More than 40% of U.S. adults have little to no confidence in the U.S. federal government’s ability to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply. That is more than 10% higher than those who expressed those sentiments in 2019, and it’s a record high for the Gallup Consumption Habits poll taken since 1999. That lack of confidence carries over to American’s grocery shopping, with more than a quarter (27%) having little or no confidence that the food available at grocery stores is safe to eat. Again, about 10% more consumers lack confidence today than in 2019.
Why, even with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) now in nearly full force, would there be such an increase in distrust? And can industry regain that trust?
Unfortunately, some of the distrust actually stems from improvements in the industry. Science has enabled record low detection of contamination – down to zero in some cases – and USDA and FDA are following that science with zero or “closer to zero” tolerances.
For example, in July 2024, USDA issued a zero-tolerance proposed rule for Salmonella in raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, ground chicken, and ground turkey products. If the product contains any type of Salmonella at or above 10 colony forming units (CFU) per gram/ml or any detectable level of a Salmonella serotype designated to be of public health significance, it would be considered adulterated and prohibited from entering commerce.
While FDA acknowledges that the “there is no zero,” and “exposure depends on the type and amount of contaminants, how much a person consumes, and their body’s ability to process them,” the detection of a harmful bacteria in a food or facility can instigate a citation and a recall. And the agency has increased ability to link single findings with outbreaks as it now uses whole genome sequencing (WGS) testing in inspections and recall investigations. The ability of WGS to reveal the complete DNA make-up of an organism enables the tracking through time and space of a pathogen and the linking of a pathogen strain in a facility to ill patients and current as well as previous/resident strains in a facility.
The Preventive Controls Rule of FSMA also requires that facilities conduct hazard analyses, and the Traceability Rule/FSMA 204, for which compliance is due in January 2026, requires that foods on the Food Traceability List have enhanced recordkeeping to enable better tracking of contaminated foods during outbreaks. Once the industry is better connected in such tracking, recalls are likely to be even further expanded than they are today, which is unlikely to help consumer perception. It must be remembered that consumer perceptions of brands are real and hard to recover from even after a moderate food-safety related event.
So, what can industry do?
With September being Consumer Education Month, the question is very timely. In addition to taking steps to ensure the safety of your own brand (e.g., complying with and going beyond FSMA, having a strong food safety culture, and having full insight into your supply chain), you need to let consumers know what you are doing and educate them on their part of the safety chain.
While FSMA brought about a significant, fundamental change in the approach to food safety, shifting from reaction to prevention, its rules still equate to the basics of food safety, with best practices exceeding rule requirements. For example, there are no requirements in the rule for a business to have a mature food safety culture (FSC). However, a full understanding of and commitment to food safety from everyone in an organization is essential to effective food safety management. While it is not required (or even mentioned) in FSMA, FSC is a key pillar of FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint, and the agency is “developing training and education materials, creating tools for companies and inspectors, and collaborating with leaders and influencers to foster a strong FSC throughout the U.S. food system.” In essentially encouraging and educating on FSC, is FDA working toward inspecting for it?
Beyond ensuring best practices within your facility is procuring full insights into your supply chain and individual suppliers. Although the Traceability Rule, which will further this for all those subject to it, is not yet in full effect, actions are being initiated to help industry coordinate a full-chain, interoperable approach to support the transition to enhanced traceability practices. A leading example of this is the Partnership for Food Traceability (PFT), a nonprofit public-private partnership with which TAG is involved. PFT is intended to advance a shared industry-wide vision for enhanced food traceability and give organizations a voice in developing a simpler, more efficient implementation. (Contact TAG at [email protected] for more information on PFT and membership.)
Related to consumer education, the Gallup poll also showed that younger Americans and those with less education were among those with the least confidence in grocery store food safety. Only 62% of adults aged 18 to 34 and 69% of those with a high school education or less were confident that grocery store foods are safe. The figures increased by close to 10% from 2019 to 2024. By educating consumers on what you do to keep food safe, and providing comprehensive instruction on proper handling and preparation of your products, you can help increase consumer trust in both your brands and the industry as a whole.
Despite the results of the poll, all indications are that food is becoming safer over time, yet we continue to have high profile events that erode public trust in the safety of food – and that is understandable from a public perception angle. We also have various States declaring the dangers of a variety of food additives and chemicals where in reality the actual risk from such additives is typically very low. This fear is further amplified by various consumer organizations which often simply serve to promote anxiety in consumers and not fundamentally solve the problems.
Unfortunately, all this results in an erosion of trust amongst the public which, while unfortunate, is a good reminder to the industry that maintaining the public trust in food safety is a constant need and that trust is easily lost.
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