use of food banks/food charities has remained stable over the recent winter period (14% in December 2021, 15% in March 2022), there has been a significant increase since the previous winter (10% in December 2020 and 9% in March 2021).
the proportion of participants who believe their food shopping had got more expensive has risen significantly since tracking began in September 2021 (49%), as nearly three-quarters reported that the cost of their food shopping had got ‘more expensive’ in March 2022 (74%).

Food availability

reported concern around food availability was highest in October 2021 (32%) but has remained broadly stable over the recent winter period (from 28% in December 2021 to 29% in March 2022)
the proportion of participants experiencing unavailable food items has slowly decreased since January 2022. In March 2022, the most common items that were reported as ‘unavailable’ were:

o   Fresh milk (17%), however 88% of these participants were able to find a suitable substitute
o   Fresh fruit (17%), however 85% of these participants were able to find a suitable substitute
o   Bread (17%), however 91% of these participants were able to find a suitable substitute
o   Fresh vegetables (16%), however 84% of these participants were able to find a suitable substitute
o   Frozen foods (15%), however 88% of these participants were able to find a suitable substitute

most ‘over-purchasing’ or ‘stockpiling’ behaviours significantly increased between September 2020 (when tracking of these specific behaviours began) and February 2022 where they peaked, before declining slightly in March 2022. The main exception to this trend is participants who reported ‘Purchasing more fuel than we usually would’; this proportion increased between September 2021 (8%) and October (12%), then remained relatively stable until March 2022, when it increased significantly to 15% (was 10% in February 2022).

Concerns about the food industry

the proportion of consumers who reported feeling concerned about ‘food prices’ has significantly increased overtime; from 71% in November 2021 to 81% in March 2022.
other monitored concerns have remained broadly stable over the winter period (December 2021 to March 2022), but over half of consumers reported concern about the following issues in March 2022:

o   Animal welfare in the food industry (57%)
o   Sustainability / the impact of food production on the environment (56%)
o   Food availability/food shortages (55%)
o   The ‘healthiness’ of food in my diet (52%)

approximately half of consumers were concerned about the quality (50%), and the safety (49%) of food imported from outside the UK. Significantly less were concerned about the quality (36%) and safety (36%) of food produced in the UK
Concerns around Christmas and New year (data gathered between September 2021 and December 2021)
data from late December shows 7 in 10 participants were concerned about the price of food (70%) and half of participants (51%) were concerned about the availability of food for Christmas and New Year
just over one-third of participants (36%) were concerned about food safety in relation to Christmas and New Year in late December 2021; a broadly consistent figure since tracking began in September 2021

Confidence in the food supply chain

latest figures show that only 56% of participants were confident that that the food supply chain in the UK ensures that there are affordable food options for everyone (March 2022)
in March 2022, 4 in 5 participants (79%) were confident that those involved in the food supply chain in the UK ensure that food is safe to eat whilst three-quarters (75%) were confident that food is of a high quality. These figures are stable across all reported waves
69% of participants reported feeling confident in the food supply chain overall in March 2022. A figure that has remained broadly stable since mid-November 2021.

Perceptions of the FSA

since November 2021, the proportion of participants stating they trust the FSA to do its job has remained stable (61% in mid-November 2021, 63% in March 2022)
confidence in the FSA remains stable across all measures between November 2021 and March 2022. For example, in March 2022 most participants felt confident that the FSA:

o   Can be relied upon to protect the public from food-related risks (75%)
o   Is committed to communicating openly with the public about food-related risks (69%)
o   Takes appropriate action if a food-related risk is identified (76%)

Food safety behaviours

the proportions of participants who reported eating milk, cheese, cooked meats, smoked fish and bagged salad past the use-by date has remained stable when compared to the average figures across the previous 12-month period. However, since tracking began in July 2020, there has been a gradual increase in the proportion of participants who reported eating these foods past the use-by date; a trend also noted in the FSA’s previous COVID-19 tracker report
participants who reported skipping or cutting down the size of meals for financial reasons (because they could not afford to buy food) were significantly more likely to report eating milk, cheese, smoked fish, bagged salad and cooked meats past the use-by date than participants who did not skip or cut down their meals. This finding has been noted in previous COVID-19 tracker publications and has been a consistent finding across all available waves of data (July 2020 – March 2022).

Background

The purpose of the consumer insights tracking survey is to provide frequent monitoring of consumer behaviour and attitudes towards food insecurity, food availability, concerns in relation to food, confidence in the food supply chain and confidence in the FSA.
Although longer term trends can be monitored in our flagship Food and You 2 survey (which offers a more robust methodology), the consumer insights tracker offers more regular (monthly) monitoring of key issues that impact consumers. The key differences between these two surveys are outlined in Table 1.

