# Food safety fears split Americans

> Voters fear food recalls but distrust oversight agencies more than ever.
- Title: Food safety fears split Americans · Salon | Shortify
- Summary: Voters fear food recalls but distrust oversight agencies more than ever. Americans now avoid certain foods due to recalls, but trust in food safety oversight…
- Keywords: food safety, gallup poll, cyclospora outbreak, taco bell, walmart, taylor farms, fda, midterms, recalls, political oversight, news, politics
- Source: Salon — https://salon.com/2026/10/19/food-safety-fears-are-bipartisan-trust-in-oversight-isnt
- Author: Ashlie D. Stevens
- Published: 2026-10-19T14:30:52+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: food safety, gallup poll, cyclospora outbreak, taco bell, walmart, taylor farms, fda, midterms, recalls, political oversight, news, politics
## Bad Lettuce Summer
A massive cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce sickened 13,000 people across 21 states.
## Recall impact
Taco Bell and Walmart stopped selling affected lettuce after 13,000 people got sick.
## Gallup poll data
81% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans avoided certain foods due to recalls since October 2024.
## Trust reversal
Confidence in food safety oversight dropped 64 points between parties since 2024.
## FDA delay
FDA postponed food traceability rule compliance from January 2026 to July 2028.
## Political tension
Taylor Farms donated $1 million to pro-Trump PAC MAGA Inc. during the outbreak.
## Conflicting statements
FDA initially found cyclospora in lettuce but later called it a false positive.
## Midterms approach
Voters face election with divided trust in food safety oversight agencies.
## Health secretary's role
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. celebrated Steak 'n Shake's beef tallow fries.
## Long-term trend
Confidence in food safety has fallen from 85% in 2004 to 47% today.
## Key takeaway

Americans now avoid certain foods due to recalls, but trust in food safety oversight has dropped 64 points between parties.