Consumer Trust in Food and the Food System: A Critical Review

The paradox of corporate sustainability: analyzing the moral landscape of Canadian grocers

Food prices have experienced unprecedented increases in recent times. Simultaneously, grocers are facing allegations of capitalizing on inflation to generate unjustifiable profits. Escalating expenses and a lack of transparency have engendered heightened consumer skepticism. This perceived presence of barriers and excessive profitability gives rise to ethical concerns. Our case study delves into the ethical landscape surrounding Canadian grocers, aiming to probe the public's demand for accountability. To comprehend the factors responsible for the transformation in consumer perception of Canadian grocers in 2022, we conducted an analysis utilizing data from consumers, corporate watchdogs, and industry sources. We extended the paradox perspective on corporate sustainability framework to include a historical aspect to use as our analytical lens. This study sheds light on the alterations in circumstances that have led Canadian consumers to question entire industries and accounting practices that were previously considered unproblematic. As a remedy, we recommend the establishment of a mandatory code of conduct for grocers and an enhancement in the transparency of financial reporting. Paradoxically, corporate profits may continue to grow when societal needs are no longer perceived as being neglected or, even worse, exploited.

Eurasian consumers' food safety beliefs and trust issues in the age of COVID-19: evidence from an online survey in 15 countries

BACKGROUND

This investigation provides an important insight into Eurasian consumers' food safety beliefs and trust issues influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted in 15 European and Asian countries involving more than 4000 consumers.

RESULTS

It has confirmed that different socioeconomic characteristics, cultural aspects and education levels shape food safety perceptions within Eurasian countries. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced their beliefs and trust in food safety, which is relatively low on average. However, it is significantly higher for European consumers (especially European Union ones) compared to their Asian counterparts. Both Asian and European respondents agreed that food fraud and climate changes represent a food safety issue. However, European consumers were less concerned regarding the food safety of genetically modified foods and meat and dairy analogs/hybrids. Asian consumers were, to a greater extent, worried about the risk of getting COVID-19 from food, restaurants, food retail establishments and home food deliveries.

CONCLUSION

Eurasian consumers have put their greatest extent of trust, when food safety assurance is concerned, into food scientists and food producers holding a food safety certificate. Broadly, they are uncertain to what extent their federal governments and food inspectors are competent, able and efficient in ensuring food safety. Higher education of Eurasian consumers was followed by increased food safety confidence in all parts of the food chain. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Is There a Convergence between the Food Classification Adopted by Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and Food Science and Technology?

The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed the dietary guidelines presented as the Food-based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG). The FBDG classify foods according to their origin, nature, nutrient source, food group, and processing level. Food science and technology (FST) ranks food according to its origin, perishability, nutrient source, processing, food group, and formulation. This paper aimed to compare the convergence points for food classification according to the FBDG and FST. This study was carried out in two phases. The first step was identifying the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG). For each of the FBDG, food items were grouped as fruits, vegetables, cereals, sugars, fat and oils, legumes, foods from animals, dairy products, and others. The second step aimed to identify and describe the different food classification systems. The search was performed on PubMed®, Science Direct, and Web of Science and websites of international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius. Our results show that the points of convergence between the classifications were the classification in terms of origin (animal and vegetable), nutrient sources, and food groups. However, inconsistencies were observed for the distribution of food items in each group in the 98 surveyed FBDG. As for nature, there was a convergence for in natura, minimally processed, and processed foods. However, the criteria adopted for minimally processed and processed foods described in the FBDG differ from those considered by the FST. FST also does not recognize the classification of foods concerning the level of processing.

Psychosocial drivers influencing local food purchasing: beyond availability, the importance of trust in farmers

Introduction

Although consumers bought more local food during the changing context of pandemic COVID -19, this positive modification may not become a stable habit afterward.

Methods

To understand this change in drivers of consumers' intention to buy local food, we investigated the role of perceptions of various intrinsic and extrinsic attributes of local food, its perceived quality, price and availability, and consumers' trust in local food producers. We also investigated the role of sociodemographic variables as well as the moderating role of consumers' stage of change (i.e., absence, reduction, maintenance, and increase) in the purchase of local food.

