Comparative examination of trust during times of a food scandal in Europe and Australia

This study compared public confidence in truth-telling by food chain actors in selected EU countries, where there have been a number of food safety problems, with consumers in Australia, where there have been fewer food crises.A computer assisted telephone interviewing survey was used addressing aspect of truth-telling at times of a food scandal was administrated to a random sample of 1109 participants across all Australian states (response rate 41.2%). Results were compared with a survey in six EU countries which had asked similar questions. Australians' trust in truth-telling by food chain actors was low, with 14.2% of the sample expecting various institutions and individuals to tell the whole truth during times of a food scandal. When compared with EU countries, Australia occupied a middle position in trust distribution, and was more similar to Great Britain in giving farmers the most trust in truth-telling. This study has demonstrated that in Australia, as in many EU countries, trust in truth-telling at a time of food scandal is low. The credibility of the food system is highly vulnerable under times of food crisis and once trust in broken, it is difficult to restore.John Coveney, Loreen Mamerow, Anne Taylor, Julie Henderson, Samantha Myer, Paul War