<![CDATA[The increased use of marketplaces encourages online reviews to become one of the main sources of information in shaping consumer purchase decisions. However, in local food products such as ready-to-eat chili sauce, high positive reviews do not necessarily directly increase buying interest because consumers face uncertainty related to taste, quality, and product safety. This study examines the effect of online reviews on consumers’ buying interest in Sambal Bu Sandra products on Shopee, with consumer trust as a mediating variable. Using a quantitative survey method involving 100 respondents and SEM-PLS analysis through SmartPLS 4.0, the findings reveal that online reviews positively and significantly influence buying interest (β = 0.215; p = 0.017) and consumer trust (β = 0.591; p = 0.000). Consumer trust also has a positive and significant effect on buying interest (β = 0.641; p = 0.000) and partially mediates the relationship between online reviews and buying interest, with a VAF of 63.8%, indicating partial mediation. This study contributes theoretically by extending Consumer Behavior Theory to the context of local food e-commerce, demonstrating that trust plays a more dominant role for experience goods (food products) compared to search goods.]]>
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