TUESDAY, Nov. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Many Americans believe they face health risks from food additives, but plenty of others think that additives in small amounts won't harm them, a new survey finds.
It seems the United States is divided about the harms and benefits of modern food production practices.
Specifically, 51 percent of Americans say they could be sickened by food additives, but 48 percent believe that exposure is so low it's not a serious risk, according to the Pew Research Center survey.
"As consumers are confronted with a flow of new food technologies and with ongoing debates over how what we eat can have a lasting impact on one's health, this study reveals a divided public over food issues," said Cary Funk, Pew's director of science and society research.
More than 2,500 U.S. adults were surveyed. Seventy percent believe science positively affects food quality. But about half believe foods with genetically modified (GM) ingredients are worse for your health than non-GM foods.
On average, women are more concerned than men about health risks from food additives and from GM foods, the findings showed. And people with limited science knowledge worry more about health risks from these foods than those with greater scientific knowledge.
The 22 percent of Americans who care a lot about GM foods are likely to think they're worse for health, the survey found. They are also the most concerned about health risks from processed foods and controversial farm practices, such as use of hormones or antibiotics in animals, produce grown with pesticides, or foods containing artificial ingredients.
These food-safety opinions are personal, not political, added Funk, the lead author of the report.
"While there are consistent patterns in public beliefs about these food science issues, the divides do not fall along political lines. Instead, people seem to form their own 'food ideologies' about the relationship between health and the foods we eat," she explained in a Pew news release.
Other key findings:
More information
For more on food safety, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.