The FSA’s mission is focused on protecting consumers and acting in the consumer’s interest. It is therefore essential to understand what influences and drives behaviours across the food system. To act in the consumer interest within food policy and the food system, we must understand and monitor behaviours, changing attitudes and consumer-driven trends, and play our part in supporting safe, healthy, sustainable diet choices for all. To implement effective policies, we need to understand what consumers think, feel, and do, and how these are changing, as well the differences between consumers, and how these impact on food security, food safety and public health. Understanding the role of new and emerging markets and business models, and through these, the role food businesses play in driving behaviour and influencing consumer demand, is essential. This includes the development and introduction of novel foods (such as alternative protein sources or genetically engineered foods).
Please contact the FSA Science Strategy, Research and Capability Unit at ari@food.gov.uk
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
Our seminar series aims to understand and improve UK consumers' decisions about nutrition, food safety, and food waste. Our goals align with DEFRA, the Food and Agricultural Organisation and others who use the modern vie...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Leeds
The project aims to understand and improve consumer decisions about nutrition, food safety, and food waste, which aligns with the question.
major transformation of the food system is required, which is focused on the production and consumption of healthy and sustainable food. Change will need to be facilitated through a number of means, both direct and indir...
Funded by: UKRI
Lead research organisation: Newcastle University
The project focuses on influencing food choices and consumption to align with sustainability and nutritional guidelines, which partially addresses the question.
The UK food system is neither sufficiently healthy nor sustainable. Poor diet is the second-leading cause of death and ill health in the UK. The number of food banks in the country is increasing, yet cheaper food is ofte...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Oxford
The SALIENT project aims to understand and influence consumer behavior towards healthy, sustainable food choices, aligning with the question's focus on consumer views and choices in the food system.