US consumers rank chemicals in food as their top food safety concern

According to the 2021 Food and Health Survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), U.S. consumers continue to be concerned about chemicals in food. The study discovered that more than any other problem, including foodborne disease caused by bacteria, chemicals in food were ranked as the top food safety worry by 29% of consumers. Only one out of every six people questioned believes the food supply is safe, according to the study, which was conducted towards the end of March 2021. Approximately half of customers are only “somewhat confident” in the safety of their food, while a quarter are either “not at all confident” or “not very confident.” Furthermore, consumers were asked to name their top food safety worry, and 29% chose either "chemicals in food" or "carcinogens or cancer-causing chemicals in food", compared to 26% who chose "foodborne illness from bacteria." Consumer who listed "pesticides" and "food additives and ingredients" as chemicals are added to the mix, which leads to chemicals as the top worry for half of them. Additionally, the survey discovered that nearly three-quarters of respondents did not realize that the U.S. government is responsible for inspecting the safety of low-calorie sweeteners, one of the most well-known food additives, and that nearly half of respondents believe it is important that ingredients do not have “chemical-sounding names,” with 26 percent rating it “very important.”    

As can be seen, people are still worried about chemicals in food, owing in part to their lack of trust in the federal government's ability to ensure the safety of additives. As a result, people attempt to safeguard their health and safety by avoiding substances that sound like chemicals - the only method they see to reduce the perceived danger.    

 

Source:  

https://foodinsight.org/2021-food-health-survey/