Food and You 2 - Wave 1

Introduction

Food and You 2 is a biannual survey which measures self-reported consumer knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety and other food issues amongst adults in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The survey is primarily carried out online using a methodology known as ‘push-to-web’.

Fieldwork for Food and You 2: Wave 1 was conducted between 29 July and 6 October 2020. A total of 9,319 adults from 6,408 households across England, Northern Ireland, and Wales completed the survey.

Topics included in the Food and You 2: Wave 1 Key Finding report include:

• Trust in FSA and the food supply chain
• Concerns about food
• Food security
• Food shopping
• Food safety in the home

Topics included in the Food and You 2: Wave 1 survey not included in the report:

• Awareness and consumption of cannabidiol (CBD)

Main findings

Key findings from Food and You 2: Wave 1 report: 

• Three quarters (75%) of respondents who had at least some knowledge about the FSA trust the FSA to make sure food is safe and what it says it is
• More than 9 in 10 (92%) respondents reported that they were confident that the food they buy is safe to eat
• More than 8 in 10 (86%) respondents reported that they were confident that the information on food labels is accurate 
• Most respondents (84%) reported they had no concerns about the food they eat, and only 16% of respondents reported that they had a concern
• Across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 84% of respondents were classified as food secure (72% high, 12% marginal) and 16% respondents were classified as food insecure (9% low, 7% very low)
• Almost two thirds (64%) of respondents stated that they always check use-by dates before they cook or prepare food
• Less than a third (27%) of respondents reported that they always follow the ‘eat within’ on-pack instruction

Research reports

Secondary reports

Data tables

The results tables for the Wave 1 report are available in our data catalogue.