Small and Micro Food Business Operator (FBO) Tracking Survey: Wave 3 2021 - Technical Report

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been tracking small and micro Food Business Operator (FBO) attitudes towards food-related topics, and trust in the FSA and food system, since 2018. This has helped inform engagement and intervention activity targeted at businesses with fewer than 50 staff. The survey was initially developed to assess the perceived impact of changes as a result of the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU), and the Achieving Business Compliance (ABC) programme, which aims to modernise the regulation of food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since then, it has evolved to regularly track small and micro FBO views on a range of subjects. In 2021, the third wave of the annual tracking survey was carried out, with the following aims: To gain insight, and understand the implications of the EU Exit on small and micro enterprises To ‘unpack’ attitudes towards regulation and deepen insights and knowledge of small and micro enterprises, including with regards to the FSA’s ABC priority To measure trust in the FSA and extent to which FSA is considered a modern, accountable regulator All fieldwork for wave 3 was carried out by IFF Research, an independent market research company, commission by FSA. This paper outlines the methodological approach taken for wave 3 of the research, including sampling; feasibility testing; pilot and mainstage fieldwork; response rates; and weighting.