Most think U.S. food safe, import concerns

Published: June 13, 2008 at 2:01 PM

BOSTON, June 13 (UPI) -- In spite of several recent food safety incidents, most U.S. adults asked say they are confident U.S.-produced food is safe but imported food is a concern.

The national survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health Project on Public and Biological Security indicates that a majority of respondents say that the food produced in the United States is either very -- 37 percent -- or somewhat -- 58 percent -- safe. Four percent say they thought U.S.-produced foods were unsafe.

However, 6 percent say they consider foods from Canada to be unsafe, while 47 percent say they thought food from Mexico was unsafe and 56 percent say food from China was unsafe. Fifty-three percent of those asked report they at least sometimes checking where foods was produced. Fifty-eight percent say they have some or very little confidence in meat producers to keep food safe.

Fifty-two percent of respondents say they have some or very little confidence in the government inspection system to keep food safe. Thirty-eight percent of those asked say they worry about getting ill from the food they eat.

The telephone survey of 1,509 U.S. adults by ICR/International Communications Research of Media, conducted May 12 and June 1 -- before the tomato recall -- has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points