Results

Structural equation modeling results on a representative sample of Italian consumers (N = 511) showed that local food availability is the main driver of purchase intention (β = 0.20; p = 0.001), especially among consumers who have changed their habits toward buying local food (reduction stage = β = 0.24; increase stage = 0.30; p = 0.001). In addition, trust in local food producers was found to be a key antecedent to consumers' perceptions of local food as environmentally friendly (β = 0.57; p = 0.001), healthy (β = 0.55; p = 0.001), authentic (β = 0.58; p = 0.001), tasty (β = 0.52; p = 0.001), socially sustainable (β = 0.59; p = 0.001), and as a product with a good appearance (β = 0.55; p = 0.001).

Discussion

Overall, these results improve our understanding of which food attributes should be emphasized in communication to promote the purchase of local food.

A Cross-Sectional Survey of the Nutritional Quality of Quinoa Food Products Available in the Italian Market

Quinoa's (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) status has been recently raised from staple food crop confined to its region of origin to a globally recognized commercial food crop, widely traded in the international market. Claims on food labels may attract consumers who can therefore purchase products with nutrition, allergy/intolerance, or social and ethical claims in an effort to make healthier and more sustainable food choices. The aim of this work was (i) to investigate the nutritional quality of quinoa food products available to the Italian consumer over the e-commerce market, as emerged from nutrition labelling, and (ii) to inquire about the occurrence of nutrition, allergy and intolerance, and social and ethical claims on the packaging. To this aim, a cross-sectional survey of quinoa food products available in the Italian market was conducted. It emerged that several quinoa product categories are available and grains and pasta are the major ones. Nutrition claims are generally displayed in combination with gluten-free and social/ethical claims. Based on the nutrition facts, a higher proportion of products are eligible for nutrition claims. The comparison between the gluten-free labelled and gluten-containing quinoa products showed limited differences in the nutritional quality.

Application of blockchain technology in shaping the future of food industry based on transparency and consumer trust

Food Industries, at this moment, are moving towards a new phase, and this phase will be governed by consumers and not by the industry leaders. The report shows that claims on sustainability, health, wellness, and transparency would govern the future trends in the food industry. Currently, there are several cases of misleading and false claims which hamper consumer trust. So, to uphold consumer trust, authentication of claims through transparency in the food supply chain is required, and blockchain technology can bring transparency at relatively low transaction costs. Once in a blockchain network, data is very difficult to manipulate, with no single point of authority to mess and collapse the system. Though we see mostly the financial systems using blockchain's decentralized functionality, there is a growing trend of innovative applications being built in the supply chain area for contracts and operations. With effort in the right direction and over time, blockchain will recast how operations and processes are done across the industry, including public sectors. The paper reviews the opportunity for the blockchain in enabling food industries for future-readiness, empowering the consumers in verifying the product claims and thus prevent themselves from food fraud. In doing so, the paper considers the future trends in the food industry, identifies current food fraud cases, and outlines the various applications in the agri-food chain and challenges associated with it.

Graphical abstract

Hotspot analysis for organic laying hen husbandry—identification of sustainability problems as potential risk points to lose consumers’ trust

Over the last decade, there has been growing societal concern about the welfare of farmed animals. Although organic agriculture provides higher living standards, there are still critical points which can damage consumers’ trust in organic livestock farming. That is a risk, as especially organic farming relies on consumer trust. A hotspot analysis was conducted to identify critical points within the organic laying hen husbandry in Germany. This methodology aims to examine the sustainability of a product along its whole life cycle. Based on literature reviews, the life phases breeding, keeping, feeding, animal health, transport, and slaughter were assessed with ecological, social, and animal welfare criteria. Finally, the results were triangulated with various experts, and the critical points were classified in terms of their potential to diverge from consumers’ expectations. Our results show a high dependency of the organic sector on the conventional breeding process and its specialized breeds. This fact involves critical points which contradict the ideology of organic farming. The loopholes in the organic EU regulations in transport and slaughter were identified as additional threats to consumer trust in the organic system. The overall not better animal health compared to the conventional poultry system and the high numbers of poultry kept on some organic farms are also possible causes of disappointment in consumers’ vision of organic livestock farming. Therefore, we recommend an adjustment of some organic EU regulations regarding these points. Further, a linkage of the organic certification of a slaughterhouse to higher animal welfare standards during slaughter should be considered.

