© Inštitut za sanitarno inženirstvo, 2019
International Journal of sanitary engineering researchVol. 13 No. 1/2019 S it r Engineering Research 25
Challenges and strategies
in the education of primary
school children related to
microbiological food safety
– a review
1 University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health
Sciences, Zdravstvena pot 5,
SI-1000 Ljubljana
* Corresponding author
Prof. Peter Raspor
University of Ljubljana
Faculty of Health Sciences
Zdravstvena pot 5
1000 Ljubljana
E-mail: peter.raspor@guest.arnes.si
Received: 26. 11. 2019
Accepted: 20. 12. 2019
Andrej OVCA1, Mojca JEVŠNIK1, Peter RASPOR1*
ABSTRACT
Teaching microbiological food safety and food safety in general at the primary
school level is crucial, because behaviour is more easily influenced at that
stage. The purpose of this review was to identify challenges in the education of
primary school children related to microbiological food safety and to review the
type of activities published and evaluated in the scientific literature targeting
primary school children. The most frequently applied approach in the reviewed
studies is target population-tailored workshops. The knowledge, attitude, and
practice (KAP) model is most widely used for evaluation purposes, based
mostly on the self-report and recall levels. Studies that compared theoretical
and practical educational approaches unanimously demonstrated that
theoretical awareness is not effective for changing and maintaining appropriate
behaviour, whereas experiences had a significant impact. The review
highlighted the differences and deficiencies in home economic teachers
regarding formal education. The development of proper teaching methodologies
and educators seems to be the key to the achievement of aware, confident, and
skilled students (on the consumer level) during primary education.
Key words: food safety; education; schoolers; primary school
POVZETEK
Poučevanje temeljnih principov zagotavljanja mikrobiološke varnosti živil na
ravni osnovne šole je lahko ključnega pomena, saj na tej stopnji razvoja lažje
vplivamo na zavedanje in ravnanje posameznika. Namen pregleda znanstvene
literature na tem področju je ugotoviti izzive, pristope in metode evalvacije pri
poučevanju tovrstne tematike na ravni osnovnošolskih otrok. Najpogosteje
uporabljen pristop v pregledanih študijah so usmerjene teoretične in/ali
praktične delavnice, prilagojene ciljni publiki. Kot orodje za evalvacijo učinka pa
se najpogosteje uporabljajo različne oblike t.i. samo poročanja udeležencev
glede spremembe znanja, odnosa in ravnanja. Študije zajete v pregled
dokazujejo, da imajo praktične izkušnje, ki si jih udeleženci pridobijo tekom
udeležbe na delavnici pomemben pozitiven vpliv na spremembo ravnanja v
povezavi z zagotavljanjem mikrobiološke varnosti živil. Razkrijejo tudi razlike in
Scientific review article
© Inštitut za sanitarno inženirstvo, 201926
omejitve učiteljev gospodinjstva na področju njihove formalne izobrazbe. Razvoj
ustreznih učnih metod in usposabljanje učiteljev za poučevanje mikrobiološke
varnosti živil je eden ključnih korakov za doseganje osveščenih in usposobljenih
bodočih potrošnikov že v času osnovnošolskega izobraževanja.
Ključne besede: varnost živil; izobraževanje; učenci; osnovna šola
INTRODUCTION
Foodstuffs can become a risk for consumers’ health if they are not
handled and treated along the food supply chain in accordance with
food hygiene principles. The food supply chain does not exclude
consumers, but the question is whether consumers are sufficiently
informed to assure food safety at the end of the food supply chain [1, 2].
Redmond and Griffith [3] demonstrated that multiple food safety
responsibilities are held by consumers, because consumers not only
purchase and receive products but also process and provide foods for
themselves and others. They also emphasised that the implementation
of proper food-handling practices can prevent cases of food-borne
disease, and the way in which consumers handle food in the kitchen
affects the risk of pathogen multiplication, cross-contamination to other
products, and the destruction of pathogens via thorough cooking
procedures [3].
