Consumer concerned about food safety

According to new data from research firm Multi-sponsor Surveys, US confidence in food safety has decreased over the past five years. The Study of Clean Food and Beverage Labels found one in six adults have a "great deal" of confidence in the safety of the foods they eat, compared with one in four when the survey was conducted in 2008. Safety of imported foods was listed as the biggest concern, followed by exposure to pesticides, exposure to pathogens and the use of growth hormone or antibiotics in livestock.

Adults are also making a greater effort to eat fresh instead of processed foods, with 32 percent saying they make a "strong effort" to do so, compared to 24 percent in 2008. The survey also found more than 70 percent of adults have purchased a food or beverage with clean label packaging claims in the past year. For more information on the survey, click here.