Consumer confidence in FSA's food safety role

Friday 16 October 2009

Consumers continue to be confident that the Food Standards Agency is protecting their health with regard to food safety, according to results from the September tracker survey of consumer views on key FSA issues, which has just been published.

The quarterly research, which tracks attitudes towards food safety, concerns about food issues, awareness of and trust in the FSA, involved face to face interviews with 2,081 UK adults via the TNS consumer omnibus survey.

The prompted and total awareness of the FSA remained constant (at 79% and 85% respectively), similar to the previous wave of the tracker, while the latest wave demonstrated a statistically significant increase in awareness of the Meat Hygiene Service (from 27% to 31%).

Consumer confidence in the role of the FSA in protecting health with regard to food safety remained constant (currently 64%), as did trust in the FSA, with nearly half of respondents (48%) rating the Agency as an organisation they could trust.

Concern about food safety issues remained stable this wave (64%) with the main issues people expressed concern about being food poisoning (46%), food hygiene when eating out (44%), and the amount of salt, fat and sugar in food (42%, 41% and 40% respectively). Food prices and the amount of saturated fat in food were also issues of concern (both at 38%).

Two additional questions were asked this wave to monitor consumer awareness of the hygiene standards of establishments that sell food. About 83% of respondents reported being aware of the hygiene standards of places where they eat out or buy food from, and the main ways they are aware were from general appearance of the premises (70%), appearance of staff (56%) and reputation (47%).