TL;DR: Most Americans still trust food recalls to protect health, but new 2025 surveys show recalls now trigger broad avoidance, disposal, and loss of brand trust.

New survey data from 2025 show a split in how Americans respond to food recalls: confidence in recalls as a safety tool remains high, while worry about how often recalls happen is even higher. According to the GS1 US survey released September 8, 2025, 85% of Americans believe food recalls are effective in protecting public health and safety, yet 93% say they are concerned about how frequently recalls occur. That tension helps explain why reactions often go beyond the specific recalled lot to include avoiding whole categories, throwing food away, and hesitating to buy the brand again.

How many people are hearing about recalls?

Awareness is widespread. According to the International Food Information Council Spotlight Survey: Americans' Perceptions of Food Recalls, September 2025, three in four respondents — 75% — remembered hearing about a food recall recently. The survey was conducted online among 1,001 adults ages 18 and older from June 7-13, 2025.

What people remember most often involves familiar fresh foods. In that IFIC survey, more respondents remembered recent recalls for ground beef at 29% and romaine lettuce at 28% than for other foods, while 25% did not remember hearing about any food recalls recently.

A separate poll of affected shoppers adds detail on which categories show up in personal experience. According to YouGov reporting published June 18, 2025, nearly a fifth — 18% — of U.S. adults said they had purchased a food product that was later recalled in the past six months. Among those affected, fruits or vegetables at 52% and eggs at 48% topped the list, followed by meat or poultry at 44% and milk or dairy at 40%.

Other recalled purchases reported by that affected group included beverages such as juice or plant-based milk at 39%, snack foods such as chips or granola bars at 37%, fresh or packaged salads at 32%, and ice cream or frozen yogurt at nearly a third — 30%.

Why shoppers think recalls are rising

Most consumers believe recalls are becoming more frequent. In the IFIC survey, 74% believed food recalls are becoming more frequent, with 39% saying the statement is true and 35% saying it is likely true. Only 14% said it is false or likely false, while 13% were unsure.

That perception matters for confidence. The IFIC report notes that its 2025 Food & Health Survey found that 43% of Americans who lack confidence in the safety of the food supply cite “too many recalls” as a reason.

Actual federal recall counts tell a more nuanced story. The IFIC report states that, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture data, there were more food recalls annually from 2015-2019 than from 2020-2023. The report also states that thousands of recalls occur each year, with 76% due to potential biological contamination or allergens, and that the majority are voluntary and precautionary.

Coverage of these findings by Food Safety Magazine on September 18, 2025, framed the signal the same way: 74% of respondents believed recalls are increasing, a perception that directly shapes overall confidence. That article also noted that consumer confidence in U.S. food safety had hit an all-time low in the July IFIC 2025 Food and Health Survey, with only 55% reporting confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply.

What people do after a recall notice

Avoidance is common, and it often extends beyond the recalled brand or lot. According to GS1 US, 60% of consumers say they have avoided an entire food category, such as lettuce, following a recall.

Hesitation to repurchase is also strong. In the same GS1 US survey, 59% reported hesitancy to purchase the same product or brand again after a food recall. Younger shoppers reported this more often than older shoppers: 65% of millennials and 64% of Gen Z, compared with 53% of baby boomers.

Precautionary disposal is another pattern. GS1 US found that 57% admitted to discarding recalled food even if their state or region was not impacted, with millennials at 70% most likely to take this precaution.

The YouGov results describe the immediate household steps in more detail. Among adults who had bought a recalled product, the most common reaction was discarding it, reported by 41%. Nearly a third — 30% — stopped consuming the product altogether, while 26% returned the product to the store. Fewer sought compensation: 23% requested a refund or replacement and 9% contacted the manufacturer or store. A significant portion, 18%, reported taking no action at all.

