Impact of Small Workshops' Compliance with Quality and Food Safety Standards on Consumer Loyalty: An Analytical Study in the Dairy Industry in Latakia Governorate

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between small dairy workshops' compliance with food safety standards psychological, economic, and cultural-behavioral dimensions and consumer loyalty in Latakia Governorate, amid weak regulatory oversight and persistent consumer loyalty despite documented health risks.

Using a descriptive-analytical methodology, a questionnaire was administered to 196 consumers, with data analyzed through SPSS. The findings revealed that independent variables collectively explain 79.4% of the variance in consumer loyalty. The psychological dimension (consumer trust in producers) emerged as the most influential predictor (69.2%), followed by the cultural-behavioral dimension (entrenched consumption habits) (68.6%), and the economic dimension (low prices) (65.8%).

The results indicated that loyalty in this context is not based primarily on technical commitment to food safety standards, but rather on trust, habits, and economic constraints. The study recommends developing participatory community monitoring systems, encouraging producers to adopt cost-effective safety standards, designing culturally-sensitive awareness campaigns, and implementing gradual regulatory policies based on integration and rehabilitation rather than closure and confiscation.