It strikes me that we live in an age where many if most have lost their connection with food. I know expats here in Thailand who practically never cook, they either dine out or order in take a ways. As a result my guess would be they really have no idea what's in the food they eat.
In developed countries, meat come in clinically wrapped packages - the consumer will never have seen an abattoir or an animal being slaughtered for food. It would appear that many kids don't know where carrots come from or that cherries have stones inside of them.
I know many here are very conscious about the food they eat and the ingredients they use but I think we are the minority.