Even on Food Issues, Politics Divides Americans

WASHINGTON, DC – The ideal presidential candidate is not the only thing Americans have a hard time agreeing on. An ideological rift exists on certain food issues too. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2016 Food and Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes Toward Food Safety, Nutrition & Health examines how consumers differ in their attitudes on food issues. The results show that conservatives and liberals differ in their attitudes toward sustainability, trust in government for food-related information, and their top food safety issues. “The 2016 Food & Health Survey marks the 11th edition of an ongoing investigation into the beliefs and behaviors of Americans,” said Kimberly Reed, President of the International Food Information Council Foundation. “We are seeing a growing national food dialogue, and Americans are hungry for more information about nutrition and the food system,” Reed said. “The 2016 Survey, which includes a special focus on understanding the complex array of factors that influence food decisions, provides important insights and trends for health professionals, government officials, educators, as well as others who seek to understand and improve the health of all Americans.” However, liberals are far more likely to cite “pesticides” as a top food safety issue (38 percent vs. 24 percent), while conservatives are twice as likely to cite “carcinogens or cancer-causing chemicals in food” (40 percent vs. 20 percent). Sustainability Consumers approach sustainability from different angles. Liberals more readily cite the importance of environmental aspects of sustainability, while conservatives are drawn to sustainability for economic reasons. For example, conservatives believe that conserving farmland over multiple generations (41 percent) and ensuring affordability of the food supply (47 percent) are the most important aspects of sustainability, while liberals cite reducing carbon footprint (22 percent) and conserving natural habitats (51 percent). Both conservatives and liberals agree overwhelmingly that it is […]

Media

Functional Foods: Superheroes for Health

Taste plays a chief role in why we choose foods—as demonstrated by nearly two decades of our annual Food and Health Survey. But healthfulness is also an important driver of food purchases, and many people want to know how specific nutrients affect their health and well-being. In fact, many people seek out certain foods to support their energy, weight management, digestive, heart health, sleep, and immunity goals. Whether it’s a probiotic yogurt or vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms, eating more functional foods (sometimes hyped-up as “superfoods”) can improve our health, longevity, and quality of life. Read on to find out how. What Are Functional Foods? The term “functional foods” originated in Japan during the 1980s. In 1991, the Japanese government established a regulatory system for the labeling of “Foods for Specified Health Uses” (FOSHU) to classify foods considered to be beneficial for human health. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also regulates functional foods, despite there being no legal definition in this country. In general, foods are considered “functional” if they provide benefits beyond basic nutritional needs, such as further enhancing health and well-being. The beneficial nutrients in functional foods may be naturally present, or they may be added during manufacturing. The production of functional foods can also include the removal or substitution of some ingredients that may improve their nutritional profile—such as fat being removed from whole milk to create reduced-fat (2%), low-fat (1%), and fat-free (skim) milks. Other examples of functional foods include fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and fortified or enhanced foods like cereals and probiotic beverages. As you can see, there are a wide variety of functional foods to choose from—some in their whole form, and others that have been enriched, fortified, or otherwise nutritionally enhanced. With a better understanding of […]

article

Coronavirus and Safe Food Shopping Q&A

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many of us are trying to navigate how to safely venture out and shop for groceries, bring food into our homes, and prepare meals. To that end, some of us are having our groceries and meals delivered or picked up as takeout. But how do we know that we’re making changes in a safe manner? Even though there is no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 (the disease caused by the novel coronavirus) by food, we may still have questions about modifying our shopping behaviors as we adjust to the “new normal.” Let’s dig into some food-safety best practices and shed light on how to properly shop and handle food during the coronavirus pandemic. What are some safety measures I can take while I shop for groceries? There are a few effective and (hopefully uncomplicated) measures we can all take to practice caution and while acquiring our groceries. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators, but they can assist in stopping the spread of virus from asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people to others. Once home, everyone should wash their hands. The CDC advises that proper handwashing includes scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds with water (cold or warm) and soap to eliminate all germs. Are my groceries unsafe due to shoppers potentially transferring the coronavirus to products? Health authorities affirm that there is no evidence that food or food packaging is causing the spread of coronavirus. Because the coronavirus has relatively poor survivability on surfaces (less than three days), there […]

article

Your COVID-19 Resource for Food Safety and Nutrition

We’ve rounded up all of our COVID-19 resources on food production, food safety and nutrition, all in one spot: A Closer Look at Meat Safety During COVID-19 Summer may be grilling season, but while we’re in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are looking to buy and cook food and host gatherings in different ways. This article covers safety regulations for meat in a pandemic. COVID-19 and Food Safety Concerns: Results from the 2020 Food and Health Survey Food safety concerns have been a major topic in the public conversation around COVID-19, alongside issues like the coronavirus and shopping, the coronavirus and the food supply, and the coronavirus and food deliveries. Our 2020 Food and Health Survey, which was fielded in mid-April, dug deeper into Americans’ perceptions of food safety during this unpredictable time. Here are some of the key findings. IFIC Recognizes World Food Safety Day 2020: Top Food Safety Facts to Keep in Mind As we celebrated World Food Safety Day on June 7th this year—in the midst of a global pandemic—it’s now more important than ever for us to think about how to safely buy, prepare and serve our food. Consumer Survey: A Second Look at COVID-19’s Impact on Food Purchasing, Eating Behaviors and Perceptions of Food Safety We conducted our first consumer research on COVID-19’s effects on shopping for food, eating habits and perspectives on food safety in early April. This most recent survey, fielded May 7th to May 12th, serves as a follow-up to this initial research. It tracks several questions asked previously in April and asks new ones to help us better capture the full scale of the pandemic’s effects on how we think and feel about food in these ever-changing times. The U.S. Food Supply Amid COVID-19 In the global […]

article

Sustainable Food Systems

What are sustainable food systems, and why do they matter? This toolkit explores the science and strategies behind sustainable food systems, offering expert insights and practical resources that show how nutrition, agriculture and environmental health work together to support a more resilient food future.