Perceived Value of Information Attributes: Accounting for Consumer Heterogeneous Preference and Valuation for Traceable Agri-Food

Information attributes characterize traceable agri-food. The perceived value of information attributes influences consumers' preferences for traceable agri-food, consisting of two dimensions, predictive value and confidence value. We examine heterogeneous preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) in China's traceable agri-food market. Using the choice experiments, we explore how the traceability information, certification type, region of origin, and price influence Chinese consumers' Fuji apple choices. We identify three consumer classes by a latent class model: certification-oriented class (65.8%), price-sensitive and origin-oriented class (15.0%), and no-buy class (19.2%). The results show that consumer sociodemographic characteristics, predictive value, and confidence value are the heterogeneous sources that determine their preferences for Fuji apple information attributes. Specifically, consumers' age, family income per month, and whether the family has children under 18 significantly impact the membership probability of consumers in both certification-oriented and price-sensitive and origin-oriented classes. Consumers' predicted value and confidence value significantly impact the membership probability of consumers in the certification-oriented class. In contrast, consumers' predicted value and confidence value have no significant impact on the membership probability of consumers in price-sensitive and origin-oriented class.

Food Credence Attributes: A Conceptual Framework of Supply Chain Stakeholders, Their Motives, and Mechanisms to Address Information Asymmetry

Food credence attributes (e.g., food safety, organic, and carbon neutral production methods) are quality characteristics of products that cannot be assessed by buyers at the point of sale without additional information (e.g., certification labels). Hence, the ability to access credence attributes of a particular product can result in a situation termed as asymmetric distributed information among supply chain stakeholders (e.g., producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, consumer) where one party of a market transaction is in possession of more information about a product than the other party. This situation can lead to potential inefficiencies, e.g., misinformation, risk of food borne illness, or opportunistic behavior such as fraud. The present study sought to develop a conceptual framework that describes a) the motivation for key stakeholders to participate in the market for food credence attributes, b) the type of food credence attributes that key stakeholders provide, and c) current mechanisms to address the issue of information asymmetry among the stakeholders in the food system. The study was conducted using an integrative literature review. The developed framework consists of two components: a) the food supply chain and b) the attribute assurance system among which multiple links exist. The findings suggest that retailers, processors, NGOs, and government authorities are influential stakeholders within the supply chain of food credence attributes by imposing food quality standards which can address information asymmetry among food actors. While the credence attribute assurance system (e.g., food standards, third party food attribute assurance providers) can potentially address the issue of asymmetric information among market stakeholders, a range of issues remain. These include food standards as a potential market entry barrier for food producers and distributors, limited food standard harmonization, and communication challenges of food attribute assurance (e.g., consumers' signal processing, signal use and trust). The syntheses presented in this study contributes to stakeholders' (e.g., supply chain actors, scientists, policy makers) improved understanding about the components of the credence food system and their integration as well as the drivers for change in this system.

Epigenetic biomarkers for animal welfare monitoring

Biomarkers for holistic animal welfare monitoring represent a considerable unmet need in veterinary medicine. Epigenetic modifications, like DNA methylation, provide important information about cellular states and environments, which makes them highly attractive for biomarker development. Up until now, much of the corresponding research has been focused on human cancers. However, the increasing availability of animal genomes and epigenomes has greatly improved our capacity for epigenetic biomarker development. In this review, we provide an overview about animal DNA methylation patterns and the technologies that enable the analysis of these patterns. We also describe the key frameworks for compound DNA methylation biomarkers, DNA methylation clocks and environment-specific DNA methylation signatures, that allow complex, context-dependent readouts about animal health and disease. Finally, we provide practical examples for how these biomarkers could be applied for health and environmental exposure monitoring, two key aspects of animal welfare assessments. Taken together, our article provides an overview about the molecular and biological foundations for the development of epigenetic biomarkers in veterinary science and their application potential in animal welfare monitoring.

