In an era of growing public scrutiny over what is in our food and how safe it is to consume, new data from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) reveals a striking gap between confidence in the safety of the foods and beverages they buy and trust in the safety of the broader US food supply. As consumer concerns evolve, two new IFIC Spotlight Surveys provide a window into how Americans perceive food ingredient safety and food recalls, and what those perceptions mean for the future of food safety communication. 

According to the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey, just 55% of Americans express confidence in the safety of the US food supply—marking a historic low. Despite this, according to the newly release IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans' Perceptions Of The US FDA GRAS Program, 72% are confident in the safety of ingredients in the foods and beverages they purchase. This contrast highlights an important disconnect: Americans feel more secure about the safety of what they choose for themselves than they do about the safety of the food supply overall. 

“Trust in our food supply cannot be taken for granted—it must be continually earned,” said IFIC president & CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN. “With growing consumer demand for transparency and accountability in how food is produced and regulated, we have a real opportunity to improve how we communicate about safety, from ingredients to recalls. With September marking National Food Safety Education Month, there’s no better time to elevate this conversation.” 

One area of concern for Americans is food ingredients and additives, especially how they are regulated. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees roughly 80% of the national food supply, including through its Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) program, which allows manufacturers to add substances to food based on expert consensus and scientific evidence supporting their safety. 

Awareness of this regulatory program may be on the rise. The 2024 IFIC Food & Health Survey found that 28% of Americans who view food additives and ingredients as an important food safety issues are familiar with GRAS. According to the newly released IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Perceptions of the US FDA GRAS Program, just over half (53%) of Americans report they have heard of the FDA’s GRAS regulation for food additives. Overall sentiment on the perceived effectiveness of FDA’s GRAS program also skews positive: among those aware of GRAS, 65% believe it is effective, compared to just 16% who view it as ineffective.  

“The US food supply is the safest in the world, yet this reality often clashes with perception. People want to believe the system is working, and they also want to understand how it works,” said Kris Sollid, RD, IFIC senior director, research & consumer insights. “Greater awareness and clearer communication about programs like GRAS and responses to food recalls could go a long way toward building confidence in how and why food safety decisions are made.” 

This Spotlight Survey also found that 57% of Americans believe the federal government should be responsible for ensuring food ingredient safety, compared to 34% who would leave that responsibility to individual states. However, Americans are divided in their belief that the federal government has evaluated the safety of the ingredients in their food—51% believe it has, while 24% believe it has not, and the remaining 25% are unsure. 

Beyond food ingredient safety, foodborne illness and product recalls also weigh heavily on Americans’ minds. The new IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans' Perceptions Of Food Recalls shows that 74% of Americans believe food recalls are increasing, a perception that directly shapes overall confidence. According to the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey, among those who lack confidence in the US food supply, 43% cite “too many recalls” as a reason. 

Which foods are perceived to be most associated with recalls? According to the results, most Americans (50%) believe fresh meats, poultry, and seafood are among the top two items most frequently involved in food recalls, followed by 41% who believe fresh fruits and vegetables are. Fewer associate recalls with processed foods (24%), dairy products (22%), deli meats (21%), frozen fruits and vegetables (17%), canned foods (15%), or frozen entrees (11%). 

But the issue isn’t just the number of recalls or the type of foods involved—it is how these events are communicated and by whom. Among the 75% of survey respondents who remember hearing about a recent recall, very few received the information from the source they believe is responsible for informing the public—nearly half (46%) believe the federal government is responsible, yet only 6% first heard about a recent recall from that source. Instead, 63% reported first hearing about a recent food recall from traditional media (48%) or social media (15%).  

There is, however, strong support for innovation in how food recalls are issued. Nearly three in four (73%) support using private retailer loyalty card data to send targeted text message alerts when a product they purchased is recalled. While some (15%) are hesitant, two-thirds (67%) say they would sign up for text message alerts that would let them know whenever food recalls are issued. 

View the GRAS report.

View the Food Recall report.