American's Confidence in Safety of Food Declines - But Is That Based in Reality or Due to Poor News Reporting

A survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) shows that Americans are less confident about the safety of the US food supply than in previous years, in fact, the lowest it has been in 13 years.  At the same time, those surveyed feel more confident about imported food.  I will admit, looking at the way food safety news is reported, it is hard to imagine this otherwise.  With a constant bombardment of recall news, where most of these recalls have no real bearing on the vast majority of the population (most are allergen mislabeling issues, are limited to a small amount of product, and are limited to a small region), people will think that there is a lot of unsafe food in the marketplace.  But when we look at it, over 300 million people eat 2 to 3 meals a day (hopefully) with no issues.  Yes there are occasional outbreaks, but most recalls are not conducted as a result of an foodborne illness outbreak.  And too many people consider recalls as being part of an outbreak.

Reporting on recalls has a lot to be desired.  As we have pointed out many times, headlines are made to grab ones attention, and the article under the headline is often scant on details regarding the facts - Why the recall occurred, when the recalled occurred, how much product was recalled, and where the recall product was sold.  Reading the actual recall notice often shows that the recall was limited to a few hundred cases and these cases were only shipped to a few states far from the reader.  All the reader sees is the headline stating 'Frozen Meatballs Recalled".

To add to this murkiness, secondary news and social media outlets will regurgitate this news weeks to months later. in what we term an echo effect, but with more bombastic headlines to serve as nothing more than click bait.

You also have to throw our political environment into this conversation.  The national discussions on topics such as colors or ultra processed foods is heightened to push certain agendas.  Certainly over-consumption is an issue, but to what degree is that a food safety issue?

The US has an ever improving systems for identification and tracking, and there is no doubt, that these systems have proven to be more capable of identifying and tracking issues when they occur. They do what they are supposed to do, find the issues before it is consumed.  This week we saw a recall for tuna salad where the breadcrumb ingredient may have contained Salmonella.  While it would have been better to find this issue before the product was made, in this case, testing found the issue and product was recalled without anyone getting ill (so far).

 Years ago, the systems for detecting and tracking were not as good and because of that, we rarely knew there was a contamination issue, or that there was an outbreak where limited people were affected multiple states.    Detection, tracking and reporting systems are better now, and are generally more advanced than anywhere else in the world.  To say that food is safer in other countries is not likely to be the case.  Other countries have similar issues, but their tracking and reporting systems are not nearly as robust as they are here. I would also argue that many of the recalls seen in this country are associated with imported foods.


https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/28718-confidence-in-us-food-safety-reaches-13-year-low
Confidence in US food safety reaches 13-year low

WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence in the safety of the US food supply has declined rapidly, according to new research from the International Food Information Council (IFIC).

The group found that the number of Americans who are very or somewhat confident in the safety of the US food supply in 2025 has reached 55%, the lowest recorded point in the 13-years IFIC has measured attitudes on food supply safety. In 2024, 62% of respondents were very or somewhat confident, and 70% were in 2023. Confidence has declined across all age demographics, led by Gen Z (down 10%), then Gen X (7%), millennials (5%) and baby boomers (5%).

Among groups with low confidence in the safety of US foods, primary causes include believing profit is prioritized over safety, thinking that “not all parts of the food system work together to ensure safety,” government regulations being insufficient and food recalls being too frequent.

In 2025, American consumers identified foodborne illness from bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella or Listeria) as their No. 1 food safety concern. Consumers also reported being concerned about the presence of carcinogens or cancer-causing chemicals in the food supply, along with pesticides or pesticide residues and heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, lead or cadmium. Concerns about certain additives and ingredients, such as caffeine, preservatives and MSG, have risen sharply, up 30% from 2024, according to IFIC.

While confidence in the domestic food supply has fallen, Americans are more confident in the safety of imported foods than prior years. Just over 30% believe imported foods are less safe than those produced in the United States, a marked decline from 52% 10 years ago. An additional 12% think imported food is safer than domestic foods, rising 9% over the same period.

“Even as overall confidence in the US food supply has dropped, Americans are growing less skeptical of foods from abroad,” said Tony Flood, senior director of food and ingredient safety at IFIC. “This may reflect growing conversations about how other countries approach food production and regulation. Conversations online and in the media often highlight the perceived differences in food standards. That narrative seems to be resonating, but the reality is more complex.”

To increase consumer confidence in the US food supply, transparency will be key, according to IFIC. Over 40% of consumers report they would be more confident about US foods if there was greater understanding about how the government and food companies work to ensure food safety, and 34% would be more confident if they had more information about where their food comes from. Additionally, 41% indicated they would be more confident if there were stricter regulations surrounding food safety.

“Americans are clearly asking for more transparency and collaboration across the food system,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and chief executive officer of the IFIC. “We must meet this moment with credible information, and a renewed commitment to building trust through clear and consistent communication.”