This study examined the influence of social responsibility awareness (economic and social-environmental responsibility) and trust in corporate social responsibility on sustainable diets. The subjects of the study were 468 university students. The main research results were as follows. First, the social responsibility awareness of the study subjects was 4.03±0.72 points for economic responsibility and 3.48±0.81 points for social-environmental responsibility. An awareness of economic responsibility showed differences according to gender. Trust in corporate social responsibility was 3.62±0.61 points, and there was no statistical significance based on gender. Second, the level of a sustainable diet was food safety and consideration (4.06±0.63), knowledge of the environment and diet (3.94±0.68), understanding of the food circulation system (3.45±0.77), and healthy diet (3.26±0.89). Among the factors influencing a sustainable diet, female students had higher attitudes toward food safety and consideration and understanding of the food circulation system than male students. Third, the social responsibility awareness (economic responsibility and social-environmental responsibility) and corporate social responsibility trust variables influenced university students’ sustainable diet. Among these, social-environmental responsibility awareness had the highest influence.

As economic profits and social influences of firms grow with economic development and their organizational expansion, consumers increasingly require firms to have their social responsibility. Because social responsibility strongly influences corporate reliability, consumers’ intention to purchase, customer loyalty to the products and the recognition of an ethical firm have gained attention as a concept of strategical importance. The prosperity of society should be proceeded for the sustainable development of a firm and the necessity of social responsibility should be emphasized to achieve virtuous circle structure that promotes growth. Additionally, the social responsibility should be proceeded to form trust on a firm. It is very important to change the recognition of consumers to purchase products and increase the profit of a company. This study aims to analyze how social responsibility properties of firms (economic, ethical, discretionary, and legal aspects as low-level factors of social responsibility which Carroll (1979) defined) affect corporate reliability and purchase intention. The analysis found that consumers trust in firms are positively influenced by ethical responsibility (0.391), economic responsibility (0.293), legal responsibility (0.251), and discretionary responsibility (0.248). The relationship between sub-factor of social responsibility and purchase intention is not significantly influenced by other explanatory variables. Corporate trust exerts a direct influence on purchase Intention (0.456). The social responsibility of a firm didn't influence a direct purchase intention. It was found that it brought positive effect on the purchase intention in the course of forming trust. This study suggests that firms should make efforts to understand the relationship between corporate trust and purchase intention along with the characteristics of social responsibility that consumers recognize and improve management strategies for mutual complementary interests.

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of food scandals on trust towards the corporate brand and purchase intention in Japan. Drawing on Mayer, Davis and Schoorman’s Model of Organizational Trust (1995) this study explores the effects of perceived trustworthiness, trust, and perceived risk on a consumer’s intention to purchase. In Japan, consumers were outraged when some top hotels and department stores were found to have mislabeled foods, selling cheaper alternatives instead of the expensive foods offered on the menu and using expired products (Grace, 2007; Japan Today, 2013; Kageyama, 2007; Onishi, 2007; Spitzer, 2013). The various food scandals have led to product shunning, fear, distrust and suspicion among consumers (Garretson & Burton, 2000; Niewczas, 2014; Smith & Riethmuller, 1999; Yeung & Morris, 2001). Thus this research was conducted to identify the influence of food scandals involving well-established Japanese supermarkets on consumer trust and risk perception. The influence of culture in shaping purchase intention was also explored. Trust itself is a concept that is elusive with myriad definitions ranging from Luhmann’s (1979) sociological theory of trust that looks as trust being a function of high perceived risk and experience to Deutsch (1973) who defines it as the willingness to be dependent on others in the belief that the other party will not disappoint intentionally. Luhmann (1979) argues that in order for trust to be apparent there has to be high-perceived risk. Various studies have also focused on trust being operational when there is risk‐taking behavior (Anderson & Narus, 1990; Canning & Hammer‐Llyod, 2007; Doney & Canon, 1997; Morgan & Hunt, 1994). In the food sector, as consumers lose control over knowing about the food we eat due to the increasing complexity of the food system trust becomes an essential component. Consumers have to trust food producers ranging from farmers to food companies as well as the public authorities to ensure food safety, quality and adequate supply. Consumers display different and inconsistent reactions regarding food safety that affects the perception of quality and their willingness‐to‐pay (Berg, 2004; Brewer & Rojas, 2008).