Building Domestic and Foreign Confidence in the US Food Supply

While US consumers are expressing continued concerns over the safety of the US food supply, UK and EU consumer surveys are showing increased confidence in their food supplies.

In the US

• In August, we discussed the IFIC survey showing that consumer confidence in the US food supply had hit an all-time low, with only 55% of those surveyed reporting confidence in the safety of the US food supply, down from 62% in 2024 and 70% in 2023.
• This is backed by the September publication of a Gallup poll showing that only 57% of U.S. adults have confidence in the US government to keep the food supply safe.
• Additionally, a survey by GS1 US revealed that 93% of Americans are concerned about how frequently food recalls occur. 

In the UK

• A UK survey conducted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) showed that 94% of respondents felt confident that the food they buy is safe to eat, with 83% confident that the FSA can be relied on to protect the public from food-related risks.
• The difference between the US and UK perceptions is furthered by the UK consumer response that they are much less confident about food produced outside the UK, with 65% having concerns about the safety and hygiene of non-UK foods.

In the EU

• Another survey, that of EU citizens conducted by the European Food Safety Agency, also provided some interesting insights. While food safety ranked as the third most important factor in the decision to purchase a food (preceded only by cost and taste), nearly half of the respondents said they pay little attention to information about food safety because they take it for granted that the food being sold is safe.
• When EU citizens do seek information on food risks, the most trusted sources are doctors (90%), followed by university or publicly funded scientists (84%), then consumer organizations, farmers and primary producers (82%).

So, what does all this mean for the US food industry?

As we stated in our August article, increased communication from both food businesses and the government would go a long way toward improving consumer confidence. And while simply ensuring you are producing, transporting, and selling safe food is, of course, the primary method of holding consumer trust, transparency remains a key to rebuilding trust that has been lost. In the IFIC survey, 40% stated that their confidence could be increased through a better understanding of how the government and food companies ensure food safety.

Some of this is as basic as label management. Take the UK as an example: Its consumers’ high rate of confidence (94%) in the safety of the food they buy is based, in part, on their confidence that the information on the food labels is correct. With US products, consumers struggle with understanding, let alone trusting food labels, due to confusion over date labeling and its portrayal of quality or safety, difficulty in interpreting nutrition labels, and distrust in health claims. In fact, an earlier IFIC survey showed that only 29% were highly confident in the accuracy of food labels.

Thus, one aspect of rebuilding consumer trust means taking steps to assure the accuracy of your food labels, such as:

• Prior to a label ever reaching the production floor, a robust review process should be conducted to ensure accuracy of the ingredient lists, nutrition facts, allergens, and claims.
• When supplies are received, the supplier specifications and COAs should be checked to confirm the ingredient composition is as expected and as will be labeled.
• Conduct in-line label checks to confirm that the applied label matches the SKU being produced. This is especially important at changeover and when working with allergen and non-allergen products.
• Periodically schedule label accuracy audits and compare finished product packaging to master labels.
• Train new employees, and regularly retrain all workers, on labeling rules, allergen control, and label verification.

Assuring label accuracy is just one step in ensuring consumer confidence in your products, but it is one of the most visual and consumer-facing steps. As such, it becomes much more than compliance to a regulation, it becomes the very face of your brand for consumer trust.

TAG experts can assist you in ensuring your labels, as well as all operational practices, meet all regulatory requirements and help to build trust in your brand. Give us a call!