New Harris Poll Shows Americans Worried About Food Safety

The results of a new Harris poll shows that a majority of Americans are worried about food safety these days.

That survey of 2,256 adults between Jan. 15 and 20 found that 86 percent of respondents were either seriously concerned (28 percent) or somewhat concerned (58 percent) about food safety and a majority of 73 percent said there should be more government oversight of food production.

The poll also found that women were more likely than men to be seriously worried about the safety of the food supply and they are also more likely to call for more government oversight.

Other items from the survey:

~ Americans in low income households - specifically households with an annual income under $35,000 - are more likely than those in higher earning households to describe food recalls as a serious concern (36% in households earning , $35k, 21% in households earning $35k-$49,999, 26% in $50k+ households).

~ Democrats (32%) are more likely than Republicans (25%) to characterize food recalls as a serious concern. The call for more government oversight rings most loudly from the Democrats' camp (86%) and least so from Republicans (60%), with Independents in the middle (70%).

~ U.S. adults are somewhat divided on the question of whether there have been more health and/or safety prompted food recalls recently than in the past few years (43%) or if their frequency has remained about the same (50%). Few, however, believe things have improved with only 7% indicating there have been fewer than in the past few years.

~ Older Americans - specifically Baby Boomers (48%, ages 49-67) and Matures (49%, ages 68+) - are more likely than their younger counterparts (38% Echo Boomers [ages 18-36], 37% Gen Xers [ages 37-48]) to believe there have been more such recalls.

~ The perception that the number of recalls has risen is also stronger among women (48%) than men (37%).

~ When those who think there have been more food recalls lately are asked who they hold most responsible for this increase, the highest percentage by a dramatic margin place the blame on those responsible for packaging and/or processing food (50%), though the federal government (19%) and those responsible for growing and/or raising food (16%) don't escape this blame.