Dietary surveys
The Food Standards Agency carries out surveys on the amounts and nutritional values of the food we eat in order to establish a sound evidence base from which to do its work.
Encouraging a healthy diet
The Agency's objective in respect of nutrition is 'improving the health of the UK population through encouraging and facilitating the adoption by the population of a healthy, balanced diet'.
One of the four main elements of a strategic framework to achieve this objective on nutrition is the securing of a sound evidence base for action to promote a healthy diet.
The Food Standards Agency conducts surveys which collect information on the types, amounts and nutritional value of food eaten in the UK.
This information is then used to estimate the nutrient intakes and nutritional status of the UK population - data which is vital to establishing the evidence base we need.
Find out more
The Composition of Foods
McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods integrated dataset (CoF IDS).
National Diet and Nutrition Survey
The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme is a continuous cross-sectional survey of the food consumption, nutrient intakes and nutritional status of people aged 18 months and older living in private households in the UK. It covers all four countries of the UK and is designed to be representative of the UK population.
School meals research project
The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned research to assess whether food provided at school lunch times in maintained secondary schools in England complied with statutory nutritional standards and associated guidance.
Analytical surveys
A rolling programme of surveys analysing the nutrient content of foods.
Programme of Mini Surveys
This series of surveys aims to provide up-to-date information on the levels of sodium (salt), fat, sugar and a limited range of other nutrients, in processed foods. Results of the surveys are used to raise consumer awareness of related food and diet issues and help them to make their own informed food choices.
School meals in primary schools in England
This research project was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills and the Food Standards Agency to assess whether school lunches in maintained primary schools in England complied with statutory nutritional standards and associated guidance, to assess whether the food consumed by the children met nutritional guidelines, and to gather other relevant information.
Dietary sodium levels surveys
Dietary sodium levels among adults in the general population are calculated using the analysis of 24-hour urine samples.
Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey
The Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey (LIDNS) was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency. It provides strong, nationally representative, evidence on the eating habits, nourishment and nutrition-related health of people on low income. It also assesses the effect of lifestyle and a range of other factors on these things.
Processed Food Databank
The Processed Food Databank is a reference tool designed to provide indicative information on the levels of sodium (salt), fat, sugar and other nutrients in processed foods.
Survey of sugar intake
This survey from Food Standards Agency Scotland shows that the main sources of sugar in the diets of children living in Scotland are soft drinks, confectionery, biscuits and cakes.