94% of U.S. Adults Worry Over Food Recall Frequency, GS1 Survey Finds
Ewing, N.J. – September 04, 2026 -- Ninety-four percent of U.S. adults say they are concerned about the frequency of food recalls, up from 93% in 2025, according to a new consumer survey commissioned by GS1 US. Confidence in recall effectiveness has simultaneously dropped, with only 80% of respondents believing recalls protect public health, down from 85% a year earlier.
Consumers increasingly avoid entire product categories after recalls
Sixty-seven percent of consumers said they avoided an entire food product category following a recall, up from 60% in 2025. Sixty-six percent reported hesitancy to repurchase the same product or brand, compared with 59% last year, while 59% discarded recalled food even when their own state or region was unaffected, up from 57%. Women showed sharper pullback than men, with 71% avoiding a whole category versus 63% of men.