Epidemiologic surveillance summaries of food-borne diseases clearly
indicate that consumer behaviours, such as the ingestion of raw/
undercooked foods, and poor hygiene practices are significant
contributors to outbreaks of food-borne diseases [4]. Unusan [5]
reported that people of all ages seem to think they know how to handle
food safely, but their self-reported food-handling behaviours do not
support this confidence. Wilcock et al. [6] demonstrated that, overall,
consumer attitudes towards food safety, in general, differ according to
demographic and socio-economic factors, such as gender, age,
educational level, and economic status. Consumers need to know which
behaviours are most likely to result in illness in order to make decisions
about food handling and consumption behaviours [7], and then need to
be motivated to act on that knowledge as a precondition for behavioural
change [8].
One important perspective is to educate the public about safe food
handling and the preparation of foods through different kinds of
educational models, which emphasise hazardous food handling
techniques and the microbiological causes of food-borne disease.
Education about basic food safety principles is generally emphasised as
an essential factor contributing to the reduction of foodborne illnesses.
As childhood usually coincides with the beginning of meal preparation
experiences [9, 10, 11], it is recognised as a crucial time for developing
food safety knowledge and skills [12, 13]. Once habits are established
during this life period, they tend to be long-lasting and difficult to alter
at later life stages regardless of the level of knowledge [14, 15]. This is
Consumer behaviours, such
as the ingestion of
raw/undercooked foods, and
poor hygiene practices are
significant contributors to
outbreaks of food-borne
diseases.
Consumer attitudes towards
food safety, in general, differ
according to demographic
and socio-economic factors,
such as gender, age,
educational level, and
economic status.
A. Ovca, M. Jevšnik, P. Raspor Challenges and strategies in the education of primary school children related to microbiological food...
International Journal of Sanitary Engineering Research Vol. 13 No. 1/2019 27
significant because children grow up and, as adults, they will continue
to practice food-related behaviours at home as caregivers for family
members or possibly as employees in the food business sector.
As shown by Janacsek et al. [16] the most effective time for learning
new skills is from childhood to early adolescence. This is also true
because children are willing to learn and have fewer previous behaviour
patterns to unlearn, as already summarized by Pivarnik et al. [17].
Lavelle et al. [18] reported that learning cooking skills as a child or a
teenager was positively related to the use of cooking skills, cooking
practices, and cooking attitudes in later life. Food safety education can
easily be incorporated into existing school curricula in courses, such as
home economics or family and consumer science.
The study by Byrd-Bredbenner et al. [19] revealed that most middle
schoolers are interested in food safety based on their positive attitude
toward being healthy and their interest in cooking. However, as further
reported by Ovca et al. [11], a high level of perceived severity and a low
level of perceived vulnerability towards food-related risks are observed
among this age group. In combination with confidence in their skills,
this may diminish their appropriate food safety practices during food
preparation, even in situations in which their knowledge is appropriate.
As further reported by others [11, 20], mothers represent the dominant
sources of knowledge related to food safety (although with selective
impact) and are also highly trusted sources of information. However,
parental influence may be reduced in the future by teachers, peers, and
celebrity chefs [21]. Nevertheless, the possibility that children educated
in an effective way can act as facilitators at home through messages
conveyed to family members should also be considered.
Intervention studies demonstrate a variety in teaching methods with
information provision, demonstrations, and practical hands-on sessions
[19]. The purpose of this review was, therefore, to identify challenges in
the education of primary school children related to microbiological food
safety and to review the type of activities published and evaluated in
the scientific literature targeting primary school children.
METHODS
A literature review focusing on articles related to the education of
primary school children related to microbiological food safety was
conducted in June 2018. A search strategy was implemented in the
following bibliographic databases: Scopus, Web of Sciences, and
PubMed. The search algorithm comprised a targeted combination of
food safety-related terms (food safety, foodhygiene), population terms
(children, student) andeducational terms (education, primary school,
elementary school).
The titles and abstracts of identified publications were screened for
relevance to the scope of the review. Interventions in which food safety
was the sole focus or part of broader nutrition-related intervention were
the only studies of interest. Studies were considered for review if they
The most effective time for
learning new skills is from
childhood to early
adolescence.
Mothers represent the
dominant sources of
knowledge related to food
safety.
A. Ovca, M. Jevšnik, P. RasporChallenges and strategies in the education of primary school children related to microbiological food...
