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Food and You 2

Food and You 2 is our official statistic survey that measures people’s self-reported knowledge, attitudes and behaviour relating to food safety and other food-related behaviours.

Last updated: 26 September 2024
See all updates
Last updated: 26 September 2024
See all updates
If you have received a letter inviting you to take part in the Food and You 2 survey, please visit the survey website

What is Food and You 2?

Food and You 2 is our official statistic survey with adults (aged 16 or over) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The survey measures people’s self-reported knowledge, attitudes and behaviour relating to food safety and other food-related behaviours.

The research is conducted approximately every 6 months using a ‘push-to-web’ method. This means that participant are initially sent a letter via post inviting them to take part in an online survey. Participants are also given the option of completing a paper version of the questionnaire.

The first wave of data collection began in July 2020.

Topics covered in Food and You 2

Food and You 2 covers topics such as food safety in the home, food shopping, eating out and takeaways, food security, concerns about food, and trust in the FSA and food supply chain. 

Some questions are asked in every wave of the survey, whereas others are asked less frequently for example every year or every 2 years.

The following table provides a list of the topics covered and when findings on each topic were last published:

Module Topics covered Frequency Latest available data
About you and your household
  • Dietary preferences and food hypersensitivities (prevalence and diagnosis)
  • Shopping and cooking responsibilities
  • Demographic and household information 
6 months Food and You 2 - Wave 8
Food you can trust
  • Awareness and trust in FSA
  • Confidence in food safety and authenticity 
  • Confidence in the food supply chain 
6 months Food and You 2 - Wave 8
Food concerns
  • Concerns about food
6 months Food and You 2 - Wave 8
Food security
  • Food insecurity prevalence (USDA food security module)
  • Changes people have made for financial reasons
6 months Food and You 2 - Wave 8
Food shopping
  • Food purchasing behaviour
  • Confidence in allergen information
  • Awareness and actions taken in response to food and allergy alerts 
  • Attitudes towards animal welfare, provenance and the  environmental impact of food
12 months Food and You 2 - Wave 7
Eating out and the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS)
  • Attitudes and behaviour relating to eating out and ordering takeaways
  • Awareness and use of FHRS 
12 months Food and You 2 - Wave 8
Eating at home (core)
  • Food safety knowledge and behaviour in the home (core questions)
12 months Food and You 2 - Wave 8
Eating at home (deep dive)
  • Food safety knowledge and behaviour in the home
24 months Food and You 2 - Wave 5
Food hypersensitivities (deep dive)
  • Detailed questions on food hypersensitivities
Ad-hoc Food and You 2 - Wave 6
Healthy eating (Northern Ireland only)
  • Healthy eating including knowledge (for example government guidance) attitudes and behaviour
24 months Food and You 2 - Wave 7
Emerging issues (deep dive)
  • Sustainable diets and purchasing behaviour
  • Consumption and perceptions of meat alternatives
24 months Food and You 2 - Wave 8

Publications

Food and You 2 official statistic reports

The main report, technical report and data for each wave can be found at the following links:

Secondary analysis reports

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Country specific secondary analysis: Northern Ireland and Wales

Data tables, data set, and data user guide

Food and You 2 Survey

SPSS data and survey materials (accessed via the UK Data Service)

Food and You 2: Waves 1 to 6, 2020 to 2023

Future publications

Report Date
Food and You 2: Wave 8 Key Findings 26 September 2024
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Food and You 2: Wave 8 Autumn 2024
Food and You 2: Northern Ireland Wave 7-8 Key Findings Autumn 2024
Food and You 2: 2020-2024 trends Winter 2024

Contact details

You can contact the Food and You 2 team using the following email address: foodandyou@food.gov.uk