2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey: A Focus On Sugars & Sweeteners

This year’s Food & Health Survey marks the 20th consecutive year that the International Food Information Council (IFIC) has surveyed American consumers to understand perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding food and food-purchasing decisions. In addition to exploring new perspectives, the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey takes a retrospective look at how perceptions have evolved over the last two decades. About the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey To mark the 20th anniversary of the IFIC Food & Health Survey, IFIC is implementing a rolling release throughout the rest of the year. That means we are taking salient insights from the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey, for one topic-related release each month. This report focuses on sugars and sweeteners. 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey​ Research Methodology IFIC commissions this survey annually among U.S. consumers (n=3000), with 2025 marking the 20th consecutive year of the IFIC Food & Health Survey. Results were weighted to ensure that they are reflective of the American population ages 18 to 80, as seen in the 2024 Current Population Survey. Specifically, results were weighted by age, education, gender, race/ethnicity, and region. The 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey was fielded from March 13-27, 2025.

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Nearly Half Of Americans Are Aware Of The New Dietary Guidelines for Americans & New Food Pyramid Within Weeks Of Their Debut 

New Research Highlights How Americans Approach Healthy Eating  (Washington, D.C.) — A new survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) shows that nearly half of Americans have heard about the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, and have seen the new Food Pyramid within just three weeks of their release, underscoring how quickly federal nutrition guidance can break through. Still, the research reveals gaps in understanding when it comes to healthy eating.   Fielded January 20-27, 2026, just weeks after the January 7 release of the new Guidelines and accompanying Food Pyramid, this IFIC Spotlight Survey offers one of the first snapshots of how Americans are receiving and interpreting the latest federal dietary advice.  “This survey captures a rare and important moment: when first impressions are taking shape and awareness is forming,” said IFIC President & CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN. “The speed at which Americans have heard about the new Dietary Guidelines is remarkable, yet awareness alone is not enough. The real work of eating real food begins with enhanced understanding, application, and building trust.”  Rapid Awareness & Early Impressions  Within three weeks of their release, 47% of Americans reported hearing about the updated Dietary Guidelines. These findings point to strong early visibility yet also highlight that roughly half of Americans remain unreached in the initial rollout window.   Nearly half of Americans (47%) report having seen the new Food Pyramid, which replaces the MyPlate graphic after nearly fifteen years. Early interpretations of its messaging are many: 31% feel it communicates eating fruits and vegetables throughout the day, while 12% see a call to consume dairy.   Because the design inverts the original Food Guide Pyramid (1992–2005), a central question is whether its implied hierarchy is understood. Survey results suggest this message may need reinforcement: 36% believe the new Food Pyramid recommends eating more of the foods at the top and less of those at the bottom, while 11% infer the opposite.  This disconnect […]

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What We Do

Established in 1985, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to effectively communicate science-based information about food safety, nutrition and sustainable food systems, serving the public good. Our work is grounded in peer-reviewed research and informed by the work of recognized scientific and public health authorities. Our team includes experts in science, health and communications who turn research into practical insights to help stakeholders communicate with credibility and impact. IFIC primarily engages healthcare professionals, communicators, and others who influence consumer food and beverage choices, as well as informed consumers seeking credible information. Research & Consumer Insights IFIC research focuses on consumer beliefs, behaviors and attitudes around food – spanning food safety issues, ingredients, nutrition and more. IFIC Food & Health Survey Our flagship annual survey on Americans’ perceptions, beliefs and behaviors related to food and food-purchasing decisions. IFIC Spotlight Surveys Monthly quantitative studies on timely food and nutrition topics. Commissioned Research Comprehensive consumer research projects utilizing mixed methods. Peer-Reviewed Publications Studies in which IFIC research is cited. Science Communication Resources IFIC resources focus on consumer trends, scientific research and evidence-based communication strategies. Articles Deep dives into timely topics to strengthen understanding and translate ideas for key audiences. Continuing Education CPE opportunities and free webinars featuring IFIC research and expert perspectives. Toolkits Curated content collections on timely food safety and nutrition topics. Covening & Collaboration IFIC brings together thought leaders to advance the food systems dialogue and science-based decision-making through various events and platforms.

