Public reporting on food safety incidents in China: intention and its determinants

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the factors that influence food safety reporting intention and behaviour of the public.

Design/methodology/approach

Data used in this study came from a questionnaire survey conducted in Shandong Province, China. The 642 qualified samples were analysed through structural equation model based on the expanded theory of planned behaviour to study public food safety reporting behaviour and its influencing factors.

Findings

Results indicated that participation attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and moral norm had significantly positive effects on public reporting intention, which had a direct effect on behaviour. Among subjective norm, descriptive norm had a more significant influence on the intention to report than injunctive norm. PBC indirectly affected reporting behaviour through participation intention, and directly affected participation behaviour. Socio-demographic variables had significant influence on participation attitude, injunctive norm and PBC, whereas these variables had no influence on descriptive norm and moral norm.

Originality/value

This research is of academic value and of value to policy makers. To promote public participation in food safety reporting, the government should consider influencing factors of food safety reporting.

Citation

Yin, S., Li, Y., Chen, Y., Wu, L. and Yan, J. (2018), "Public reporting on food safety incidents in China: intention and its determinants", British Food Journal, Vol. 120 No. 11, pp. 2615-2630. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-09-2017-0497