Nutrition Data and Surveys

Nutrition Data and Surveys

Food, income and education: who eats more of what?

Using data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) have created a graphic that illustrates how UK food consumption varies for population groups differing in level of income and education against the national average.

The info graphics have also been broken down into individual food groups to show the differences between population groups based on levels of education and income.

Consumer Attitudes to Food Standards Survey

The Consumer Attitudes to Food Standards Survey is a UK wide annual survey published by the Food Standards Agency. The survey was established in 2000 and aims to provide the FSA with an understanding of consumer attitudes, knowledge, behaviour and awareness with regards to food safety and food standards.

Living Costs and Food Survey

The Expenditure and Food Survey is a UK wide annual survey which provides information for the Retail Prices Index, analysis of the effects of taxes and benefits, estimates of household expenditure and trends in nutrition.

Read the results of surveys.

Family Food Survey 2010

Family Food is the source of detailed statistical information on purchased quantities, expenditure and nutrient intakes derived from both household and eating out food and drink.

To read the results of the survey please visit the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website.

Infant Feeding Survey

The Infant Feeding Survey is a UK-wide survey carried out on behalf of the four Health Departments of the UK. It was established in 1975 and is conducted every five years. The main aim of the survey is to provide national estimates on the incidence, prevalence and duration of breastfeeding and other feeding practices adopted by mothers from the birth of their baby until around nine months of age. The survey also collects information on the smoking and drinking behaviours of mothers, before, during and after pregnancy.

As well as national estimates the survey is also designed to provide individual estimates for each of the countries of the UK.

To read the results of the surveys click on:

Infant Feeding Survey 2000

Infant Feeding Survey 2005

Infant Feeding Survey 2010

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) Subgroup on Maternal and Child Nutrition has reviewed the findings of the 2005 Infant Feeding Survey. The SACN welcomes the significant increase observed in breastfeeding initiation across the UK and the reduction in the proportion of infants given solid foods at an inappropriately young age. The report highlights implications for policy and recommends options for improving infant feeding practices in the UK. It also suggests areas to be covered in more depth in future surveys.

Download Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2008) Infant Feeding Survey 2005: A commentary on infant feeding practices in the UK.

Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey (LIDNS)

The Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency and published in 2007. It is a survey of the most materially deprived households in the UK and aims to provide nationally representative baseline data on the dietary habits and national status of the part of the UK that has a low income. Topics covered by the survey include food consumed, nutrient intake and status, physical activity, smoking, drinking, oral health, physical measurements and also examines the relationship between dietary intake and factors associated with food choice.

To read the results of the survey click on Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey.

National Diet and Nutrition Survey

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health. It is UK-wide survey of adults aged 19-64 years of age and aims to gather information about the dietary habits and nutritional status of the UK population. The survey was conducted in 2008/2009.

To read the results of the survey click on National Diet and Nutrition Survey.

National Diet and Nutrition Survey – 4 year comparison results

The latest results from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) over years 1, 2, 3 and 4 have been released.
 The findings in this report confirm that the UK population overall is consuming too much saturated fat, added sugars and salt and not enough fruit and vegetables and fibre. Comparison of 2008/09-2009/10 with 2010/11-2011/12 did not show a clear or consistent pattern of changes over this period but comparison with earlier surveys suggests that there have been positive changes over the last 10-20 years in some age groups such as young children. There were some differences in the diets of the lowest income groups compared with the highest, in particular lower consumption of fruit and vegetables, some vitamins and minerals and fibre. The analyses presented in this report do not identify any new nutritional problems in the general population.

The ‘Food and You’ survey

The ‘Food and You’ Survey is an annual survey published by the Food Standards Agency. It collects robust quantitative data to compare attitudes and behaviours between different groups within the population, and how these change over time.

The survey began in 2010 and will be an important vehicle in measuring progress against the Agency’s Strategic Plan 2010–15.

To read more information about the survey visit www.food.gov.uk/science/socsci/surveys/foodandyou/.

School Lunchboxes Survey

This survey was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency to find out about the nutritional content of lunchboxes brought to school by children.

The survey was conducted in 2003 in 24 schools across the UK. Information was collected on the carbohydrate, total fat, saturated fat, protein, salt and energy content.

To read the results of the survey click on School Lunchbox Survey 2003.

Sodexho School Meals and Lifestyle Survey

The Sodexho School Meals and Lifestyle is a UK-wide survey published by Sodexho Limited. The survey was established in 1990 and is conducted bi-annually. The survey aims to provide information on the eating habits and lifestyles of school children.

To read the results of the survey click on Sodexho School Meals and Lifestyle Survey 2005 results .

BAPEN Nutrition Screening Week Report 2007

This is the largest prospective study on nutritional screening ever undertaken in the UK using consistent criteria across all settings based on BAPEN’s Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). It included over 11,000 participants.
For more information visit www.bapen.org.uk.