U.S. Consumer Trust in Food Safety Declines Amid Recall Surge

The latest data from GS1 US indicates that 80% of consumers currently believe food recalls effectively protect public health, down from 85% in 2025. This erosion of trust is driving more aggressive avoidance behaviors: 67% of shoppers now shun entire food categories after a recall, while 66% hesitate to purchase the same brand again. Women are proving particularly cautious, with 71% reporting they have avoided entire categories following safety incidents.

Bob Carpenter, president and CEO of GS1 US, noted that the core issue lies in the precision of the current response system. The industry faces pressure to improve data sharing to help shoppers distinguish between affected and unaffected products. With the U.S. FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act Section 204 rule set to take effect on July 20, 2028, companies are being pushed to adopt more rigorous recordkeeping and traceability standards. Organizations like GS1 US are currently promoting the use of 2D barcodes and standardized data to enable faster, more accurate identification of contaminated items, aiming to restore confidence before the impending regulatory deadline.