Only 31% of Americans strongly agreed in August that the U.S. food system produces safe food, down from 40% in November 2025, according to a quarterly survey by economists at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. The drop comes as two federal decisions, a delayed rule to trace contaminated food and a withdrawn plan to limit salmonella in raw poultry, face renewed scrutiny from food safety advocates heading into the midterm elections.
The Trump administration defends both decisions. An HHS spokesperson told KFF Health News, in a report published by CBS News, that the traceability delay followed concerns from stakeholders about the time needed to comply and that outbreak investigators were not cut.
For households, the concern is showing up at the checkout line. Nearly half of survey respondents said they changed what groceries they bought in the prior month because of foodborne illness worries. No official investigation has linked either federal decision to a specific outbreak.
Two Rules at the Center of the Debate
The Food Traceability Rule requires companies that handle higher-risk foods, including fresh produce, seafood, and soft cheeses, to keep detailed lot records and hand them to the FDA within 24 hours when asked. The FDA says the goal is to identify and remove contaminated food faster. Compliance was originally due Jan. 20, 2026, but the agency proposed a 30-month extension, and Congress directed it not to enforce the rule before July 20, 2028.
MedicalDaily previously reported on Congress pushing back the traceability deadline to 2028 and the objections from consumer groups at the time. What is new is the administration's on-record explanation, the fresh survey data, and a broader accountability debate now tying the rule to this summer's outbreaks.
The second decision involves poultry. In April 2025, the USDA withdrew a framework proposed in August 2024 under the Biden administration that would have set enforceable salmonella limits for raw chicken and turkey, CIDRAP reported. Under that plan, products exceeding the standard could not have been sold.
The Administration's Defense and the Critics' Case
HHS spokesperson Grace Davis Jamison said the FDA still has the staff needed for outbreak investigations and that no FDA investigators were affected by workforce reductions. She added that the CDC lab supporting foodborne outbreak work was also spared. "The Trump Administration has mounted a robust response to each outbreak," she said.
The USDA said at the time of the withdrawal that the poultry proposal would have imposed "significant financial and operational burdens on American businesses and consumers," NBC News reported. The department said it would keep assessing how to address salmonella in poultry in ways that protect consumers.
Critics see it differently. "There's a level of hypocrisy from the administration when they promise to make our food safer and then eviscerate the agencies and programs that detect and prevent outbreaks," Sarah Sorscher, regulatory affairs director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told KFF Health News. Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, called the poultry withdrawal "disappointing and troubling," according to CIDRAP.
Some experts add nuance that cuts both ways. University of Minnesota professor Craig Hedberg told KFF Health News that bacterial outbreaks are increasingly being caught while they are still small. Recall counts are also contested. The FDA has said recalls are near decade lows, while former FDA food safety official Susan Mayne has noted that the agency's totals include drugs and medical devices.
Shoppers' Worries Show Up in the Grocery Cart
The Illinois and Purdue survey, which polls about 1,000 adults online each quarter, found that 40% were very worried about foodborne illness when buying fresh vegetables in August, up from 33% in May. Forty-nine percent changed grocery purchases, and 40% changed where they ate out. Midwest respondents reported the most grocery changes at 53%. Lettuce-linked cases were highest in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri.
The authors note that online surveys can be affected by who chooses to participate. The findings describe public mood, not the actual safety of any food, and a single survey cannot show why confidence fell.
Those worries followed an unusual season. The CDC's Cyclospora case data list 19,883 laboratory-confirmed U.S.-acquired cases, 1,064 hospitalizations, and two deaths across 49 states and Washington, D.C., for illnesses that began May 1 through Aug. 31. The same period in 2025 recorded 1,180 cases, and the CDC says the count may still rise as reports arrive.
Families face the greatest risk when someone at home is older, pregnant, very young, or immunocompromised, because these groups are more likely to be hospitalized after a foodborne infection. Practical steps still work: check FDA and USDA recall notices by product name and lot code, cook poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and keep raw meat separate from produce. Avoiding entire food groups is generally unnecessary based on current guidance.
Anyone with diarrhea lasting several days, a high fever, bloody stool, or signs of dehydration should contact a clinician and mention any recent outbreak exposure. Cyclospora requires a specific test, so patients may need to ask for it.
The next federal milestone is the traceability enforcement date of July 20, 2028, along with any new USDA approach to poultry salmonella. Public confidence has slipped measurably and the policy dispute is real, but neither side has shown that these decisions caused or prevented this summer's illnesses.
Key Questions Answered
What changed this week?
New reporting brought an on-record HHS defense of the traceability delay alongside survey data showing strong confidence in food safety fell to 31% in August.
What does the Food Traceability Rule do?
It requires companies handling certain high-risk foods to keep lot-level records and give them to the FDA within 24 hours, which is meant to speed recalls.
When will the rule be enforced?
Not before July 20, 2028, under a congressional directive the FDA says it will follow.
Did these decisions cause this summer's outbreaks?
No investigation has established that. Critics argue the changes weaken prevention, while HHS says outbreak response capacity remains intact.
What happened to the poultry salmonella plan?
The USDA withdrew it in April 2025. It would have set enforceable salmonella limits on raw chicken and turkey.
How can families protect themselves?
Check recall notices by lot code, cook poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and seek care for severe or prolonged diarrhea.
Published by Medicaldaily.com
