U.S. Food Safety Confidence Plummets to Record Low in 2026
Consumer confidence in the safety of U.S. grocery store food has fallen to a record low of 65% amid a historic Cyclospora outbreak and a surge in recalled units, with trust in federal oversight also hitting new depths.
Consumer trust in the safety of food sold at U.S. grocery stores has collapsed to a record low. According to Gallup data, only 65% of Americans are now very or somewhat confident in grocery store food safety, a sharp drop from 73% last year and significantly below the 81% reported in 2019. For the first time in the poll's history, a majority-53%-express little to no confidence in the federal government's ability to ensure food safety, with just 47% maintaining a great deal or fair amount of trust.
The survey of 1,000 adults, conducted by telephone in early September 2026, reveals a crisis of confidence directly tied to recent food safety failures. The decline follows the largest Cyclospora outbreak in U.S. history, which sickened more than 12,000 people across 21 states. That outbreak was linked to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce and triggered a steep drop in produce sales. Ten percent of households reduced spending on salads and fresh greens during the outbreak, while more than a quarter stopped buying those foods altogether.
Outbreak and Recalls Drive Distrust
The historic outbreak coincided with a massive surge in the scale of food recalls. While the total number of recalls remained roughly flat, the number of recalled units exploded from 211.2 million in the first half of 2025 to 941.2 million in the first half of 2026. This escalation has fundamentally altered consumer behavior. Recent surveys show 73% of adults have avoided certain brands or types of food in the past year due to a recall or safety advisory, a 20-point increase from 2024.
Other precautionary actions have also spiked. Forty-five percent of adults report throwing out or returning food due to safety concerns, up from 37%. Also, 42% now worry they have eaten something contaminated, a significant jump from 26% just two years earlier.
Partisan Divide Deepens in Food Safety Trust
Trust in the government's role has fractured sharply along political lines. Since 2024, Democratic confidence in the federal government's ability to ensure food safety has plummeted from 74% to just 30%. Republican confidence, meanwhile, has risen steadily from 50% to 70% over the same period. This partisan gap marks a dramatic shift from 2019, when overall government confidence stood at 68% and grocery confidence at 81%.
| Year | Grocery Confidence | Government Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 81% | 68% |
| 2024 | 72% | 53% |
| 2025 | 73% | Not Specified |
| 2026 | 65% | 47% |
Systemic Flaws Exposed in Recall and Surveillance
Watchdog groups point to systemic failures exacerbating the loss of public trust. A February report from the Public Interest Research Group highlighted that many of the most serious outbreaks in 2025 involved dangerous time lags between initial illnesses and subsequent recalls. Other recalls were either not publicly announced or were closed with few details provided to consumers. The group stated, "Many aspects of our food safety and recall notification system don’t instill confidence."
Experts warn that these communication failures, combined with potential cuts to government food safety programs, could lead to a critical breakdown in surveillance and regulatory action. This environment of uncertainty is prompting consumers to take safety into their own hands, altering long-term purchasing habits and deepening skepticism toward the institutions tasked with protection. The data signals a profound and potentially lasting shift in the public's relationship with the food supply chain.
