People Willing To Pay More For Safer Food, Survey Says

A full two-thirds of U.S. voters are willing to pay more for safer food, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Seventy percent of participants supported food companies paying $1,000 annually to help pay for new FDA food safety efforts. Similarly, almost three-quarters of respondents would be willing to pay one to three percent more for food to help implement food safety measures.

These responses indicate that people are both serious and concerned about food safety, especially given that 85% of respondents believe that the government should be responsible for making sure food is safe to eat.

The survey touches on some of the issues raised in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act which was signed earlier this year. The Act grants additional oversight authority to the FDA through strengthening inspection requirements and giving the FDA the power to issue a mandatory food recall. Each year, foodborne illness strikes 48 million Americans. The White House hopes that this law will be "a sea change for food safety in America."