Research findings
The research findings form the main body of the report and are structured thematically. The first section explores respondents’ general understanding of food poisoning, followed by detailed findings on awareness and perceptions of vulnerable groups. Dedicated sub sections examine definitions of young children, underlying health conditions and prescribed medications. A detailed section is dedicated to the concept and terminology of older adults. The report then presents the results of testing different versions of the vulnerable groups’ definitions and identifies the preferred approach.
Subsequent sections explore sources of information and resources, including where respondents obtain food safety information, which sources they trust most, and the types of information they are most likely to seek.
The report concludes with a Key Findings – Summary and Insights section, drawing together the main themes and implications for food safety messaging and consumer engagement.
Finally, a series of appendices provide supporting technical detail, including the technical appendix, recruitment questionnaire, topic guide, and stimulus materials, ensuring transparency and robustness of the research process.
Throughout the report verbatim comments feature to evidence findings and illustrate the linguistic style and thinking of respondents who took part. While these are anonymous, they are attributed to the sub-group from which respondents were recruited.