Kitchen Life 2 Technical report

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned Kitchen Life 2 (KL2) to understand food safety practices in household and food business operator (FBO) kitchens. The study aimed to provide observed behavioural data to inform risk assessment at the FSA, and actionable insights for policy and regulatory interventions through the application of behavioural science. In 2013, the FSA worked with the University of Hertfordshire on a study - Kitchen Life (Opens in a new window)- which sought to investigate, document, analyse and interpret domestic kitchen practices. The study generated insights about what goes on and why in UK domestic kitchens, to inform thinking about how to reduce the burden of foodborne disease. KL2 was commissioned as digital technology provided new techniques for observing behaviour that were not available in 2013, which the FSA were keen to explore. Additionally, while the FSA had undertaken a range of research on consumer behaviour, such as through their flagship Food and You 2 surveys, this has focused on self-reported rather than observed behaviours. KL2 was commissioned in February 2021 and completed in June 2023. The aims of the study were to identify: the key behaviours relating to food safety that occur in household and catering kitchens where, when, how often and with whom food safety behaviours occur and the key factors that influence these behaviours KL2 had two main objectives: to provide highly detailed, real-life data for risk assessment at the FSA to inform future behavioural interventions research Overall, 101 kitchens participated in KL2, with 70 households and 31 food business operators (FBOs) taking part across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The study utilised a variety of data collection methods. After a literature review, ethics approval and pilot, the main fieldwork design involved the use of motion sensitive cameras to film participants in their kitchen over five days (in some kitchens, 7 days where technical issues impacted filming), with three days of footage analysed from this period. The footage was coded, with analytical labels applied in terms of the behaviour (for example, washing hands with soap), person (for example, chef) and context (for example, sink, utensils). Surveys, interviews and observational methods were then used to understand influences on food safety behaviours – analysed using the COM-B behavioural model(footnote 1). Experts in food safety policy, behavioural sciences and communications were then involved in a workshop to discuss findings and consider behaviours to target for future interventions.