toolkit

Food Additives and Ingredients: Resources You Can Use

Can you imagine your favorite savory snack without a dash of salt or a smoothie that isn’t smooth? I’m sure it’s difficult for you, just as it is for me.  We buy our favorite foods because of the way they taste, look, feel and cost.  Food additives and ingredients are responsible for some of the attributes of food that we’ve grown to love over the years.  Food additive and ingredients in the U.S. are deemed safe by the U.S. FDA and other global authoritative bodies such as EFSA.  These resources have been collected to help everyone understand the role and function of food additives and ingredients and what they do in our food. Food Ingredients and Colors Brochure For centuries, ingredients have served useful functions in a variety of foods. Our ancestors used salt to preserve meats and fish, added herbs and spices to improve the flavor of foods, preserved fruit with sugar, and pickled cucumbers in a vinegar solution. Today, consumers demand and enjoy a food supply that is flavorful, nutritious, safe, convenient, colorful and affordable. Food additives and advances in technology help make that possible.  This brochure in partnership with the U.S. FDA is your guide to understand the role of ingredients, colors and flavors in food. Color Me Red:  New Studies on Food Coloring Safety Did you know food coloring can be made using natural and artificial ingredients? Both of which are safe and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These colorings are used in a variety of foods, not just baked goods, but they are also safely used in ice cream, yogurt, soft drinks, cereals, sausage casings, cheeses and the list goes on.  Three recent publications supported by the International Association of Color Manufacturers (IACM) explored and reaffirmed the safety of food colors that have been at the […]

article

Food Allergen Labeling: Tips To Manage “May Contain” Labeling Risks

Last week was Food Allergy Awareness Week, and we’re bringing attention to this growing public health concern. Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) estimates that 32 million Americans are affected by food allergies and that the prevalence of food allergies continues to rise. With those statistics, there is a good chance you or someone you know deals with a food allergy daily. The rise in food allergy prevalence is not due to pure chance, and several theories have been put forward to explain the upward curve. The “hygiene hypothesis” suggests that children today are growing up in cleaner environments and thus are exposed to fewer germs that are able to “train” their immune systems to know what is and is not dangerous. Other theories attribute the increase in food allergies to changes in the gut microbiome, switches in diet, and certain environmental factors. Whatever the reason, food allergies are on the rise, and while many people can self-manage their allergy, food allergen labeling is key to creating a safe food supply for everyone. Effective food allergen management According to IFIC’s 2019 Food and Health Survey, consumers most commonly manage their food allergies by carefully reading labels (45%) or avoiding certain types of restaurants and cuisines (37%). In this vein, IFIC encourages consumers to learn how to read labels carefully, exploring various terms that less commonly describe an allergy (e.g., casein protein versus milk), as well as to know which questions to ask when eating out. To outsiders, a food allergy may not be obvious, so many people with allergies also wear a medical bracelet, carry medication, and have emergency contact information ready in case they need help. Consumers aren’t the only ones responsible for managing food allergies. The Food Allergen Labeling And Consumer Protection Act (FALPCA) is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandate that all food must be labeled […]

insights

Five Top Takeaways About Today’s Processed Foods Landscape

The dialogue around processed food is noisier than ever, and the constant barrage of media headlines about the purported harms of all processed foods has no end in sight. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) educational webinar, “The Processed Paradox: Consumer Insights Into Today’s Most Controversial Foods,” explores today’s processed foods landscape utilizing IFIC consumer research and insights to highlight what consumers are thinking and doing about today’s most controversial subject in nutrition: processed foods. Here are IFIC’s five top takeaways: 1. Americans care about what they eat, yet how that translates into their eating pattern varies. The vast majority (84%) of Americans say that eating healthy is important to them. Those who make $80,000+ annually and those with a college degree are more likely to say that eating healthy is “Very Important.” One of the ways this priority is expressed is through following an overall eating pattern. Slightly more than half of participants in the 2023 IFIC Food & Health Survey (52%) reported following a specific diet or eating pattern in the last year. High protein (18%) and mindful eating (17%) led the way as the two most popular diets. These were followed by calorie counting, clean eating, and intermittent fasting (each at 12%). An uptick in those who selected mindful eating in 2023 may signal a desire for a more holistic yet realistic approach to eating. Still, almost half (48%) report not following the structure of a specific diet or eating pattern. 2. The Nova food classification system serves as the current, yet incomplete, methodology cited in the scientific literature as well as media stories regarding processed foods, likely impacting consumers’ perceptions. The Nova classification system is the most utilized food classification approach documented in the scientific literature and has recently crossed over into mainstream media, with possibly […]

insights