Affordability and health emerged as common themes across industry and business advocacy reactions to the 2026 US midterm election results on Nov. 3, reflecting broader shifts in consumer priorities that could have implications for food companies beyond the political landscape.
The “blue wave” underscores a wider change in consumer priorities around affordability, health and trust in the food system.
For food companies, these evolving expectations are already reshaping the competitive landscape – raising the stakes for companies to demonstrate value and reinforce trust among increasingly frustrated consumers.
Consumer skepticism creates an opening for food brands
The midterm elections reflect growing voter concern with food affordability and corporate systems, Doug Stephens, founder and CEO of retail and business consultant firm Retail Prophet and author of The Future of Competitive Advantage, explains.
At the same time, consumers’ trust in corporations is at 15%, and is at 70% in small businesses, according to a 2025 Gallup poll.
Consumer distrust in corporations and scientific institutions coupled with a bipartisan agenda to make food healthier and safer creates a “breakthrough opportunity” for companies, Stephens says. To stand out, companies must prioritize fair pricing, ending shrinkflation and transparent communication about price increases and product changes, he adds.
Industry groups, including Environmental Working Group and Consumer Brands Association, point to affordability and health as voters’ top concerns – underscoring collaborations between industry and lawmakers to establish business practices that align with consumer expectations around transparency, safety and value.
Environmental Working Group emphasized Democrats’ win as an “obligation” to address “kitchen-table issues that matter to families every day,” including clean and safe food and water. At the same time, Consumer Brands Association, which represents member companies across nearly 2,000 brands, highlighted the role of “America’s trusted household brands” to keep products affordable and safe for consumers.
‘The numbers are strongest when a business is trusted’
The importance of consumer trust on a brand’s growth comes as food companies face heightened scrutiny over recalls, ingredient sourcing and nutrition claims.
In a market where products, prices and distribution increasingly look the same, according to Stephens, trust is one of the few remaining points of differentiation.
Stephens argues that strengthening consumer trust serves a financial benefit. From research cited in his book, highly trusted companies can lower financing costs by approximately 15%, attain 59% greater customer retention and charge price premiums of up to 25% compared to competitors selling similar products. These advantages stem from trust built through fairness, honesty and open communication, he adds.
Stephens points to Costco as an example of a company that has built trust with employees, suppliers and consumers while delivering strong long-term financial performance relative to competitors.
For food manufacturers navigating economic uncertainty and shifting consumer expectations, he argues that trust may be one of the industry’s most valuable competitive assets.
“The numbers are stronger when a business is trusted,” he says.
