Two Decades of U.S. Consumer Food Safety Perceptions: A Roundtable Examination of Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities Using IFIC Food & Health Survey Data

Insights into consumers’ perceptions and preferences of food, nutrition, and health are essential for shaping effective food safety communication, public health initiatives, policy, and business decisions. The International Food Information Council (IFIC)1 has a long history of conducting consumer research to advance understanding of Americans’ food and beverage decisions and eating habits. Launched in 2006, the annual Food & Health Survey has become IFIC’s signature consumer research initiative, with the 2025 survey marking its 20th consecutive iteration. At the 2025 International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting (Cleveland, OH), a roundtable was held to review two decades of Food & Health Survey data on consumers’ perceptions of and confidence in food safety, followed by an in-depth discussion among experts from the food industry, government agencies, and academia. Here, we summarized the food safety-related data from the presented Food & Health Survey, along with insights from the panel discussion on the observed trends and influencing factors on food safety issues of concern among consumers and their confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply. This roundtable also provided insights into existing challenges and opportunities across sectors to enhance food safety communication and education efforts and strengthen consumer trust in the U.S. food systems.