American are paying more attention to food safety
Americans are paying closer attention to what’s in their food, where it comes from and whether it’s safe.
At the same time, confidence in the U.S. food supply is rising.
Those findings may sound like they don't belong together. But new research from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) suggests they tell a more interesting story.
People aren't necessarily more worried about their food, but they are more engaged.
That’s a key takeaway from two new surveys by the International Food Information Council (IFIC).
The 2026 IFIC Food & Health Survey found that 62% of Americans are confident in the safety of the U.S. food supply, up from 55% in 2025. That represents one of the largest year-to-year increases in the survey’s 15-year history.
Confidence, however, doesn’t mean people have stopped asking questions.
The top food safety concerns were:
- Pesticides: 48%
- Carcinogens: 46%
- Foodborne illness: 43%
- Heavy metals: 40%
- Food additives and ingredients: 37%
In fact, 95% of respondents included at least one ingredient- or chemical-related concern among their top three food safety concerns.
Then came the lettuce outbreak.
A second IFIC survey looked at how Americans responded to the summer Cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce.
Nearly nine in 10 American, or 86%, had heard about the outbreak. Many changed their behavior, with 30% saying they stopped eating lettuce, and another 22% reduced their overall produce consumption.
The survey also asked what would make people feel comfortable eating lettuce again.
This is where things get interesting.
- 76% would eat lettuce again if they knew it was grown locally.
- 72% would eat it again if the FDA had confirmed all affected products were removed.
- 71% would eat it if they knew if was grown in the United States.
The findings suggest consumers aren't simply looking for reassurance. They want to know where their food comes from and whether problems have been addressed.
Consumers have so much more access to information. They can search for an ingredient, ask an AI chatbot about a chemical or see a food recall within minutes. A key takeaway, however, is that more information doesn’t always mean better understanding. That’s why clear, credible information matters.
It matters for everyone involved in food production, from the people who grow it to the people who put it on their tables.
Want to dig deeper? Read the full IFIC Food & Health Survey and Spotlight Survey release for more findings about how Americans view food safety, ingredients and the food supply.