Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Cost of food is a major future worry for three-quarters of Brits: FSA

Cost of food is a major future worry for three-quarters of Brits: FSA

The cost of food is now a major future concern for three out of four (76%) UK consumers, research published today by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has shown.

Two further reports, also published today (June 7), show the rising use of food banks and community food providers across the society as well as a call from food banks to have clearer, more accessible advice on handling food safely.


The FSA’s Consumer Insights Tracker reveals that the number of people using a food bank or food charity continues to grow – from around one in ten in March 2021 (9%), to nearly one in six in March 2022 (15%). And over one in five (22%, in March 2022) say they skipped a meal or cut down the size of meals because they did not have enough money to buy food.

The FSA said it is working with businesses to ensure that donating their food is as straightforward as possible, and to support both those who work in food banks, and those who use them, to follow best practice for storing, preparing, and cooking food.

“In the face of the immediate pressures on people struggling to buy food, food banks are playing a vital role in our communities. We are urgently working with industry and other major donors, and food bank charities, to look at what more we can do together to ensure that food which is safe to eat can be redistributed to people who can benefit from this support,” Professor Susan Jebb, FSA Chair, said.

“Food banks can be a trusted lifeline in the short term, but governments and regulators must also look more widely at other ways to enable people to reliably access safe and healthy food in the long term.”

The FSA, in collaboration with Defra and the WRAP, have published best practice surplus food redistribution guidance.

“We support the FSA’s efforts to address the concerns many of us have around the cost of food,” Marcus Gover, chief executive of environmental charity WRAP, said.

“We estimate that more than 200,000 tonnes of surplus food could still be redistributed each year. So, by working together we can increase the redistribution of this food, which will also reduce the environmental impact of our food and help achieve a thriving UK food system for all.”

More for you

UK economy unexpectedly shrinks in January

A file photo of Buns and Buns restaurant in Covent Garden Market, London. Sectors like accommodation and food services are expected to be hit hard by higher living wage and employer national insurance contributions in April.

Photo: iStock

UK economy unexpectedly shrinks in January in blow to government

Britain's economy unexpectedly shrank in January, official data showed Friday, piling more pressure on the Labour government ahead of its Spring Statement on the economy.

Gross domestic product contracted 0.1 per cent in the month after GDP rose 0.4 per cent in December, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump threatens tariffs on European wine and spirits in response to a European Union plan to impose tariffs on American whiskey

Barrels of bourbon are stacked in a barrel house at the Jim Beam Distillery on February 17, 2020 in Clermont, Kentucky.

Photo by Bryan Woolston/Getty Images

Trump threatens 200 per cent tariff on European alcohol

US president Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to slap a 200 per cent tariff on wine, cognac and other alcohol imports from Europe, opening a new front in a global trade war that has roiled financial markets and raised recession fears.

Stocks fell on the news, as investors worried that Trump would enact stiffer trade barriers around the world's largest consumer market. The S&P 500 finished the day more than 10 per cent below its record high reached last month, confirming the benchmark index for US stocks is in a correction.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gloucestershire Trading Standards underage test purchase operation

Products containing corrosive substances sold to minors by Gloucestershire shops

Photo: Gloucestershire County Council

Eight out of 10 Gloucestershire shops found selling corrosives to minors

An undercover operation by Gloucestershire Trading Standards has found most shops in the county selling products containing corrosive substances to underage buyers.

In total, 10 stores were visited and eight made sales to underage volunteers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paul Bacon appointed as NewstrAid Operations Manager replacing Tom Rodger

Paul Bacon joins NewstrAid as Operations Manager

NewstrAid appoints Paul Bacon as new Operations Manager

Industry charity, NewstrAid, has announced the appointment of Paul Bacon to the role of Operations Manager.

Paul will join the NewstrAid team from 17 March and will take over from Tom Rodger, who is retiring at the end of the month.

Keep ReadingShow less
 ATM machine
Brits pull out nearly £80bn from LINK ATMs in 2024
Photo: iStock

Uneven transition: Where cash still clings on in Britain

The UK’s transition away from cash continues to accelerate, nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released today by LINK, the UK's cash access and ATM network.

While the trend towards a low-cash society is clear, the pace of this shift varies significantly across the country, indicating a complex and evolving payment landscape.

Keep ReadingShow less