For 20 years, the International Food Information Council has surveyed American consumers about many aspects of food and food-purchasing decisions. The 2025 survey results are now available which focuses on food and ingredient safety. The survey included 3,000 Americans from ages 18 to 30 years and was conducted in March 2025.
Some key findings from this survey include:
- Confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply is at an all-time low. In 2012, 78% reported being very confident (20%) or somewhat confident (58%). In 2025, only 55% of Americans report feeling very confident (11%) or somewhat confident (44%) in the safety of the U.S. food supply. The most notable decline is among Gen Z, those with higher household incomes, men, and Asian Americans.
- Top ways to increase confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply include a better understanding how food companies (42%) and
the government (41%) currently ensure that food is safe. A similar
share (41%) say seeing stricter regulations would also increase their
confidence. One in three Americans (34%) say that their confidence
would increase if they understood how the government responds
when food has been deemed unsafe, up from 29% in 2023. - Foodborne illness is the top food safety issue overall. This is above carcinogens or cancer-causing chemicals in food, pesticides and pesticide residues, heavy metals, and food additives.
Other results from this survey showed the importance of stress and mental and emotional well-being, purchasing drivers of food and beverages, trust in food information sources, and many others.
According to Lisa Garcia, International Association of Food Protection director, “We see the IFIC Food & Health Survey insights as a call to collaborate more closely than ever. Improving confidence in the food system will take all of us—industry, government, academia—working together with transparency, consistency, and purpose.”
Source: International Food Information Council. 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey: A Focus On Food & Ingredient Safety. July 2025.