Table 1: Key differences between consumer insight tracker survey and Food and You 2 survey

Difference	Food and You 2	Consumer Insights tracker
Sample size	Approximately 6,000	Approximately 2,000
Sampling approach	Random probability sampling using postal address file (PAF)	Quota sampling from an online panel - An elimination rule is applied to the online omnibus so that participants will not be invited to complete consecutive surveys.
Mode	Push-to-web (online, with postal option)	Online only
Frequency	Biannually	Monthly (was fortnightly between November 2021 and January 2022)
Representation	Nationally representative of England, Wales and Northern Ireland with boosted samples in Wales and Northern Ireland	Nationally representative of England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Topics Captured	Food safety in the home, food shopping, eating out, food allergy (including intolerance, and other hypersensitivities), food security, concerns about food, and trust in the FSA and food supply chain	Food security, food availability, concerns in relation to food, confidence in the food supply chain and confidence/trust in the FSA
Cognitively tested questions?	Yes, cognitive testing on some survey questions	No
Beginning of timeseries	July 2020 - Fieldwork conducted between July 2020 and October 2020	April 2020 (question dependent)

Methodology

This report draws on data from three key tracking surveys, commissioned by the FSA via Ipsos’ online omnibus:

COVID-19 consumer tracker survey – this monthly tracking survey was established in April 2020 to track behaviour and attitudes towards food purchasing and consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection continued on a monthly cycle until October 2021 (Annex 1 provides the data collection period and sample size for each wave of the survey), and publication reports are published on the FSA website. From November 2021, some survey questions from the COVID-19 tracker survey were retired whilst others were continued in the FSA’s ‘Consumer Insights tracking survey’ (established in November 2021), which replaced the COVID-19 consumer tracker survey. This report draws upon relevant data across all waves of the COVID-19 consumer tracker.
CO2 shortages weekly consumer survey – this weekly tracking survey was established at the end of September 2021 to monitor consumer perceptions, awareness, and concerns in relation to the CO2 shortages in the food industry in addition to other topical issues (such as labour shortages). This survey was commissioned for 6 waves, each one week apart (Annex 2 provides the data collection period and sample size for each wave). Some of the survey questions were retired, whilst others were continued in the FSA’s ‘Consumer Insights tracking survey’ (established in November 2021).
Consumer Insights tracking survey – this survey was established in November 2021, to monitor consumer behaviours and attitudes in relation to food availability, affordability and confidence in the food industry and the FSA (annex 3 provides the data collection period and sample size for each wave). Many of the questions in this tracking survey were previously monitored from the COVID-19 and CO2 shortages tracking surveys (as outlined above), which allows the timeseries to continue. This report summarises findings from December 2021 to March 2022 (a full list of survey questions is provided in Annex 4). Between November 2021 and January 2022 data was captured every fortnight, but the survey moved to a monthly collection cycle from February 2022 onwards.

Each survey outlined above was commissioned with approximately 2,000 adults (aged 16-75), living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in each wave. The data was weighted to be representative of the adult population aged 16 – 75 living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on key demographics: age, gender, working status and social grade. An elimination rule is applied to the online omnibus so that participants will not be invited to complete consecutive surveys. For example, in a monthly survey participants would be eliminated from the sample if they had completed the survey in the month prior. In fortnightly surveys, participants would be eliminated from the sample if they had completed either of the previous two waves of the survey. The full datasets for each survey, including demographic breaks, are available via the FSA data catalogue.

Note on interpreting the data

Results should be interpreted with care. All surveys are subject to a range of potential sources of error including sample imbalances which are not easily identified and corrected through weighting. Surveys are also subject to errors in participants’ interpretation of survey questions and response options.

The data included within this report relies on participants’ self-reported behaviours. Errors could occur due to imperfect recollection, or participants’ tendency to overreport behaviours which are perceived as being desirable and underreport undesirable behaviours.
Demographic commentary is provided where this additional commentary is of particular interest for the FSA and its audiences. For some sections, demographic commentary has not been included to limit the length of this report. Unless stated otherwise, where comparisons are made in the text between different demographic groups, only those differences found to be statistically significant at the 5% level are reported. In other words, differences reported have no more than a five per cent probability of occurring by chance. The relationship between survey findings and different types of participants were investigated using chi-square tests of association.

