The news comes from The Food Standards Agency (FSA) the end of year report from its monthly Consumer Insights Tracker, which summarises its key findings between April 2025 and March 2026.
Food prices have consistently been the most common concern for consumers over that time. In March 2026, 91% said they were concerned, with levels ranging from 86% to 92% since tracking began in July 2023.
While food prices were top of their list, a lower percentage said they were worried about themselves or their household being able to afford food in the next month (23% in March 2026). This has fluctuated within a narrow range since July 2023 (19% to 28%), the FSA said.
Alongside these concerns, many respondents said they had engaged in food-related behaviours to save money, some of which may increase food safety risks.
In March 2026, 64% said they were eating food past its use by date; 60% said they were eating food that had been kept in the fridge for more than two days while over half (52%) were cutting down on the amount of food they bought.
The data also showed that consumers had been reheating leftovers more than once to avoid throwing them away (39%) and turning off an oven or hob earlier to finish cooking in residual heat (33%).
Other common concerns from the tracker in March 2026 included ultra-processed food (77%), food waste in the food chain (77%), animal welfare in the food industry (76%) and the quality of food (76%).
Katie Pettifer, Chief Executive Officer at the FSA said: “This latest data shows that food prices remain a top concern this year for most people we surveyed. Many people said that to save money they’d done risky things, like eating food past its use by date.
“So, this summer we’re once again running a campaign to help with advice on how to keep yourself and your family safe when cooking and preparing food at home.”
On 7 June, the FSA launched a campaign, called ‘Stop. Think. Serve, which focuses on the kitchen habits that can put people at risk.
Catherine David, CEO at WRAP said: “We know that 60% of all wasted food comes from our homes - costing the average household of four around £1,000 a year. Forming good food habits is vital for making the most of the food you buy, especially in the summer when life can be busier and food in your kitchen gets forgotten.”