Transitioning from crates to free farrowing: A roadmap to navigate key decisions

There are animal welfare concerns about the continued use of permanent crating systems for farrowing and lactating sows, which is the most prevalent maternity system in global pig production. Greater societal attention in recent years has culminated in changes (or proposed changes) to regulations as well as market-driven initiatives to move away from crated systems. Transitioning from farrowing crates to systems that allow the sow greater freedom of movement and behavioral expression requires a number of key decisions, with various trade-offs apparent when trying to balance the needs of different stakeholders. This review discusses these decisions based on common questions asked by farmers, policy makers and other stakeholders when deciding on a new system to build/approve. Based on the latest scientific evidence and practical insight, decisions such as: whether to retrofit an existing barn or build a new one, what spatial dimensions are necessary per sow place, whether to adopt free farrowing or temporary crating, how to provide substrate/enrichment and be hygienic and environmentally friendly, and how to optimize the human inputs and transition between systems are considered. The aim of this paper is to provide a roadmap for those interested in uptake of higher welfare systems and practices, as well as to highlight areas requiring further optimization and research.

Understanding Consumers’ Intentions to Purchase Clean Label Products: Evidence from Taiwan

In light of the fact that increasing consumer emphasis is being placed on the concepts of safety, health, and environmental protection, and that consumer groups are now attentive to the issues of “greenism” and sustainable development, the certification label has become an important tool. This study explores individual needs from the perspective of food “clean label” certification, highlighting that the importance of general food certification to consumers is different from the previous literature that only focused on the impact of organic labeling, nutrition labeling, and food safety certification on consumer behavior. In this study, the consumer purchase intention for the use of the “clean label” and its influencing factors are discussed, using product knowledge and involvement as the independent variables. The target is the consumer who has experience with “clean label” products. This study employs snowball sampling. A formal questionnaire was sent to 292 participants. After eliminating the invalid samples, we retained 265 valid questionnaires for the analysis (a valid response rate of 90.75%). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test the research hypotheses. The results indicated that: (1) consumers’ involvement with “clean label products significantly influences their purchase intention; and (2) consumers’ product knowledge of “clean label” products significantly influences their purchase intention and involvement. Based on these results, enhancing consumers’ knowledge of food security is suggested. Furthermore, the findings provide crucial insights for marketing channels, suggesting that the food industry can target consumer confidence over certification labeling and “clean label” products as keys to purchase intention, and to attract business by developing practical marketing strategies.

Different and alike: Level and determinants of public acceptance of fattening pig, beef cattle and broiler farming in Germany

Germans are critical of their animal husbandry systems although being increasingly detached from practical husbandry experience and benefitting from its low prices and high availability. Based on literature on citizens' acceptance of agriculture and the social licence to operate framework this study derives and tests the relevance of various factors determining public acceptance of fattening pig, beef cattle and broiler husbandry using structural equation modelling. An online survey n = 1208 was carried out. Results confirm the assumed negative effect of animal treatment concerns and the positive impact of perceived benefits on acceptance. While a direct effect of trust on acceptance is only revealed for cattle, there is for all three husbandry systems an indirect effect of trust on acceptance via animal treatment concerns and perceived responsible conduct. Hence, the derived conceptual framework is partly confirmed. Thus, the results of the study can help actors in the supply chains and political decision makers how to possibly regain societal acceptance of animal husbandry.

Chinese Consumers’ Trust in Food Safety Surveillance Sampling of Commonly Consumed Foods

In China, food has become safer over the past five years, especially commonly consumed foods. Food supervision sampling has played an important role in improving food safety. However, consumer acceptance of the results of food safety supervision have not kept pace. Communicating actual food safety risks to consumers and improving the public trust in food safety supervision sampling inspection has become an important issue. This study focused on food safety surveillance sampling of commonly consumed foods. In total, 4408 adult consumers were surveyed between August and October 2021. Structural equation modeling was performed for data analysis. This study found significant differences along gender lines and across different cities and levels of education with respect to evaluating competence trust and care trust on food supervision sampling inspection. This study identified the public’s competence trust, care trust, and perception of food safety as factors that significantly affect one’s attitude toward supervision sampling inspection. Care trust showed a more pronounced effect on trust enhancement than competence trust. The present study also provides some practical measures for food safety supervisors to improve public trust in the national food inspection. Specifically, the sampling process should be open and transparent.