© Inštitut za sanitarno inženirstvo, 201928
contained a food safety-related education intervention for children aged
6 to 15 years; studies that included children outside this age range
were excluded. Titles and abstracts retrieved from database searches
were independently screened by two authors to determine suitability for
review. Relevant publications were then procured as full articles,
confirmed for relevance, and reviewed in detail considering the following
criteria (Type of Activity, Contents, Duration, Number of participants
included, Age of participants and Evaluation procedures).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Challenges
Cognitive development at this stage allows children to proceed from
concrete to abstract thought, meaning that they can consider several
dimensions at once and relate them in a thoughtful and relatively
abstract manner [22]. However, as elaborated by different authors [12,
19], young children have difficulties comprehending i) microorganisms
and their pathogenic effects on the human body, ii) why safe food
handling is important, and iii) how to practice safe food handling. As
further demonstrated by Byrd-Bredbenner et al. [19], children do not
always practice safe food handling because of barriers such as hunger
and the importance of other priorities despite their broad knowledge
base related to safe food handling and information about how to prevent
food poisoning. An additional challenge to the researchers are linguistic
limitations and uncertainty about children’s comprehension of the basic
terms [12]. However, most children older than eleven are mature
enough to participate in surveys if the language is adapted for them
[23].
If children are to be engaged in food safety education, it needs to be
fun, related to real life, and provide opportunities to practice what is
learned [24]. There is evidence that children find practical work
relatively useful and enjoyable in comparison with other teaching
activities [25]. Based on the results further reported by Byrd-
Bredbenner et al. [19], children in the target group wanted food safety
education to be fun, interesting, interactive, and visually intense,
including hands-on learning. They also wanted the educational materials
to be reflective to their lifestyles and habits. Considering the opinions of
food safety experts surveyed by Byrd-Bredbenner et al. [19], food safety
education should be clear, infused into existing educational activities,
presented in a way that makes “it something they want to know,” and
marketed in a way that makes safe food-handling skills an asset.
Although schools are recognized as essential institutions influencing
health-related behaviour [26], home economics as a core subject is
seen as less critical than subjects where parents and other teachers
perceive it as a less important subject that teaches ‘lower-level’ skills
unlike math and science [27]. As further reported by others [28, 29],
there are many barriers cited by primary school teachers to the practical
model of teaching food microbiology. These include limited budgets,
Most children older than
eleven are mature enough to
participate in surveys if the
language is adapted for them.
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International Journal of Sanitary Engineering Research Vol. 13 No. 1/2019 29
poor access to resources, lack of time, lack of equipment and/or
unsuitable classrooms, lack of discipline among students, lack of
interest, the number of pupils in the class, and the inability to do
experimental work with microorganisms. As further demonstrated by
Lange et al. [30], home economics teachers’ didactic choices are
influenced mostly by budget, lesson time, syllabus, and their routines
but also their individual experiences, knowledge and risk perception.
The challenge is linking theory and research and then further linking
them to program planning andevaluation [19]. Finally, we should be
aware that although teaching is essential for pupils’ learning, it is no
guarantee of learning [31].
Strategies to cope with challenges
Reviewed interventions are organized in groups considering the basic
approach researchers have applied (Table 1). Different types of
activities with a wide range regarding the duration and number of
participants are reported. However, the KAP (knowledge, attitude and
practice) model is the most widely used for evaluation purposes.
Workshops
The most frequently applied approach in the reviewed studies (Table 1)
is the workshop. All authors designed specifically tailored 40–90-minute
workshops with the intention of promoting health and influencing the
comprehension of preventive measures targeting food-related risks. The
authors applied mostly cross-sectional pre-test/post-test surveys [10,
32, 33], with the exception of Traversa et al. [34] who observed
participants and their replies to the questions and practical activities
proposed during the workshop. For evaluation purposes, only some of
them applied control group and monitored short-term and long-term
effects among the target population [10, 33].
In the context of food safety, Kim and Lee [32] focused on proper hand-
washing and the recognition of potentially unsafe foods. Ovca et al. [10]
addressed the impact of temperature on microorganisms, the cleaning
of kitchen gear, the removal of bacteria with hand washing, and the
prevention of cross-contamination. Traversa et al. [34] focused on
characteristics and differences among microorganisms in the context of
cooking, storage, and cross-contamination. Cross-contamination was
also addressed in the case of allergens. Zhou et al. [33] focused on
durability (shelf life), food-related incidents, and food product safety.