Key Findings

Food affordability, food prices and food insecurity

Consumer concerns about food affordability

In April 2020 (during the first UK COVID-19 national lockdown), 28% of participants reported being worried about food affordability. Although this figure declined significantly in August 2020 (17%) and June 2021 (18%), in March 2022 the proportion of participants who reported feeling worried about food affordability rose to 31%; the highest proportion, and a significant increase, since tracking began. March 2022 (31%) is also a significant increase since the beginning of the winter period (24% in December 2021) (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Levels of worry about food affordability over time (April 2020 – March 2022)

Consumers who reported being 'worried' or 'not worried' about food affordability overtime - monthly data from April 2020 to March 2022. Key findings described in main body text.

Between November 2021 and March 2022, the following demographic groups were significantly more likely than their comparison groups to report feeling worried about food affordability:

younger participants (16 -24-year-olds and 25-34-year-olds) compared to older participants (55-75-year-olds)
participants from lower income groups (up to £19,999) compared to those in higher income groups (£55,000 or more)
those from larger households (4+) compared to smaller (single person) households
participants from households with at least one child present compared to households with no children present

Figure 2 summarises these demographic differences for March 2022, by way of example. The published data tables provide demographic comparisons for all other waves. Similar trends related to participant age, household size and presence of children in the household were also noted the FSA’s previous COVID-19 tracker report (which included data from April 2020 – October 2021).

Figure 2: Reported worries about food affordability; key demographic differences (March 2022)

Participants who reported feeling worried about food affordability by demographic groups (March 2022): Younger participants (aged 16-24): 46% Younger participants (aged 25-34): 42% Older participants (aged 55-75): 19% Smaller households (1): 32% Larger households (4+): 39% Lower income (up to £19,999): 41% Higher income (£55k+): 22% Children in household: 44% No children in household: 25%

Consumer insights tracking survey March 2022, Online, England, Wales and NI, adults 16-75, Fieldwork dates and full sample sizes available in Annex 3. Indicative base sizes (March 22): 16-24 (308), 25-34 (350), 55-75 (605), households with children (660), households without children (1,356), larger households (4+) (493), single person households (385), higher income; £55k+ (414), lower income; up to £19,999 (436).

Food insecurity cutting or skipping meals

The consumer insights tracker asked participants if they have cut down the size of meals or skipped meals for any of the following reasons:

they did not have enough money to buy food (financial reasons).
they (or others in their households) were not well enough to shop or cook food (health reasons).
they had no means to get to the shop to buy food (limited access to shops).
they were unable to get a delivery of food, or obtain food in other ways (unable to get delivery of food).

The proportion of participants who reported cutting down the size of meals or skipping meals for financial reasons was 18% in April 2020. Since January 2021, at least 17% of participants have reported skipping meals or cutting down the size of their meals because they did not have enough money to buy food. Between June 2021 and February 2022, this proportion increased significantly (17% to 24%, respectively). The latest figure in March 2022 indicates that over one in five (22%) participants skipped or cut down the size of meals for financial reasons, significantly higher than when tracking first began in April 2020 (18%). This proportion has remained relatively stable over the recent winter period (22% in both December 2021 and March 2022), although there is a significant increase since the previous winter (was 19% in December 2020 and 17% in March 2021). See Figure 2 for a summary of this data.

Similar trends are also noted for the other reasons for skipping or cutting down the size of meals. From February 2021 onwards, the most reported reason for participants to skip meals was because they were not well enough to shop or cook food (i.e., health reasons). In January and February 2022, the proportion of participants who reported skipping or cutting down the size of meals for this reason was 27%, significantly higher than when tracking began in April 2020 (17%). In March 2022, almost one quarter of participants reported skipping or cutting down meals for this reason (24%).

Prior to February 2021, the most common reason for skipping or cutting down the size of meals was being unable to get a delivery of food or obtain food in other ways; this reason was particularly high when tracking first began in April 2020 (32%) but has declined significantly to 17% in March 2022. This figure also dipped in August 2020 and June 2021 (14% and 15%, respectively) (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Proportion of participants who reported cutting down the size of meals or skipping meals ‘at least once’ or more in the month prior for different reasons (April 2020 to March 2022)

Participants who reported skipping or cutting down the size of meals for the following reasons: • They did not have enough money to buy food • They (or others in their households) were not well enough to shop or cook food; they had no means to get to the shop to buy food, they were unable to get a delivery of food, or obtain food in other ways.

COVID-19 Consumer tracker April 2020-October 2021, Consumer insights tracking survey November 2021- March 2022, Online, England, Wales and NI, adults 16-75, Fieldwork dates and sample sizes available in Annex 1 and 3. Values shown indicate all affirmative responses to this question (for example, skipping/cutting down meals happened at least once in the past month, or more often).

