Blockchain Technology Poised to Build Consumer Trust in Restaurants
University of Missouri researchers explore how blockchain can enhance food traceability and safety transparency
September 27, 2025 – As diners increasingly prioritize not just taste and price but also the safety and sustainability of their meals, restaurants face new challenges in meeting these expectations. Researchers at the University of Missouri are investigating how blockchain technology, renowned for its secure, tamper-resistant data recording, can bolster consumer trust by providing transparent, verifiable information about ingredients throughout the supply chain.
Rising Consumer Demand for Transparency
"Customers have become increasingly concerned about where their food is coming from, whether it’s sustainably sourced, and how safe it is to eat," explained Pei Liu, associate professor of hospitality management at the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Yet, the information restaurants share about the origins and quality of their ingredients is often limited or inconsistent, leaving customers with lingering doubts.
Blockchain as a Solution to Food Traceability
Liu and her team see blockchain—a decentralized ledger technology commonly associated with cryptocurrencies—as a powerful tool to solve this problem. By recording each transaction or movement of an ingredient in a secure, linked way across multiple computers, blockchain creates an immutable history that cannot be altered or tampered with.
The researchers have adapted a method originally applied in the fashion industry, where blockchain tracks the journey of cotton from farm to fabric. In the restaurant context, this involves attaching radio-frequency identification (RFID) labels to ingredients, which are scanned at each stage of the supply chain:
- When ingredients are sealed and palletized for shipping
- Upon entry and exit from quality-assurance cold storage
- During transit through manufacturing facilities and distribution centers
- When placed into and removed from restaurant storage, such as walk-in coolers
This comprehensive data is then made accessible to consumers via a simple QR code printed on menus, allowing patrons to trace the exact origin, handling, and transportation path of their food.
Building Trust and Enhancing the Dining Experience
“Consumers can see when dishes were prepared, which farm the ingredients came from, the farm’s location, and the transport details,” Liu said. This level of openness fosters greater trust in the restaurant’s commitment to sustainability and safety. The team’s study found that when customers feel reassured by this transparent supply chain information, they are more willing to pay a premium for their meals.
Food safety emerged as the dominant concern influencing diners’ decisions compared to environmental or health-related factors. Survey participants who were most uncertain about food safety showed the greatest appreciation for blockchain-enabled transparency.
Demographics Affecting Consumer Response
Age and education also played roles in openness to blockchain technology. Older diners and those with higher educational backgrounds responded more positively to the benefits of blockchain transparency.
Current Use and Future Directions
Some restaurants in major American coastal cities and parts of Europe have begun integrating blockchain-based traceability systems, indicating growing market interest.
Looking ahead, Liu’s team plans to investigate whether simply claiming blockchain-verified menus suffices to boost consumer confidence, or if customers need to engage directly with the supply chain data themselves for trust to develop.
The findings of this research are published in the British Food Journal under the title, "Sustainable food traceability on blockchain: exploring consumer decisions in restaurants through the uncertainty reduction theory."
About the Research Team
The study was conducted by Pei Liu, Song-yi Youn from the College of Arts and Science, and doctoral candidate Qianni (Jacqueline) Zhu at the University of Missouri.
Conclusion
As consumer expectations shift towards more informed and conscious dining choices, blockchain technology offers a promising avenue for restaurants to demonstrate transparency, build trust, and potentially increase revenue by mitigating concerns about food safety and provenance.
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Source: University of Missouri
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