Gallup Poll Shows Americans’ Confidence in Food Safety, Federal Oversight Hits Record Lows
Americans’ confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply and the federal government’s ability to ensure food safety has fallen to record lows, according to a new Gallup poll. At the same time, more consumers reported taking precautions in response to food recalls and safety advisories.
Confidence in Food Sold at Grocery Stores is Down
Only 65 percent of U.S. adults said they were very or somewhat confident that food sold at most grocery stores is safe to eat, down from 73 percent in 2025 and 81 percent in 2019. Additionally, 66 percent expressed confidence in the safety of food served at most restaurants, a measure Gallup included for the first time this year.
Americans Less Confident in Federal Food Safety Oversight
Confidence in the federal government's ability to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply also reached a new low, at 47 percent, down from 53 percent in 2025 and 68 percent in 2019. For the first time in Gallup's polling history, a majority of Americans (53 percent) reported having little or no confidence in federal food safety oversight.
More Consumers Take Precautions
Meanwhile, consumers have become more likely to take precautions following food safety warnings. Specifically, Gallup found that:
- 73 percent of Americans had avoided purchasing certain brands or types of food in response to a recall or government advisory in the past year, up from 53 percent in 2024
- 45 percent had thrown away or returned a food product, compared to 37 percent in 2024
- 42 percent had worried that something they ate might have been contaminated, up from 26 percent in 2024.
Partisan Differences in Perceptions of Food Safety
The poll also revealed widening partisan differences in confidence in federal food safety oversight. Among Republicans, 70 percent expressed confidence in the federal government's ability to ensure food safety, compared to 30 percent of Democrats. However, majorities across all political affiliations reported avoiding certain foods due to recalls or advisories, including 63 percent of Republicans, 73 percent of independents, and 81 percent of Democrats.
Declines in Food Safety Confidence Follow Significant Outbreaks
The findings followed the largest-ever cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. that sickened more than 12,000 people across 21 states and ended in September 2026.
Gallup noted that previous declines in confidence in federal food safety oversight had also coincided with significant foodborne illness outbreaks, including Escherichia coli and Salmonella outbreaks in 2007 and 2008. However, the latest findings indicated that Americans' concerns about food contamination and their responses to food safety warnings have increased across political groups, despite partisan differences in confidence in federal oversight.
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