Skip Content
You are currently on the new version of our website. Access the old version .
SustainabilitySustainability
  • This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
  • Article
  • Open Access

31 January 2026

Blockchain as a Trust Machine: Consumer Adoption in the Packaged Food Industry in Emerging Markets

,
,
and
1
College of Business, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 23218, Saudi Arabia
2
College of Business Administration, University of Business and Technology, Jeddah 23435, Saudi Arabia
3
Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Footscray, VIC 3011, Australia
4
Research Management Centre (RMC), INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Malaysia
Sustainability2026, 18(3), 1422;https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031422 
(registering DOI)

Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of consumer adoption of blockchain technology (BCT) for traceability in the packaged food industry. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research model incorporates perceived trust as a crucial factor influencing consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions. A survey instrument was developed based on an extensive literature review, measuring five key constructs: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived trust, attitude, and behavioral intention. Data collected from a sample of Indian consumers were analyzed using confirmatory factor Analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS. Furthermore, perceived trust has a non-significant influence on both consumer attitude and behavioral intention toward using BCT, whereas the traditional TAM constructs of perceived usefulness and ease of use exhibit mixed effects. This research contributes to the theoretical extension of technology adoption models by assessing the paramount role of trust in the context of BCT for food traceability. For practitioners, it provides actionable insights for stakeholders in the packaged food supply chain. It suggests that emphasizing the trust feature does not have a significant effect on blockchain technology adoption in the packaged food case.

Article Metrics

Citations

Article Access Statistics

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.