Three out of four UK consumers now have “major future concerns” about the cost of food, the country’s Food Standards Agency confirmed on Tuesday. The body is responding by “urgently” working with charities and donors to bolster supplies to food banks, which have seen a surge in demand.
Newest data from the FSA – which operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – says that 76% of UK consumers are concerned about the rising prices of food. The agency’s research also showed that the number of people using food banks or charities has drastically increased in the span of a year, going from 9% in March 2021 to 15% in March 2022.
The FSA also referred to a March survey showing that one in five Britons were skipping at least one meal or cutting down on portion sizes, because they lacked money to buy food.
“In the face of the immediate pressures on people struggling to buy food, food banks are playing a vital role in our communities,” FSA chair Susan Jebb said in a statement. “We are urgently working with industry and other major donors, and food bank charities, to look at what more we can do together to ensure that food which is safe to eat can be redistributed to people who can benefit from this support.”