Consumer Faith: AN EXPLORATION OF TRUST IN FOOD AND THE IMPACT OF RELIGIOUS DIETARY NORMS AND CERTIFICATION.

Formal affiliation or subscription to a religious group presents an additional element or layer of trust that people negotiate throughout their experiences in purchasing and consuming food. This paper reports qualitative findings from an Australian pilot study of food and consumer trust, derived from in-depth interviews with nineteen participants across four religious groups. The grounded theory approach reveals that religion is, in varying degrees, an important arbiter of trust in food. The data also illustrate the diverse management of religious certification and dietary norms, as well as the unique content and character of foods that are prohibited among Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist devotees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]