Key Points
- A new Gallup survey reveals that Americans' trust in grocery food safety has plummeted to its lowest level in history.
- 65% of respondents expressed confidence in the safety of food sold at most grocery stores, down from 73% in 2025 and 81% in 2019.
- The decline in trust is attributed to a major cyclospora outbreak and declining confidence in the federal government's ability to ensure food safety.
Why Grocery Food Safety Confidence Has Fallen to a Record Low
A new Gallup survey reveals that Americans' trust in grocery food safety has plummeted to its lowest level in history. The survey found that 65% of respondents expressed confidence in the safety of food sold at most grocery stores, down from 73% in 2025 and 81% in 2019.
The decline in trust is attributed to a major cyclospora outbreak and declining confidence in the federal government's ability to ensure food safety. The outbreak, described as the largest recorded in US history, sickened more than 12,000 people across 21 states.
The survey also found increases in consumer precautions following government food safety advisories and product recalls. Nearly three-quarters of Americans, 73%, said they had avoided purchasing certain brands or types of food during the past year.
At a Glance
| Gallup Survey | 2026 Record low confidence in grocery food safety |
| Cyclospora Outbreak | June 2026 Largest recorded outbreak in US history |
| Confidence in Government | 47% Record low trust in federal government's ability to ensure food safety |
Where the Sides Stand
Democrats
Position: Decline in confidence in grocery food safety
Role in the story: Party affiliation
Motivation: Partisan divide on government's role in food safety
Republicans
Position: Increase in confidence in grocery food safety
Role in the story: Party affiliation
Motivation: Partisan divide on government's role in food safety
Behind the Decline in Trust: Politics, Outbreaks, and Consumer Precautions
Behind the Decline in Trust: Politics, Outbreaks, and Consumer Precautions
The partisan divide on the government's role in food safety was wider than ever, with 70% of Republicans expressing confidence in the federal government compared to 30% of Democrats.
The decline in trust is also attributed to the cyclospora outbreak, which coincided with declining confidence in the government following foodborne illness outbreaks in 2007 and 2008.
Consumer precautions, however, increased across party groups, with 81% of Democrats, 73% of independents, and 63% of Republicans reporting avoiding certain foods.
What to Do About the Decline in Grocery Food Safety Confidence
What to Do About the Decline in Grocery Food Safety Confidence
Consumers can take steps to protect themselves by avoiding certain foods and following government food safety advisories.
Food manufacturers and retailers can improve trust by increasing transparency and implementing robust food safety measures.
The federal government can address the decline in trust by strengthening its food safety regulations and increasing funding for food safety initiatives.
Risk & Opportunity Assessment
| Commercial Risk | Medium | Declining trust in grocery food safety may lead to increased consumer precautions and decreased sales for food manufacturers and retailers |
| Competitive Risk | Low | The decline in trust is attributed to a cyclospora outbreak, which is not a direct result of competition between food manufacturers and retailers |
| Regulatory Risk | Medium | The federal government's declining confidence in ensuring food safety may lead to increased regulatory scrutiny and enforcement |
| Reputation Risk | High | The decline in trust in grocery food safety may lead to a loss of reputation for food manufacturers and retailers |
| Technology Disruption | Low | There is no indication that technology disruption is a factor in the decline in trust in grocery food safety |
| Commercial Opportunity | Medium | Food manufacturers and retailers can capitalize on the decline in trust by increasing transparency and implementing robust food safety measures |
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