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Survey Finds That Few Older Americans Grocery-Shop Online, But Lowering Hurdles Could Sway Many

Survey Finds That Few Older Americans Grocery-Shop Online, But Lowering Hurdles Could Sway Many Online Shoppers Eager for Food Information, But Often Come Up Empty Download Full Survey (Washington, D.C.)—The number of Americans over 50 who are online grocery-shopping is relatively low, with only 17 percent ever having ordered groceries to be picked up from a store, 17 percent from a prepared meal delivery service, 16 percent ever having ordered groceries to be delivered, and 10 percent having ordered from a meal-kit delivery service. Those are among the findings from a new survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation in collaboration with AARP Foundation. On the other hand, the vast majority of older consumers shop at more traditional venues in-person, with 90 percent shopping at a supermarket at least once a month, 71 percent at a super-store, and 46 percent at a warehouse/discount club. “While the overall number of Americans over 50 who grocery-shop online is relatively low, the findings can help us forecast future trends as technology use becomes even more common among older adults and other age groups,” said Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling, Vice President of Research and Partnerships at the IFIC Foundation. Who Are the Online Shoppers? Two groups of older consumers who buy groceries and food online tend to stand out—and they come from different ends of the spectrum: those in higher income brackets and those who report mobility issues (and also tend to have lower incomes). A typical older, online grocery shopper is likely to be in their 50s, from the Northeast, college-educated, working full-time and white. Online grocery shoppers with annual incomes below $35,000 are far more likely (30 percent) to report mobility issues as a major obstacle than those earning more than $75,000 (7 percent). “We found that older Americans who buy […]

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Survey Finds That Few Older Americans Grocery-Shop Online, But Lowering Hurdles Could Sway Many

Online Shoppers Eager for Food Information, But Often Come Up Empty Download Full Survey (Washington, D.C.)—The number of Americans over 50 who are online grocery-shopping is relatively low, with only 17 percent ever having ordered groceries to be picked up from a store, 17 percent from a prepared meal delivery service, 16 percent ever having ordered groceries to be delivered, and 10 percent having ordered from a meal-kit delivery service. Those are among the findings from a new survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation in collaboration with AARP Foundation. On the other hand, the vast majority of older consumers shop at more traditional venues in-person, with 90 percent shopping at a supermarket at least once a month, 71 percent at a super-store, and 46 percent at a warehouse/discount club. “While the overall number of Americans over 50 who grocery-shop online is relatively low, the findings can help us forecast future trends as technology use becomes even more common among older adults and other age groups,” said Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling, Vice President of Research and Partnerships at the IFIC Foundation. Who Are the Online Shoppers? Two groups of older consumers who buy groceries and food online tend to stand out—and they come from different ends of the spectrum: those in higher income brackets and those who report mobility issues (and also tend to have lower incomes). A typical older, online grocery shopper is likely to be in their 50s, from the Northeast, college-educated, working full-time and white. Online grocery shoppers with annual incomes below $35,000 are far more likely (30 percent) to report mobility issues as a major obstacle than those earning more than $75,000 (7 percent). “We found that older Americans who buy groceries online are not at all a monolithic group, and that there are a […]

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Food Safety Sprouting Up

You may have heard of the recent Salmonella food safety incident brought on by the consumption of clover sprouts on sandwiches. People in several states have contracted foodborne illness and have reported being very sick. Specifically in this case, the strain of Salmonella making all of these folks sick is called Salmonella Montevideo. Let’s take a quick look at some info on this bacteria, safe food-handling tips and what you should do if you think you may have foodborne illness. Skipping the Side of Sprouts? Farmers take great care to provide safe and nutritious fruits and vegetables to us all. In addition, to help further support sprout farmers in their efforts to produce these veggies in the safest way possible, the Food and Drug Administration’s Sprout Safety Alliance has developed best practices for growing sprouts and supplying them to stores, markets and restaurants. Still, sprouts have been associated with several foodborne illness outbreaks and have gained a bit of a “reputation” for being notable culprits in causing foodborne illness. For example, the FDA recorded that between 1996 and July 2016 in the United States, there were a total of approximately “46 reported outbreaks associated with sprouts, accounting for 2,474 illnesses and 187 hospitalizations.” These outbreaks are mainly tied to the nature of how sprouts are grown, which is in a warm, moist and nutrient-rich atmosphere. The sprout crop environment happens to be the same atmosphere Salmonella  (and other bacteria such as E. coli) thrives in. These conditions can lead to the sprout seed’s being contaminated and carrying the bacteria. In most cases of sprout-caused foodborne illness, the contamination can be traced back to the sprout seeds. Sly Salmonella While we have one of the safest and most reliable food supplies in the world, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Salmonella […]

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