Food Hygiene Rating Scheme – Consumer Attitudes Tracker (Wave 2)

Background

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is a partnership scheme between local authorities and the FSA which aims to provide consumers with information on the hygiene standards of places they choose to eat out at or purchase food from.

The FSA previously commissioned a biannual public attitudes tracker survey to monitor key areas of concern for consumers in relation to food. In 2010, a number of questions were added regarding awareness and usage of the FHRS. In 2014, the FSA decided to explore the FHRS and consumers in more detail, and commissioned a bespoke consumer attitudes tracker survey to specifically monitor consumer awareness, attitudes towards and usage of the scheme.

This is the second wave of this piece of research.

Research Approach

This piece of work consisted of face to face interviews with a representative sample of 2,073 respondents (aged 16 and over). Respondents were selected using a random location sampling method across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The questions primarily focus on the following key areas;

• Awareness of the scheme - the proportion of respondents who report being aware of the FHRS
• Recognition of the scheme - the proportion of respondents who recognize the FHRS sticker, or who had seen a food business displaying one in the past year
• Usage of the scheme - the proportion of respondents who report using the scheme to base their decision on where to eat out or purchase food from
• Views on the scheme for example, the proportion of respondents who believe food businesses should be legally required to display their rating

Results

Awareness

• As in Wave 1, nearly half of respondents were aware of the FHRS, with 47% of all respondents reporting that they had either seen or heard of the scheme.
• In Wales, there was a significant increase since Wave 1 in the proportion of respondents who were aware of the FHRS (up from 42% to 53%).
• The most common source of information (82%) was still a sticker/certificate displayed at food business premises.

Recognition

• Consumer recognition remains high with 71% of all respondents reporting having seen the FHRS sticker before.
• Recognition was significantly higher in Northern Ireland (85%) and Wales (87%) than in England (70%).
• Levels of recognition of FHRS stickers in Wales had increased significantly from Wave 1 (up from 75% to 87%).
• A high proportion of respondents reported that they had seen a food business displaying their rating in the last 12 months - 82% of respondents in England, 91% in Wales and 95% in Northern Ireland.

Use

• A total of 41% of respondents in England, 49% in Wales and 39% in Northern Ireland said that they would definitely base their decision to eat out somewhere on the FHRS rating the business received.
• The figure in Wales had increased significantly on Wave 1 (up from 36%).
• In terms of actually checking the rating, 39% of respondents in England, 44% in Wales and 42% in Northern Ireland reported that they either often or sometimes do so before deciding where to eat out.

Views on mandatory display

• The vast majority of respondents (88% overall) think that businesses should be required by law to display their rating at their premises (the specific country figures are: 87% in England, 91% in Wales and 96% in Northern Ireland).
• There was a small, but significant, increase since Wave 1 in England (up from 84%).