PurposeFood safety is an important issue facing consumers, the food industry and the government. Since consumers cannot themselves easily assess food safety risks, their perception of food safety is, in part, a matter of trust in the food chain. This study seeks to focus on livestock farmers and to investigate the causal relationship between the factors that determine consumer trust, regarding food safety and in turn their purchase likelihood.Design/methodology/approachBy integrating theories developed in several disciplines, six factors, namely: providing information, competence, integrity, benevolence, credibility, and reliability were adopted for this study. The conceptual model was tested with a sample of 194 individuals in the form of a structural equation model using LISREL 8.30.FindingsThe research confirms that livestock farmers could draw benefit from strategies to increase their trustworthiness through provision of information, show their benevolence and integrity to consumers, and in turn positively influence consumers' purchasing decision.Practical implicationsLivestock farmers should understand more specifically what consumers want to know and provide accurate and reliable information.Originality/valueThis exploratory study provides a useful insight into the potential benefit from trust building that could be derived by livestock farmers, food safety regulators and the food supply chain as a whole, as well as the ways in which this might be achieved.

Purpose – Consumer perception of risk and its impacts on purchasing behaviour are critical aspects of food safety. Consumer risk management strategies influence, and respond to, the risk management strategies adopted by the food industry. This research, using poultry product as the focus, aims to identify the consumer risk-reducing strategies and their impact on perception of food safety-related risk and then on purchase behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – By adopting a quantitative research paradigm with a quota sample of 200 respondents, a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) model was built to assess the direct and indirect effects of strategies taken by consumers to reduce perceived risk and the consequences for purchase likelihood, utilising LISREL 8.30. Findings – The research reveals brand, information and quality assurance as influential risk-reducing strategies to reduce consumer perception of food safety risk and subsequently to facilitate purchase likelihood during a period concerned about microbiological contamination in chicken meat. Practical implications – The results provide guidance of both proactive and remedial actions that the food industry can follow and also help to evaluate the effectiveness of its marketing activities. Originality/value – The research provides an insight in assisting government agencies and the food industry to develop appropriate food-related risk management strategies to serve the interests of both consumers and producers.

Consumer perception of a harmful and hazardous food risk and the strategies to reduce the exposure to such a risk are examined. A survey of 172 respondents confirmed the perceived risk theory and risk reducing strategies commonly used for the downside risk, and that expectations of negative utility are relevant to understand consumer perception of food safety risk. This study also shows that consumers are able to assess the uncertainty and the negative consequence of a perceived hazardous risk, and take action to reduce their exposure to the perceived risk. The findings seem to support the quality assurance scheme, useful information, brand, or product origin, which are the important risk reducing strategies of microbiological risk. Being a pilot study, this framework should be tested by using a product with which the risk is perceived to be beyond the control of consumers.

Increased incidents of food poisoning in recent years have greatly shaken consumers’ confidence in food. Livestock farmers are among the least trusted parties in the food supply chain. Building trust between consumers and livestock farmers is critical in order to maintain benefit to both parties. In this context, this paper attempts to explore the process on how trust is developed. By adopting stepwise multiple regression, a conceptual model was tested with 182 respondents. Empirical results showed that trustful information, care for consumers, honesty and fairness to consumers are important to building trust during the period of food safety concerns. Suggestions for future research together with implications for livestock farmers are given.

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