A majority of Americans would like to see the government more involved in food safety oversight, according to a new survey carried out Nielsen's Harris Interactive.
Food product recalls have become part of everyday life and it is hardly surprising that 73% of U.S. adults said they thought the government should play a bigger role in food safety. As many as 86% of those polled admitted they are seriously or somewhat concerned by food recalls, the survey also found. Women seem to be more concerned than men about recalls and are more demanding of government involvement than men as well. Moreover, women are more likely to think the number of food recalls has increased over the past few years.
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There is also a wide gap in the perception of food safety between low-income households and those that are more affluent. People with lower household incomes, specifically those earning under $35,000, were more inclined to worry about food recalls than those with an annual household income over $50,000.
Half of those polled placed the blame for recalls on the packaging and processing industry, while almost one in five believed the federal government was to blame. Some 16% of the people interviewed said the recalls could be blamed on those growing or raising the food, while 6% said that consumers and their desire to have access to cheap food were to blame.
