Food safety beliefs, risk perception and consumers’ sustainable purchasing behavior: a case study of specialty freshwater fish

Introduction This study examines how risk perception and a multidimensional belief system—composed of behavioral, normative, and control beliefs—jointly shape Chinese consumers’ sustainable purchasing behavior toward specialty freshwater fish. Moving beyond linear approaches, it investigates the configurational and conditional mechanisms underlying consumer decision-making. Methods A mixed-methods design integrates Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs/QCA). PLS-SEM tests linear relationships, while fs/QCA identifies configurations of conditions leading to sustainable purchasing outcomes. Results PLS-SEM shows that food safety beliefs directly promote sustainable purchasing. Risk perception exhibits dual effects: directly negative, yet indirectly positive by strengthening behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, which enhance food safety beliefs. fs/QCA reveals three distinct belief configurations—all centered on strong food safety beliefs—that lead to high purchasing behavior, with no single necessary condition. Conversely, risk perception appears as a core factor in configurations linked to low purchasing. Discussion Sustainable consumption is driven by nonlinear, context-dependent belief systems. Risk perception can both inhibit and indirectly promote behavior through cognitive activation. Tailored interventions should strengthen food safety beliefs while contextually managing risk perception to support the cognition-to-action transition.