Small and micro food businesses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland remain strongly committed to food safety despite economic pressures, according to new Food Standards Agency research.
The latest wave of the Small and Micro Food Business Operators Tracking Survey found that most businesses felt well informed about the regulations affecting them. The FSA said 88% reported feeling well informed, while 96% were confident that food safety regulations are effective at protecting the public.
The survey also found that 88% of businesses considered regulations reasonable and practical. Among businesses selling food as a meal or takeaway, or packaged at point of sale, 98% said they provide allergen information to customers.
Two-thirds of those businesses had used FSA tools for non-prepacked food, and almost half had used an allergen poster. The agency said the findings presented a positive picture of food safety practices and allergen information across the sector.
Among businesses aware of the FSA, 91% said they trusted the agency to work hard to ensure food safety and regulations are maintained and improved. Another 85% said the FSA was good at identifying poor standards and taking appropriate action.
The FSA said both trust measures remained high but had fallen from the previous tracking survey, when the figures were 94% and 90% respectively. The proportion saying they knew a lot about the FSA dropped from 32% to 24%, while trust in how the agency uses information provided by businesses fell from 94% to 87%.
The survey also highlighted continuing financial pressure. Two-thirds of businesses said customer behaviour linked to the cost-of-living situation was a concern, while inflation, energy costs and recruitment pressures remained significant. The research covered 700 small and micro food businesses, with fieldwork carried out between September and the supplied publication period.