Kris Sollid: What Does Consumer Sentiment Say About the Safety of the U.S. Food Supply?

Kris Sollid, R.D., is the Senior Director for Research and Consumer Insights at the International Food Information Council (IFIC). A registered dietitian with a passion for improving nutrition science communications, his role at IFIC includes leading consumer research projects, educational resource development, social and traditional media engagement, and written contributions to various consumer, trade, and peer-reviewed publications. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Kris [1:20] about: The methodology and key metrics of IFIC's 20th annual "Food and Health Survey," which found that consumer confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply has hit a 13-year low Specific beliefs driving consumers' declining confidence in U.S. food safety, including the perception of food corporations prioritizing profits over safety, as well as the perceived inadequacy of federal regulatory oversight of the food supply Key findings from IFIC's supplemental "Americans' Perceptions of Food Recalls" survey Whether consumer concerns about rising recall rates reflect reality, based on FDA and USDA recall data How high-profile recalls associated with severe or far-reaching foodborne illness outbreaks may influence consumer perceptions about the number of recalls Another IFIC supplemental survey on Americans' perceptions of FDA's Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) program, and what the results say about consumer confidence in food safety, as well as their GRAS awareness The potential influence of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s (RFK Jr.'s) "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement on consumer perceptions of food ingredient safety in the U.S. food supply and the federal government's responsibility for oversight. Resources 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey: A Focus on Food & Nutrition IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans' Perceptions of Food Recalls IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans' Perceptions of the U.S. FDA GRAS Program Survey: Confidence in U.S. Food Safety Hits Record Low, Foodborne Pathogens Are Top Concern