A total of 83 percent of likely voters interviewed believe the federal government should be responsible for ensuring that food is safe to eat, and an even higher percentage of those surveyed - 89 percent - support the federal government enacting new measures to better protect people from getting sick from eating contaminated food.

In addition, 91 percent of those polled favor annual or semi-annual government inspections of facilities that process food that is at a high risk of contamination, including 75 percent who strongly favor this. Government data shows that such facilities are inspected only once a decade on average, according to FDA statistics and a review by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Release of the survey comes as the Senate is expected to consider food safety legislation that gives FDA new oversight and enforcement powers. The House passed its version of the bill in July, which includes stronger inspection authorities for federal officials when investigating domestic facilities and imports.

Source: Pew Health Group