Have your eating habits changed? 

The latest FSA survey says ‘YES THEY PROBABLY HAVE!’ 

At Aerona we frequently receive interesting news items from different organisations and the latest survey alert that arrived early in March from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) was no exception. We thought that you would also be interested in reading the FSA’s eating habits findings too. So here is a summarised version of the survey, but if you wish to read the full official FSA report then just click here. 

The FSA eating habits survey, published in March 2023 indicates that some 20% of households across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now food insecure. This means that families have limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Incidentally it is also the highest reported level of food insecurity since tracking first began in 2020. 

Food prices are another top concern for people with food waste and the level of sugar in food also featuring in the top three prompted concerns. 

SO WHAT ARE THE KEY FINDINGS OF THE FSA EATING HABIT SURVEY? 

1.  Food-related behaviours and eating habits
The survey showed that most respondents had made changes to their eating habits in the past12-months. 
These include: Where people ate, reducing food costs plus food management. The main reasons for these changes are: financial, health, COVID-19 and lockdown. 

2.  Concerns about food
A large majority of the people surveyed had no concerns about the food they eat. However, when prompted, the most common concerns related to food prices, food waste and sugar levels. 

3.  Food security
Interestingly a large majority of respondents reported that they bought food from a supermarket or mini-supermarket about once a week or more often. 
Roughly half the people surveyed also reported that they bought food from independent shops such as green grocers, butchers, bakers, etc. Almost half the people surveyed confirmed that they also food shopped at a local corner shop, although this was relatively rare. 
It was also interesting that 83% of respondents do take into consideration people within their family who have a food allergy or intolerance. Most importantly most people also have trust in food labeling. 

4.  Online shopping
Over half of the people surveyed said that they ordered food or drink from the websites of a restaurant, takeaway or café. Just over half of respondents also ordered from an online supplier. 

5.  Eating at home
Hygiene was important to most people. Especially washing hands before eating or preparing food. Just over half of respondents also check use-by-dates..  Confidence in food safety and the authenticity of the food supply chain
Almost three quarters of respondents confirmed that they had confidence in the food supply chain. Most people also had confidence in food labeling. 

At Aerona we realise that this report is ‘over and above’ our usual import, export, shipping and freighting activities, but we believe that our regular readers will find the facts and figures as well as the information contained in the report most interesting. That is why we have included it here on our website. 

If you are involved in importing, exporting or freighting food items etc to or from anywhere in the world, then please speak to us and we will be delighted to discuss and assist you with your requirements. You can contact Aerona by telephoning 0161 652 3443. You could also email us at: sales@aerona.co.uk or you can send us a message using the form that can be found on our Contact page.  Please remember, at Aerona we are here to help you.