Gallup Poll Shows Record Low US Confidence in Food Safety

Confidence in the federal government's ability to ensure food safety has fallen to a record low, with less than half of U.S. adults reporting a fair amount or great deal of trust, according to a new Gallup poll conducted last month. The survey marks a first in Gallup's two-decade trend, where a majority of Americans now have not much or no confidence in the government's capacity to police the food supply.

The decline in institutional trust mirrors a broader drop in confidence in the safety of food sold at grocery stores. That share has plunged to a record low of 65% who are somewhat or very confident, down from 81% in 2019. The erosion of trust is driven by Democrats and independents, while Republicans have become more confident in grocery store food. The partisan gap regarding the federal government's role has flipped and widened under the second Trump administration.

In 2024, half of Republicans and nearly three-quarters of Democrats expressed a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the government to ensure food safety. By 2025, Democratic confidence fell to 48%, dropping further to 30% in 2026. Conversely, Republican confidence climbed from 62% in 2025 to 70% in 2026.

The polling occurred during and after the federal government declared the end of a Cyclospora outbreak, a parasite that caused stomach illnesses, two deaths, and more than 500 hospitalizations across 21 states. Federal health officials traced the surge to iceberg lettuce from supplier Taylor Farms. This event coincided with overlapping recalls and FDA investigations this summer, while health experts warned that administration cuts had weakened the public health infrastructure responsible for detecting outbreaks.

These safety concerns intersect with economic pressures, as significant shares of Americans report strain regarding grocery affordability. The food-at-home Consumer Price Index for supermarket purchases rose 2.2% between August 2025 and 2026. This financial friction contrasts with the administration's "Make America Healthy Again" campaign, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which has promoted whole foods. Gallup data indicates that Republicans have absorbed this food safety message more readily than Democrats and independents.