The Impact of Generalized Trust and Trust in the Food System on Choices of a Functional GM Food

We investigate the impact of trust on stated purchases for a food with health-related attributes (omega-3 content) that may be associated with fortification or genetically modified (GM) ingredients based on data from a Canada-wide survey. Assessing the predictive power of various trust measures on consumers' food choices using latent class models indicates that respondents who are generally trusting and also trust the food system are less averse to GM food. The finding that generalized trust (measured by trust in strangers and past trusting behavior) also affects consumers' choices of GM food, suggests that some concerns about GM-derived food are related to an individual's worldview and may be beyond the control of the food system. [EconLit citations: D 120, L 660]. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.