The survey also revealed that 40% of participants reported feeling worried about being able to afford food in the next month and 30% said they had skipped a meal or cut down the size of their meals because they did not have enough money to buy food.
Almost a third of participants (32%) reported that they had eaten food after its use-by date, at least once in the past month, because they couldn’t afford to buy more food. Around 18% of people who were surveyed turned off their fridge or freezer containing food at least once in the last month in order to reduce their energy bills.
Emily Miles, chief executive of the FSA, commented: “We know many people are worried about food affordability right now and our evidence shows that people are finding ways to save money where they can. It’s not a good idea to turn off the fridge or eat food past its use-by date as these things can lead to a higher risk of you becoming ill with food poisoning.
“Your fridge is a useful appliance that not only keeps your food safe, but can help cut down what you end up throwing out. Keeping your fridge cold enough, 5°C or below, will prevent bacteria from multiplying on your food and make it last as long as it can.
“You should also keep food with a 'use by date' in the fridge and think about freezing it on or before the day of the date if you’re not going to use it. We’ve got lots more advice on our website to help people use their judgement and make informed choices, while staying safe.”