The Behaviour and Perception Area of Research Interest (ARI) looks at understanding the role that consumer and business behaviour and perception has in ensuring food safety and standards. The overarching aim of this ARI is to investigate consumers’ and businesses’ behaviours, beliefs and potential misconceptions around food hygiene and safety.
Under this ARI we will identify research gaps, collect evidence and data on a range of topics, including:
This ARI will provide a range of evidence that will be analysed and used by FSA teams in alignment with the FSA’s mission. Through identification of knowledge gaps, we can inform policy making in an efficient and targeted way, to achieve higher regulatory compliance, as well as a positive impact on consumers’ health. As the independent government department with the exclusive remit for food, it will enable us to fulfil a crucial role in informing the wider debates around issues such as food affordability.
We have commissioned independent research to assess the proportion of food businesses that are displaying their food hygiene ratings since 2011. This report provides the findings from the 2019 wave of research making comparisons to previous years where possible.
We run an annual consumer attitudes survey on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) to track consumer awareness of the scheme, attitudes towards it and the use of the ratings over time.
Given the Food Standard Agency (FSA)’s focus on protecting consumer interests in relation to food, understanding consumer views of emerging and new food technologies is important. The FSA commissioned Collingwood Environmental to provide an up to date literature review and deliver qualitative research to explore what consumers views are on emerging technologies.
We have commissioned independent research to assess the proportion of food businesses that are displaying their food hygiene ratings since 2011. This report provides the findings from the 2017 wave of research making comparisons to previous years where possible
We run an annual consumer attitudes survey on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) to track consumer awareness of the scheme, attitudes towards it and the use of the ratings over time.