Hygiene biggest concern for diners, says FSA

Hygiene standards appear to be the greatest concern for people who eat out or buy food from places across the UK, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

According to the results of the FSA’s Biannual Public Attitudes Tracker, a massive 84% of respondents reported being aware of the hygiene standards of eateries they visit.

And the two most common ways of determining hygiene standards was via hygiene stickers or certificates (61%) and the general appearance of the premises (60%).

The study also showed that nearly half (45%) of the 1,989 adults interviewed across the country said they had concerns over food safety in restaurants, pubs, cafes and takeaways.

While a further 42% also confirmed similar concerns for shops and supermarkets, the general trend was that such worries had decreased since the previous fieldwork.

When it came to concerns about possible allergens and food intolerance, most people (70-77%) were confident in asking members of staff at food outlets for information about ingredients.

But only 18% of respondents were aware of specific rules about allergens with 10% having either food intolerance or an allergy themselves.

When it came to attitudes towards food production, sale and labelling then the majority (74-75%) trusted the accuracy of labelling and the authenticity of ingredients, origin, and quality of food.

Conversely just over half (56%) said they did not trust people who produce and sell food to have their best interests at heart.

In terms of food poisoning awareness, then the vast majority of people appear to know about Salmonella (89%) and E-coli (82%).

While raw chicken or turkey was perceived as the most likely sources of food poisoning (79%) followed by shellfish (54%), reheated take-away food (47%) and eggs (38%).