Americans’ confidence in the safety of the food supply has plummeted, as has their belief in federal food safety standards, according to a new poll from Gallup.

When asked about their confidence in the safety of food in grocery stores across the country, only 65 percent of respondents said they are either “very confident” or “somewhat confident.” While that figure represents a majority of respondents, it’s the lowest confidence rating that Gallup has recorded since it began asking the question in 2019, when 81 percent expressed confidence that the food they were buying was safe.

Additionally, the poll found that respondents are skeptical of how well the Trump administration is ensuring the safety of the food supply. According to the poll, only 47 percent of Americans have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence that the federal government is making sure the food supply is safe, while 53 percent say their confidence levels reach the “not much” or “none” levels.

It’s the first time in the poll’s history that the confidence level in the federal government’s ability to keep food safe has dipped below 50 percent.

The lack of confidence in the government’s ability to monitor and keep food safe comes amid a spate of food warnings this past summer, including recalls of jalapeños, berries, beef, alfalfa sprouts, and more items. A record-breaking cyclosporiasis outbreak relating to lettuce sales sickened thousands with intense bouts of diarrhea, including at least two documented deaths.

One week in August this year saw recalls of 12 different food products. That number is four times higher than it was during a similar period last year, and six times higher than it was in 2024.

Some disease researchers have blamed the Trump White House for the increases in foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls, noting that cuts by the administration, stemming mainly from its so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative, have made monitoring difficult and response time slower.

Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lost around one-fifth of its staff since President Donald Trump returned to office, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lost around 25 percent, including most members of a food parasite-tracking team.

Microbiologist and founder of Food Safety Strategy Jennifer McEntire told Stateline earlier this year that there are “valid questions around the timing of the response” from the administration to the cyclosporiasis crisis, including “the time it took for agencies to recognize the outbreak and to start to investigate it.”

Susan Mayne, an adjunct professor at the Yale School of Public Health and former head of the FDA, has also questioned the Trump administration’s cuts to food safety standards.

“We had a national advisory committee, a committee that advised FDA and [the U.S. Department of Agriculture] on how to prevent microbial contamination in food,” Mayne said back in July. “That advisory committee was disbanded. We used to convene meetings with our Mexican counterparts on how we can work together to improve food safety. That entire team was let go.”

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