Food Safety Perception and Practices among University Students in Jordan

Food-borne illnesses represent a major public health problem. Published research on food safety among university students shows that this group has limited knowledge in this field. The study assessed eating behavior and Food safety knowledge and practice among university students in Jordan. This cross-sectional study was based on a questionnaire that was completed by 1, 161 students from three major universities in Jordan. The mean number of times per week in which students ate or bought food from restaurants was 3.69 +/- 3.0 SD. The most common factors that students considered when easting in a restaurant were hygiene (82.7%), followed by the price (9.0%), and closeness to living place (7.7%). Only 51.5% of participants reported that the restaurant workers always/often wear gloves when preparing their meals. Overall, 53.7% (n = 637) of students reported having at least one symptom after eating food in a restaurant, however only 4.1% of our sample reported these incidences to the authorities. Significant differences in food safety knowledge and practices exist between students. There is a need to increase university students' knowledge on food safety and to improve their awareness of the importance of reporting food poisoning symptoms.