Food illnesses are leading two in three Americans to change buying behavior
Food illnesses are leading two in three Americans to change buying behavior

Food illnesses are leading two in three Americans to change buying behavior

One in three Americans said they bought less produce at the grocer this summer during the cyclospora outbreak, according to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded on Ipsos' Omnibus platform, asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Chart showing that 30 percent of Americans bought less produce this summer due to the cyclospora outbreak


Why we asked: At the time we fielded this, contaminated lettuce was the culprit of a really unpleasant outbreak of a food-borne illness called cyclosporiasis. We wondered if it was leading to actual behavioral change beyond what we were reading about anecdotally in the news. Since then, the list of food actively making Americans sick has grown to include eggs, pork, jalapenos, blueberries, rice, fruit bars, soups, pistachio nut butter, mini chocolate dipped donuts, and I just got tired of typing but there are more. 

What we found: On the cyclospora outbreak alone, one in three said they were buying less produce at the grocer this summer. Similar numbers were making sure to wash their produce at home. And most importantly, only one in three reported no changes in behavior. This is a topic we’ll come back to soon, as food recalls just keep coming

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

Most Americans aren’t thinking about climate’s impact on their wallet… yet

Americans show we care by… texting

Americans want customer interactions to be human, not AI

Americans still trust humans more than AI

Almost all younger people are trying to limit their screen time

Americans are concerned about nearly every aspect of electronic privacy

Water and energy usage are what worry us most about data centers

The original 'Star Wars' films are the best, say American fans

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?

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