*2.9. Brand Trust*

In the case of food purchase behavior, self-assurance in credence features, and could lead to brand trust. A food-related research study conducted by Chen and Lee [69] reported that brand trust plays an important role. There is an important relationship amid various kinds of trust and consumers' perceptions of safety concerning food items. The researchers specified two main types of trust: general and specific, specific trust further classified into supplier level, and industry-level trusts. Using the survey method in Beijing, results indicated an a ffirmative link amid consumer's brand trust in food producers and retailers with their perceptions of food safety. When marketers aim to increase specific trust, they should address the integrity and ability of producers [70]. Drescher et al. [71] studied Canadian households' perceptions of processed meat and their levels of trust. The research suggested customers with the highest level of brand trust spend more on processed meat than those with a low level. In the past literature, the importance of brand trust has highlighted along with its impact on creating highly valued relationships between consumers and firms. In this research, the element of brand trust has been added to determine the extent of consumers' brand trust in western imported food and if this is influencing their purchase behavior. Brand trust is essential for making sure that the consumer makes the purchase. In the case of western imported food products, brand trust is essential for purchase behavior to take place. Once the consumer trusts the brand, he or she is willing to pay higher prices to procure the western imported food product. Henceforth, the above information leads to the development of the following hypothesis:

**Hypothesis 9 (H9):** *Brand trust is positively associated with consumer's buying intentions towards western food products.*
