Food safety when eating out
40% referred to the hygiene certificate and just under a third referred to a hygiene sticker. As with W21 very few were using websites or social media.
When asked how they judge hygiene standards when eating out, the main factor respondents said they consider is the general appearance of the premises.
| How hygiene standards are judged when eating out | W22 July 2026 | W21 December 2025 | W20 July 2025 | W19 December 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General appearance of premises | 59% | 57% | 57% | 56% |
| Reputation | 45% | 45% | 47% | 45% |
| Appearance of staff | 41% | 42% | 43% | 41% |
| Hygiene certificate | 40% | 39% | 38% | 38% |
| Word of mouth | 36% | 34% | 35% | 35% |
| Hygiene sticker | 29% | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| Social media | 16% | 15% | 15% | 13% |
| Websites | 15% | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| I don’t consciously do this | 13% | 13% | 14% | 14% |
| Don't know | 2% | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Over two fifths said they had used the food hygiene information scheme (FHIS) over the last few months, this has not changed since the last wave.
| Used FHIS | W22 July 2026 | W21 December 2025 | W20 July 2025 | W19 December 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 42% | 45% | 39% | 40% |
| No | 58% | 55% | 61% | 60% |
When asked, those who had used the FHIS scheme in the last few months, 89% claimed that it influenced their decision about using an establishment.
| Level of influence | W22 | W21 | W20 | W19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It had a lot of influence | 50% | 47% | 50% | 50% |
| It had a little influence | 39% | 44% | 41% | 42% |
| It had no influence at all | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% |
Those that were all more likely to use the scheme than their counterparts:
• age groups 16-34 (52%) and 35-64 (47%)
• those working (48%)
• those with children in the household (53%)
• those who had allergy (50%)
• heard of FSS (46%)
• those who receive help with their shopping (56%)
• those who find it difficult to eat a healthy balanced diet (46%)
• think nutritional/calorie information should be available (45%)