A risk-benefit approach to the purchase and consumption of conventional vegetables in wet markets

The purchase and consumption of conventional vegetables from wet markets in Vietnam are like two sides of a coin: perceived food safety risks and perceived benefits. Drawing on a sample of 463 Hanoi consumers, this study employed a risk-benefit approach to analyze the purchase intention and consumption frequency of conventional vegetables at traditional markets. A confirmatory factor analysis examined the links among risk perception, perceived utilitarian benefits, perceived hedonic benefits, and trust. Finally, generalized ordered and Poisson regressions were performed on these psychological constructs and their identified links. We found that perceived hedonic benefits, trust in wet market actors, and the presence of homegrown vegetables determined purchase intention and consumption frequency. The joint influence of perceived hedonic and utilitarian benefits on purchase intention implies that consumers considered both benefit dimensions when thinking of their future purchase of conventional vegetables. The significant interaction between perceived risk and perceived hedonic benefits on consumption frequency supports the risk-benefit approach. The effect of perceived hedonic benefits and income on purchase intention and consumption frequency are evidence of wet markets' social and cultural relevance.

Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water

The underlying factors of the purchase decision process of bottled mineral water have been a less studied area. The typically related attributes of consumer judgement in the case of low involvement can vary widely, ranging from price sensitivity to habits. However, assessing the role of brand reputation and trust from a sensory perception perspective is not a common approach. This paper examines the impact of trust on consumer value judgements for a frequently consumed beverage such as mineral water. Combining trust and sensory attributes with the Expectation–Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) framework provides insights into the weight of taste, trust and reputation in product evaluation. A tasting experiment was carried out using a representative systematic random sampling method. A mixed method was applied; EDT was used to analyze quantitative data and grounded theory methodology was performed in the case of qualitative data. Results indicate complete assimilation for the most preferred brand and negative contrast for less well-known brands. It can be stated that the applied methodology is suitable as a certain kind of trust measurement and also can function particularly well as a reinforcement and complement to other methodologies (e.g., neuromarketing methods). This study suggests that brand names positively influence value judgment. Origin bounded brands compared to imported brands can help companies mitigate trust issues in developing countries as they convey a particular reputation, which helps reinforce trust.

Drivers of fish choice: an exploratory analysis in Mediterranean countries

Fish is an important source of healthy proteins and an important economic sector in Mediterranean countries. Despite the wealth of knowledge acquired in Western countries, a gap has been found in studies in developing countries, as in the Mediterranean southern shore. Therefore, we aimed to investigate consumers' perceptions of finfish attributes, with qualitative tools as focus groups, given the exploratory nature of the research. The focus groups have been held in Italy, Lebanon, Spain, and Tunisia; in each country, one was held in seaside areas and one in inland areas, in order to control for the availability of fish that shapes consumers' evaluations and expectations. The focus groups have been analysed through content and semantic analyses. Results of the study yielded main themes recurring in the discussions that have been categorized along such dimensions: (1) definition of fish products; (2) context; (3) search attributes; (4) experience attributes; and (5) credence attributes. Among attributes, the ones mostly guiding consumers' choices seem to be freshness and fish species, which are used as proxies for quality and sensory attributes. Most of the respondents preferred delicate white fish, while some exceptions were found in Tunisian respondents preferring blue fish and they also were the only ones who were not looking for convenient and already cleaned products. Trust also represented a critical element in guiding the decisions of consumers: with a lack of trust, consumers deviate from preferring local products, as noticeable especially in Lebanese respondents' opinions. Credence attributes such as animal welfare and sustainability received a minor attention from all the respondents.