Confidence in shops much higher than takeaways and delivery services: FSA survey

Public trust in food safety, authenticity, and the food supply chain remained high, even in the midst of the Covide-19 pandemic, a new survey by the FSA has revealed.

The latest wave of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Food and You 2 survey has also found that respondents were more likely to report confidence in shops and supermarkets (83%) than in takeaways (56%), and food delivery services (41%).

According to the wave three of the flagship survey, published Wednesday, 90 per cent of respondents reported they were confident that the food they buy is safe to eat. Almost three quarters (73%) reported that they had confidence in the food supply chain, with most respondents (87%) reporting confidence in farmers.

“All parts of the food system have been forced to adapt to the impact of Covid-19 and food supply shortages, so it is noteworthy that the public remain confident the food they buy is safe and what it says it is,” Emily Miles, chief executive at the FSA said.

The survey, conducted between April and June 2021, measures self-reported knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety and other food issues amongst adults in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Other key findings of the wave three include:

• More than 8 in 10 (83%) respondents were confident that the information on food labels is accurate
• Most respondents (80%) had no concerns about the food they eat
• The most common prompted concerns were the amount of sugar in food (63%), and food waste (61%)
• Approximately 1 in 6 respondents were food insecure (i.e. had low or very low food security) in England (15%), Wales (18%) and Northern Ireland (16%)
• Most respondents reported that they often check the use-by (84%) or best before (82%) date when buying food
• Around half (52%) of respondents had ordered food or drink via on online ordering and delivery company and 30% had ordered via an online marketplace
• Fewer respondents had ordered food or drink via social media (14%) or a food sharing app (8%)
• Eating habits had changed for most respondents in the last 12 months. The most common changes related to what and where respondents ate (57% eaten out less, 55% eaten at home more, 50% cooked more at home, 39% eaten fewer takeaways)