Knowing about your food from the farm to the table: Using information systems that reduce information asymmetry and health risks in retail contexts

• Studied purchase intention in retail settings using food traceability systems (FTS).
• Typified FTSs as voluntary, direct consumer-use decision support systems.
• Theoretical constructs from principal agent theory and technology acceptance model.
• Perceived regulatory effectiveness an information asymmetry reducing antecedent.
• Willingness to pay price premium an important mediator between trust and intentions.

We combined the most relevant variables from the principal agent theory and the technology acceptance model to develop a parsimonious model of technology acceptance for food traceability systems, which are voluntary, direct consumer-use decision support systems that reduce health risks for consumers by reducing information asymmetry between consumers and sellers in retail settings. Results from a survey about a beef traceability system show novel findings about the important roles played by consumers’ perceived regulatory effectiveness as an exogenous antecedent, and by their trust in seller and willingness to pay a price premium as mediators, that shape their intentions to use a BTS and conduct a purchase transaction.