A new consumer survey commissioned by GS1 US reveals that while 85% of Americans believe food recalls are effective in protecting public health and safety, 93% are concerned about how frequently they occur.
“Food recalls are issued for a variety of reasons, including contamination with bacteria like salmonella or E. coli, undeclared allergens, the presence of foreign objects or even mislabeling,” says Bob Carpenter, president and CEO of GS1 US. “Though the frequency of food recalls may seem concerning to some, it shows that the food safety system is more proactive and effective due to advances in science, technology and modern regulations. Improved tracking tools, barcoding standards and traceability requirements are evolving to help identify and remove affected products and better respond to recalls.”
Key takeaways:
· 60% say they have avoided an entire food category, such as lettuce, following a recall.
· 59% report hesitancy to purchase the same product or brand again after a food recall, especially Millennials (65%) and Gen Z (64%) compared to baby boomers (53%).
· 57% admit to discarding recalled food even if their state or region was not impacted, with Millennials (70%) most likely to take this precaution.
