Small and micro food businesses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are demonstrating a strong commitment to food safety, despite continued economic pressures facing the sector, according to new research published today by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The latest wave of the Small and Micro Food Business Operators (FBOs) Tracking Survey , published today, shows that trust in the FSA's core mission remains high.
Among those who know about the FSA, nine in ten small and micro food businesses said they trust the agency to maintain and improve food safety standards.
Nearly all small and micro businesses selling food as a meal or a takeaway said they provide allergen information to customers.
Food safety practices and allergen information
The report paints a positive picture across the sector. Most small and micro food businesses felt well informed about the regulations that affected them (88%) and almost all said they were confident that food safety regulations are effective at protecting the public (96%) and are reasonable and practical (88%).
Provision of allergen information also remains high, with 98% of businesses that sell food as a meal or takeaway, or packaged at point of sale, saying they provide allergen information to customers. Two-thirds (66%) had used the FSA's tools for non-prepacked food, with almost half using an allergen poster.
Trust in the FSA's core mission
Nine in ten businesses (91%) said they trust the FSA to work hard to ensure that food safety and regulations are maintained and improved, while 85% said the FSA is good at identifying where poor standards exist and taking appropriate action. Both figures remain well above typical benchmarks for public sector trust.
While these figures remain high, they have decreased from 94% and 90%, respectively, from the previous tracking survey.
The proportion of businesses saying they know "a lot" about the FSA also dropped from 32% to 24%, and trust in how the FSA uses information provided by businesses fell from 94% to 87%. The FSA will now look at improving its engagement and communications with small and micro businesses.
Continued pressure on food businesses
The survey also highlights the challenging environment that many smaller food businesses are operating in. Two-thirds (67%) said changes in customer behaviour linked to the cost-of-living situation were a concern, while pressures around inflation, energy costs and recruitment remained significant, though slightly reduced compared with 2023.
Professor Rick Mumford, Deputy Director of Science and Research at the FSA, said:
Wave 5 of our tracking research shows that small and micro food businesses across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland remain strongly committed to food safety and that trust in the FSA's fundamental mission is high.
Businesses are training their staff, managing allergens well, and engaging with our guidance while facing significant challenges and economic pressures.
We take the decline in some confidence measures seriously and see it as a clear guide for where to concentrate our communications and engagement work. This is precisely the reason why we carry out long-term tracking research.
Notes:
- Small food businesses surveyed had 10-49 employees.
- Micro food businesses surveyed had fewer than 10 employees.
- 700 small and micro food businesses were surveyed from across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Fieldwork was carried out between September and November 2025.
