A record-low number of Americans say they have a “fair” to “great deal” of confidence in the federal government’s ability to ensure the safety of the food supply in the United States, according to a new Gallup poll published Monday.
At 53%, the confidence level represents a precipitous drop from 76% in 2000 and 68% as recently as 2019. The confidence level had settled around 70% for a 10-year period, from 2007 through July 2019, according to the poll.
Democrats are behind the drop, with 48% saying they have a “fair” to “great deal” of confidence, down from 74% in 2024. Republicans, meanwhile, spiked to 62% from 50% last year. Independents remained steady at 52% year over year, according to the survey.
“While Americans are confident that the food available at most grocery stores is safe to eat, fewer trust the federal government’s oversight to ensure food safety. Confidence in government regulation was sharply lower last year than in 2019, possibly related to a large number of food recalls issued around the same time,” Gallup said in its analysis. “However, Americans’ confidence has not recovered this year, possibly a reflection of partisan reactions to the Trump administration.”
The Food and Drug Administration last month penned a letter to food industry leaders calling for “radical transparency” in food safety and nutrition actions.
The letter was spurred by “recent incidents involving chemical contaminants in infant and toddler food products” that had “raised public awareness and underscored our shared responsibility in safeguarding our most vulnerable consumers – our children,” wrote FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.
Gallup surveyed 1,002 adults from July 7–21. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.
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