Between November 2021 and March 2022, the following demographic groups were significantly more likely than their comparison groups to report skipping meals or cutting down the size of meals because they could not afford food:

younger participants (16 -24-year-olds and 25–34-year-olds) compared to older participants (55-75-year-olds)
those from larger households (4+) compared to smaller (single person) households
those from households with at least one child present compared to households with no children present
participants from a lower socio-economic background (group DE), compared to those from a higher socio-economic background (group AB)
participants in an urban setting, compared to participants in a rural setting
participants from lower income groups (up to £19,999) compared to those in higher income groups (£55,000 or more)

Figure 4 summarises these demographic differences for March 2022, by way of example. The published data tables provide demographic comparisons for all other waves. Similar trends, related to participant age, household size and presence of children in the household were also noted the FSA’s previous COVID-19 tracker report (which included data from April 2020 – October 2021).

Figure 4: Demographic breakdown of proportion of participants reporting cutting down the size of meals/ skipping meals for financial reasons (March 2022)

Participants who reported cutting down the size of meals or skipping meals for financial reasons by demographic groups (March 2022): Younger participants (aged 16-24): 52% Younger participants (aged 25-34): 37% Older participants (aged 55-75): 6% Smaller households (1): 22% Larger households (4+): 31% Lower income (up to £19,999): 31% Higher income (£55k+): 19% Children in household: 16% No children in household: 34% Urban: 23% Rural: 14% Lower socio-economic group (DE): 30% Higher socio-economic group (AB

Food insecurity: use of food charities and food banks

In April 2020, 8% of participants reported using food charities or food banks to access food. This proportion decreased significantly to 4% in August 2020 and remained between 7% and 11% until November 2021. However, in December 2021, this figure rose significantly to 14% (13% in both January and February 2022). March 2022 saw the highest proportion, and a statistically significant increase, since tracking began (15% in March 2022, compared with 8% in April 2020). Although the reported use of food charities or food banks has remained stable over the recent winter period (was 14% in December 2021, and 15% in March 2022), there has been a significant increase since the previous winter (was 10% in December 2020 and 9% in March 2021). See Figure 5 for a summary of this data.

Reported use of food banks or food charities overtime. Timeseries graph from April 2020 to March 2022. Key trends described in body text.

COVID-19 Consumer tracker April 2020-October 2021, Consumer insights tracking survey November 2021- March 2022, Online, England, Wales and NI, adults 16-75, Fieldwork dates and sample sizes available in Annex 1 and 3. Combined affirmative responses shown. Note: From November 2021 onwards the phrasing of this question changed from ‘In the last month, how often, if at all, have you arranged for food to be delivered to your house through a food charity or food bank?’ to ‘in the last month, how often, if at all, have you used a food charity or food bank?’

Between November 2021 and March 2022, the following demographic groups were significantly more likely than their comparison groups to report using a food banks or food charity:

younger participants (16 -24-year-olds and 25-34-year-olds) compared to older participants (55-75-year-olds)
those from larger households (4+) compared to smaller households (single person households)
households with at least one child present compared to households with no children present
participants in an urban setting, compared to participants in a rural setting.

Figure 6 summarises these demographic differences for March 2022, by way of example. The published data tables provide demographic comparisons for all other waves. Similar trends, related to participant age, household size and presence of children in the household were also noted the FSA’s previous COVID-19 tracker report (which included data from April 2020 to October 2021).

Figure 6: Reported use of food banks and food charities by key demographic groups (March 2022)

Participants who reported using a food bank or food charity, by demographic group (March 2022): Younger participants (aged 16-24): 37% Younger participants (aged 25-34): 28% Older participants (aged 55-75): 3% Smaller households (1): 11% Larger households (4+): 23% Children in household: 27% No children in household: 9% Urban: 16% Rural: 9%

Consumer perceptions of food prices

Latest data (March 2022) showed that nearly three-quarters of participants (74%) believed that their food shopping had ‘got more expensive’ in the past week. This proportion had significantly increased since tracking began at the end of September 2021 (49%). In each wave, only 3-4% of participants thought that their food shopping had ‘got cheaper’, whilst the proportion who reported that the price of their food shopping had ‘stayed the same’ significantly decreased from the end of September 2021 (31%) to March 2022 (16%) (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Consumer perceptions of the price of their food shopping overtime (September 2021 to March 2022)

Reported changes in food prices from consumers overtime (September 2021 - March 2022). Key findings are described in main body text.

CO2 shortages weekly consumer survey, 24th September – 1st November 2021, Consumer insights tracking survey November 2021- March 2022, Online, England, Wales and NI, adults 16-75, Fieldwork dates and sample sizes available in Annex 2 and 3. Between November 2021 and January 2022 data was collected fortnightly, from February 2022 data was collected monthly. Values may not add to 100% as ‘I haven’t done any food shopping in the past week’ responses are not shown.