Trust in Food-Safety Information Sources: Examining Differences in Respondents’ Opinions from a Three-State Survey

This paper analyzes data from a telephone survey of 1,000 home-meal preparers from Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee. We evaluate the level of trust assigned by survey respondents to twelve sources used in gathering food safety information and provide guidance on effective ways of communicating food-safety information. Data collected were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Health professionals, nutrition counselors, and food labels were highly trusted sources of food-safety information while the Internet, radio, and television were the least trusted