Food safety knowledge and decision-making process among college students in Lanzhou, Western China

Abstract

In the study, a questionnaire survey containing three parts (general characteristics of the study sample, 15 food safety knowledge questions and 3 questions about decision-making process on food safety problems) was conducted among college students in Lanzhou City. The results indicated that food safety knowledge levels was closely related to engaged major and sex of college students. Food safety knowledge scores of students in food science major were higher than ones of liberal arts and engineering students. Female college students gained higher scores in food safety knowledge than male students and male students are more concerned about food safety cases and easily inclined to participate in solving these problems about food safety. Moreover, the results revealed that the levels of food safety knowledge for college students in China were low and there is an urgent need for more food safety education.