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 The drop comes as two federal decisions, a delayed rule to trace contaminated food and a withdrawn plan to limit salmonella in raw poultry, face renewed scrutiny from food safety advocates heading into the midterm elections.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.
