How safe is eating chicken? : a study on the impact of trust and food risk communication on consumer behaviour in the European Union

Consumers' trust is a key factor in dealing with rising concerns about food safety and food quality, but only few studies have dealt with consumer attitudes and none of them has tried to model the process of consumer response. This book reports the main findings of an european project aimed at analysing trust along the food chain and its relationship with food risk communication. The papers collected investigate the mechanisms that determine the social diffusion of trust, examiConsumers trust is a key factor in dealing with rising concerns about food safety and food quality, but only few studies have dealt with consumer attitudes and none of them has tried to model the process of consumer response. This book reports the main findings of an european project aimed at analysing trust along the food chain and its relationship with food risk communication. The papers collected investigate the mechanisms that determine the social diffusion of trust, examining the interplay of the psychological, sociological and economic factors; and analyze the impact of the food risk communication policies on consumers and producers and on the society as a whole.ning the interplay of the psychological, sociological and economic factors; and analyze the impact of the food risk communication policies on consumers and producers and on the society as a whole. Consumers trust is a key factor in dealing with rising concerns about food safety and food quality, but only few studies have dealt with consumer attitudes and none of them has tried to model the process of consumer response. This book reports the main findings of an european project aimed at analysing trust along the food chain and its relationship with food risk communication. The papers collected investigate the mechanisms that determine the social diffusion of trust, examining the interplay of the psychological, sociological and economic factors; and analyze the impact of the food risk communication policies on consumers and producers and on the society as a whole. Consumers trust is a key factor in dealing with rising concerns about food safety and food quality, but only few studies have dealt with consumer attitudes and none of them has tried to model the process of consumer response. This book reports the main findings of an european project aimed at analysing trust along the food chain and its relationship with food risk communication. The papers collected investigate the mechanisms that determine the social diffusion of trust, examining the interplay of the psychological, sociological and economic factors; and analyze the impact of the food risk communication policies on consumers and producers and on the society as a whole Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 7 Notes on Contributors......Page 8 1. Why a project on food risk communication and consumers’ trust in the food chain? / Donato Romano......Page 10 2. Food choice in the context of a food hazard: Insights from psychological experiments / Michele Graffeo, Lucia Savadori, Nicolao Bonini, Luigi Lombardi, Katya Tentori, and Rino Rumiati......Page 22 3. Trust from hope to action / Bruna De Marchi, Susanna Greco, Luigi Pellizzoni, Bettina Bock, and Jo-An Wiersum......Page 40 4. Trust across Europe: Results from a cross-country survey / Alexandra E. Lobb, W. Bruce Traill, Mario Mazzocchi, and Diane McCrea......Page 66 5. Role of trust and risk in consumer food choice: The SPARTA model / Mario Mazzocchi, Alexandra E. Lobb, W. Bruce Traill, and Alessio Cavicchi......Page 90 6. A simulation program for analysing social diffusion of trust after a food safety incident / Volker Saggau, Claus-Hennig Hanf, and Paolo Patelli......Page 104 7. Trust lost and regained: A welfare analysis of food risk communication strategies / Gianluca Stefani, Donato Romano, Paolo Patelli, and Alessio Cavicchi......Page 124 8. The TRUST project: Summary of main findings / Donato Romano and Gianluca Stefani......Page 144 Author index......Page 152