For nutrition habits, the key point is that fresh foods recommended in a healthy diet can be caught up in these reactions. The IFIC report notes that, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, some foods recommended in a healthy diet, such as lean meats, fruits, and vegetables, also carry some of the highest food safety risks. In the survey, those same groups were perceived as most involved in recalls: 26% named meats, poultry, and seafood and 22% named fresh fruits and vegetables in an open-ended measure.

When asked which foods they think are most often involved, using a prompted list, most Americans pointed to fresh meats, poultry, and seafood at 50% and fresh fruits and vegetables at 41%, according to IFIC. Smaller shares cited processed foods at 24%, dairy at 22%, deli meats at 21%, frozen fruits and vegetables at 17%, canned foods at 15%, and frozen entrées at 11%.

Trust in brands takes a measurable hit

Recalls do not just change one shopping trip. According to YouGov, among those impacted, 31% reported a moderate loss of trust in the brand involved, while another 16% said the recall had a strong impact on their perception. Only 22% said it had no impact at all.

That finding aligns with broader food-safety communication concerns described by Food Safety Magazine, which reported that IFIC sees concerns about ingredients and recalls reshaping public trust. The same coverage noted that, despite lower confidence in the overall food supply, 72% of respondents in a related ingredient-safety survey said they were confident in the safety of ingredients in the food and beverages they purchase.

For food companies and retailers, the practical lesson is that a recall notice is also a trust event. Shoppers may discard food, pause a category, or delay repurchase even when their area was not named.

Where people first hear about recalls

Media remains the dominant first alert. According to IFIC, nearly half — 48% — first learned of a recent recall through news articles or television, while 15% heard through personal social media. One in ten — 10% — first heard from a friend or family member, and fewer than one in ten heard first from a food company at 7%, a local retailer at 6%, a federal agency at 6%, or a healthcare professional at 3%.

Expectations point the same way. IFIC found that nearly four in ten — 38% — expect to first learn about a food recall from traditional media sources, and 14% expect to hear first through a personal social media feed. About one in ten anticipated learning first from federal government agencies at 10%, local retailers at 9%, or a food company or manufacturer at 8%.

YouGov found a similar pattern among people who had bought a recalled item: around two-fifths — 39% — said they first heard the news through media coverage. Fewer were alerted directly by stores via email or text at 12%, or through family and friends at 13%. Other sources played smaller roles, including government websites such as the FDA’s at 6%, brand websites at 6%, and product packaging at 5%.

Yet responsibility expectations focus on government. IFIC reported that nearly half of Americans — 46% — believe federal agencies are responsible for informing the public about recalls.

What would help shoppers act faster?

Consumers favor more direct alerts. According to IFIC, nearly three in four — 73% — support using grocery loyalty card data to directly alert them if they purchased recalled food, and two in three — 67% — are interested in signing up for text message alerts whenever a food recall is issued.

The same appetite for modernized alerts was highlighted by Food Safety Magazine, which noted that approximately two-thirds of consumers would sign up for text alerts.

Industry and regulatory context points to traceability as the backbone for faster, narrower recalls. GS1 US president and CEO Bob Carpenter said recalls are issued for reasons including contamination with bacteria like salmonella or E. coli, undeclared allergens, foreign objects, or mislabeling. He said improved tracking tools, barcoding standards, and traceability requirements are evolving to help identify and remove affected products and better respond to recalls.

Regulatory change is also shaping that effort. According to GS1 US, FSMA Rule 204, part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act signed into law in 2011, adds stricter recordkeeping for foods most often implicated in recalls, such as leafy greens, shell eggs, and nut butters, among others on the FDA’s Food Traceability List. The FDA recently proposed extending the implementation deadline until July 20, 2028. The rule also requires that full traceability data needed to support a recall be made available to the FDA within 24 hours, which allows quicker action to protect consumers.

For shoppers, the near-term takeaway is simple: check the product name, lot, and region before discarding an entire category, sign up for direct alerts where available, and use store or agency notices to confirm whether food at home is affected.

Sources referenced