New polling reveals a drop in Americans’ trust in the federal government’s ability to protect the nation’s food supply. This decline coincides with numerous foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls in recent months.
According to findings published by Gallup on October 8, only 47 percent of Americans express a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the government’s capability to ensure food safety. This represents a decline from 53 percent in 2025 and 68 percent in 2019, marking the lowest level since Gallup began surveying on this topic in 1999.
Political Disparities in Trust
There is a stark divergence between political parties. Seventy percent of Republicans have confidence in the government’s food safety role, whereas only 30 percent of Democrats share this trust. Such differences reflect a drastic change from 2024, during former President Joe Biden’s administration, when 74 percent of Democrats were confident compared with 50 percent of Republicans.
Dan Blaustein-Rejto from The Breakthrough Institute comments that these changes often correlate with political alignments more than actual food safety effectiveness. He notes that under different administrations, confidence shifts along party lines.
“In other words, people are responding as much to who’s running the government as to how well it’s actually protecting the food supply,” he said.
Currently, 77 percent of Republicans feel that food in grocery stores is safe to eat, compared with 66 percent of Democrats. Overall, 65 percent of Americans maintain this belief, a drop from 81 percent in 2019.
Significant Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in 2026
The recent decrease in confidence follows notable foodborne illness outbreaks in 2026. The most severe is a Cyclospora outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, causing over 12,000 cases and resulting in two deaths across 21 states.
Additional outbreaks include a Salmonella incident associated with eggs from Midwest Poultry Services, affecting 134 individuals across 18 states. An E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheese was also recorded, causing serious complications for some.
Challenges in Federal Food Safety Oversight
Blaustein-Rejto highlights that this trust decline relates to persistent issues in federal food safety management. A 2025 report from the Government Accountability Office pointed out consistent failures by the FDA to meet required inspection targets due to staffing issues.
These challenges are compounded by recent administration cuts, although there is insufficient evidence to directly link these to increasing foodborne diseases.
“We should expect higher inspection rates, quicker responses to outbreaks, and more transparency about what they’re doing to address shortcomings,” he said.
Blaustein-Rejto suggests that restoring public confidence necessitates tangible advancements in the government’s ability to manage and mitigate such outbreaks.
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