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Review
. 2021 Oct 18;10(10):2490.
doi: 10.3390/foods10102490.

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

Wen Wu  1 , Airong Zhang  2 , Rieks Dekker van Klinken  2 , Peggy Schrobback  3 , Jane Marie Muller  2
Affiliations
Review

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

Wen Wu et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Increased focus towards food safety and quality is reshaping food purchasing decisions around the world. Although some food attributes are visible, many of the attributes that consumers seek and are willing to pay a price premium for are not. Consequently, consumers rely on trusted cues and information to help them verify the food quality and credence attributes they seek. In this study, we synthesise the findings from previous research to generate a framework illustrating the key trust influencing factors that are beyond visual and brand-related cues. Our framework identifies that consumer trust in food and the food system is established through the assurances related to individual food products and the actors of the food system. Specifically, product assurance builds consumer trust through food packaging labels communicating food attribute claims, certifications, country or region of origin, and food traceability information. In addition, producers, processors, and retailers provide consumers with food safety and quality assurances, while government agencies, third-party institutions, advocacy groups, and the mass media may modify how labelling information and food operators are perceived by consumers. We hope our framework will guide future research efforts to test these trust factors in various consumer and market settings.

Keywords: assurance; food actor; food industry influencer; packaging label; supply chain operator; traceability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A flowchart illustrating the methodology steps.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A framework summarising the range of factors that influence consumer trust in food and the food system.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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