Most Americans have been following news about the problems Europe has faced with respect to livestock diseases and the possibility of the contamination of the meat supply. Concerns about food safety run high, but no more so than before these recent events. But on both of these questions, surveys conducted in the 1990s found virtually identical levels of concern. Women, especially older women, are more concerned about the safety of the food supply than men. Over half of women of retirement age express this high level of concern.
Blacks also express particularly high levels of concern about food safety.
Democrats also express higher levels of concern about food safety than Republicans, and are more likely to say that the food supply is becoming less safe than it was 10 years ago. Interest was fairly high among most major demographic groups, but there were partisan differences. Historically, interest in economic news has risen along with concerns over the nation's financial health. Interest spiked in the early 1990s, then decreased during the economic recovery. Attention is up again this month, by six points over February.