The latest wave of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) ‘Food and You 2’ survey, conducted between April and July 2022, shows that most people surveyed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had made changes to their eating habits in the last year, with financial reasons being the biggest driver.

The latest findings from the flagship survey, show that the most common changes people have made to their eating habits include eating out less and eating fewer takeaways; cooking and eating at home more; buying items on special offer more; and changing what and where they buy to cheaper alternatives. 

Latest figures from the survey indicate that 20% of households across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now food insecure. In simple terms, food insecurity means having limited or uncertain access to adequate food. This is the highest reported level of food insecurity since tracking began in 2020.

This research also revealed that food prices are the top concern for people (66%), with food waste (60%) and the amount of sugar in food (59%) also featuring in the top three prompted concerns. 

Emily Miles, chief executive at the FSA said: “‘Food and You 2’ provides FSA and the rest of Government with robust data on what people think and do when it comes to food. We are seeing high levels of concern about food prices, as well as people making changes to their eating habits for financial reasons. 

“The experiences people are reporting to us are critically relevant to the FSA’s work as a regulator, and to our mission to make sure people have food they can trust. The FSA will continue to play our part in protecting health and consumers’ wider interests in relation to food.”

This survey is an official statistic and measures self-reported knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety and other food issues.