Survey: Democrats and Republicans Disagree About Government Intervention on Food Policy

CHICAGO, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — When it comes to food policy issues, there are clear party lines between Democrats and Republicans.  FoodMinds’ third “Food Temperance in America” survey found that 75 percent of Democrats think more time should be spent on food policy topics within presidential debates and in overall discussions about government policies, while only 39 percent of Republicans think so.

“While there is some common ground between Republicans and Democrats on the importance of ensuring food safety and stabilizing food prices, they notably disagree on the importance of critical food policy issues such as hunger, nutrition education, and the production and quality of foods served in schools,” said Susan Pitman, MA, RD, FoodMinds partner. “It’s clear political ideology determines the way Americans think about government intervention when it comes to food-related policies.”

The “Food Temperance in America” survey tracks opinions on food policy topics among registered voters and Opinion Leader Shoppers, a group of politically aware and socially active consumers. The results are being presented at the Consumer Federation of America’s Food Policy Conference today by Ms. Pitman during the “Election 2012 – Voter Attitudes on Food and Nutrition Issues” panel.