title: Examining trust factors in online food risk information: The case of unpasteurized or 'raw' milk.
abstract: The internet has become an increasingly important way of communicating with consumers about food risk information. However, relatively little is known about how consumers evaluate and come to trust the information they encounter online. Using the example of unpasteurized or raw milk this paper presents two studies exploring the trust factors associated with online information about the risks and benefits of raw milk consumption. In the first study, eye-tracking data was collected from 33 pasteurised milk consumers whilst they viewed six different milk related websites. A descriptive analysis of the eye-tracking data was conducted to explore viewing patterns. Reports revealed the importance of images as a way of capturing initial attention and foregrounding other features and highlighted the significance of introductory text within a homepage. In the second, qualitative study, 41 consumers, some of whom drank raw milk, viewed a selection of milk related websites before participating in either a group discussion or interview. Seventeen of the participants also took part in a follow up telephone interview 2 weeks later. The qualitative data supports the importance of good design whilst noting that balance, authorship agenda, the nature of evidence and personal relevance were also key factors affecting consumers trust judgements. The results of both studies provide support for a staged approach to online trust in which consumers engage in a more rapid, heuristic assessment of a site before moving on to a more in-depth evaluation of the information available. Findings are discussed in relation to the development of trustworthy online food safety resources.
authors.affiliation: Psychology and Communication Technology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK. Electronic address: elizabeth.sillence@northumbria.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sillence
authors.affiliation: Psychology and Communication Technology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK. Electronic address: Claire.hardy@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.affiliation: Food Animal Health Research Program, OARDC, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA. Electronic address: medeiros.1@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Lydia C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Food Animal Health Research Program, OARDC, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA. Electronic address: lejeune.3@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: LeJeune
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D059022:Food Safety; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D061352:Pasteurization; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Eye tracking; Food safety; Internet; Online information; Trust; Unpasteurized milk