A project by University of Missouri (Mizzou) researchers is exploring how blockchain—a decentralized and tamper-resistant system for tracking transactions—can be used to enhance the transparency of restaurants’ food traceability data. The research also suggests that when consumers are given clear, verifiable information about the origins and handling of ingredients, their confidence in food safety increases.

Led by hospitality management experts in the Mizzou College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, the research builds on blockchain’s success in other industries, such as fashion, where it is used to trace materials like cotton from farm to product. In the food sector, blockchain could allow ingredients to be tracked from packing, through cold storage, manufacturing, distribution, and finally to the restaurant’s kitchen. Each step would be recorded using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, and the traceability data could be made accessible to diners via a QR code on the menu.

This level of transparency would enable consumers to see when a dish was prepared, where its ingredients were sourced, and how they were transported. Because blockchain records are immutable, the information is resistant to tampering, offering a reliable way to reduce uncertainty about food safety.

The study also found that food safety emerged as the most influential factor. Consumers who felt uncertain about the safety of their food were significantly more responsive to blockchain-enabled traceability than those concerned primarily with health or environmental issues.

Demographic factors play a role as well. Older adults and individuals with higher levels of education were more likely to value blockchain transparency and view it as a credible solution to food safety concerns.

While some restaurants in major U.S. coastal cities and parts of Europe have already adopted blockchain for food traceability, the study raises important questions about consumer behavior. Future research will explore whether simply stating that a menu is blockchain-verified is enough to build trust, or whether diners need to see the data themselves to feel confident.

The study was led by Pei Liu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Hospitality Management in the Mizzou College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, and was published in the British Food Journal. Co-authors include Song-yi Youn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Mizzou Textile and Apparel Management, and Qianni (Jacqueline) Zhu, a doctoral student at Mizzou.