Food traceability systems, consumers' risk perception, and purchase intention: Evidence from the "4-label-1-Q" approach in Taiwan.

Many food safety issues have occurred in Taiwan during the past decade. Therefore, in 2016, the Taiwan government proposed the "Five rings of food safety" policy to comprehensively protect consumer food supply. Among these policies, the "4-labels-1-Q" approach was adopted to ensure the selection of "retrospective foods" with traceable labels. Hence, this study investigated the association between the degree of recognizing the "4-label-1-Q" food traceability system and risk perceptions, in addition to whether a consumer's purchase intention of fresh foods with food labels changed after enlightenment using an educational film on food labels. In this study, the subjects were defined as the family's main food purchasers. Subsequently, 290 valid questionnaire interviews and film educational materials were administered in Tainan markets and stores. Results showed that risk perception for labeling was significantly affected by label knowledge. Alternatively, age, educational level, and the degree of risk perception influenced purchase intention. Results also showed that after administering the video intervention, the label knowledge and purchase intention increased significantly. However, film education after adjustment for age, educational level, income, and purchase places insignificantly affected risk perception, especially for those who had lower educational levels, including those over the age of 65. First, the public's trust can be boosted through label education among age groups using different channels and methods. Therefore, in the future, encouraging the sale of labeled foods in traditional markets would be a useful strategy. Second, the age, educational level, income, and risk perception of the participants significantly affected the purchase intention. Thus, in the future, this study can be a reference for designing risk communication strategies and promoting traceable agricultural products.