How knowledgeable are high school students about food safety? Results from a predominantly minority Chicago charter school

Purpose - High school students are at an age where food handling may occur for themselves and as entry level workers in food service. An estimated 21 percent of food and beverage service workers are aged 16-19 years. The purpose of this paper is to determine baseline food safety knowledge and associated factors among high school students. Design/methodology/approach - A convenience sample of 231 Chicago high school students was approached to participate in a 34-question survey to obtain information about their food safety knowledge, behaviors, and personal hygiene. Frequencies of correct answers to each knowledge question were examined to determine knowledge gaps. Bivariate analyses were performed to identify student variables associated with knowledge score and regression models were used to examine the associations between eligible factors and knowledge score. Findings - Among the 195 participating students, 70 percent described themselves as Hispanic/Latino and 15 percent as non-Hispanic Black. In all, 12 percent of the students had restaurant employment experience. The overall student mean knowledge score was 37 percent. Students demonstrated substantial knowledge gaps regarding the temperatures for cooking, mechanisms for thawing food, cross-contamination, and vulnerable populations for foodborne disease. In the final linear regression model, Hispanic ethnicity and experience cooking seafood were significantly associated with lower knowledge score and experience cooking meat and cooking alone were significantly associated with higher knowledge score p < 0.05). Research limitations/implications - Students demonstrated substantial knowledge gaps regarding the temperatures for cooking, mechanisms for thawing food, cross-contamination, and vulnerable populations for foodborne disease. In the final linear regression model, Hispanic ethnicity and experience cooking seafood were significantly associated with lower knowledge score and experience cooking meat and cooking alone were significantly associated with higher knowledge score p < 0.05). Originality/value - These data demonstrate substantial knowledge gaps in a predominantly minority high school student population. Given that high school students are a substantial proportion of the food service workforce, they are especially important to target for food safety education.