They were also the only one including gamification (games with an
educational aspects) in the workshop through a prize contest.
We should be aware that
although teaching is essential
for pupils’ learning, it is no
guarantee of learning.
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As reported by Ovca et al. [10], the positive effects of workshops on
knowledge and awareness are mostly of a long-term nature, showing
that simplification of information and communication was on the level
understood by the target group. The improvement after the intervention
was much more significant if substantiated with an experiment or
practical activity in comparison to the measures addressed only orally
during the workshop. Furthermore, Traversa et al. [34] reported that
children enthusiastically engaged with the practical experiences during
the workshops, while Kim and Lee [32], who did not apply practical
activity in which children would be involved, reported minor although
significant improvement of self-reported hand-washing.
Role model
In this group of activities, approaches in which the target group of
children was taking part in different scenarios are combined. In all three
reported cases, novelty played an essential part of the delivery. Pivarnik
et al. [17] developed a programme entitled “Discovering Food Safety –
Table 1. Characteristics of included studies targeting primary school-aged children with food safety-related interventions
Type of Activity Duration
Number of
participants
Age of target
population
Dimensions
evaluated
Reference
Workshop 40 minutes 8370 10–11 Awareness
Self- reported practices
[32]
45 minutes 671 10–12 Knowledge
Susceptibility
Self-reported behaviour
[10]
90 minutes 1708 6–11 Knowledge
Awareness
Practice
[34]
40 minutes 501 10–14 Knowledge
Awareness
Practice
[33]
Role model
(Detectives, Chefs,
Scientists)
6 sessions
(30–60 minutes
each.
561 7–9 Knowledge [38]
3 sessions to
over a year.
86 9–11 Confidence
Behaviour
[35]
3 days 1812 8–18 Knowledge [36]
Health promotion
campaign
two lessons of
two hours each
249 9–11 Knowledge
Understanding
Self-reported behaviour
[12, 29, 37]
Multimedia,self-
paced online
resource
19 days 300 11–14 Knowledge
Attitude
[38]
Long-term
programmes
9 months 856 10–12 Knowledge,
Attitude
Practice
[39]
once a week
within 50–60
minutes duration
(6 months)
112 Elementary
school
Knowledge
Attitude
Practice
[40]
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Detective Mike Robe’s Fantastic Journey” in which students and
detective investigated the “mystery of food safety” to prevent a threat to
food safety at a local carnival. During the programme, interactive and
experiential learning techniques were applied to teach students to
identify food-safety problems during food preparation and storage, to
show them how to prevent potential hazards, and to recognize possible
consequences of foodborne illness. During the delivery of the program,
colouring books, worksheets, hands-on science experiments, a puppet
show, and games designed to reinforce concepts and to evaluate
knowledge gained were applied. The results and evaluations reported
support the suitability of the target group. Analysis revealed a significant
increase of food-safety knowledge.
The sessions with a chef were part of a national programme in the UK
in which professional chefs linked with local primary schools deliver
three sessions to a class covering healthy eating, practical food
preparation, and a visit to a restaurant when possible [35]. The
intervention had an impact on children’s cooking confidence and
motivated children to want to cook more. In particular, the children
enjoyed having a chef delivering the session. However, a large group
size and a small number of sessions left some of the children frustrated,
because there was little opportunity for them to work independently.
Marklinder and Erikkson [36] introduced school-children to a scientific
way of working, putting them into the role of young scientists collecting
the data on refrigerator temperatures in private homes. The students
were instructed to record the air temperature on three different shelves
in the selected refrigerator. At each recording, the best-before date or
expiry date of the existing food items was also recorded.
While Swedish teachers reported that the observational investigation
increased interest and knowledge of date labelling, food hygiene,
refrigerator storage, and food wastage among students [36], some US
teachers preferred to have trained individuals in their classroom to
execute the programme [38]. The limitation of the approach in which
chefs were included is that they were without any formal nutrition or
home economics training raising the issues of the correctness and
consistency of the message they delivered [35].
Health campaign
Faccio et al. [12, 37] and Losasso et al. [29] developed and evaluated a
health campaign addressing the knowledge of foodborne communicable
diseases, and the importance of proper food preparation and storage.
They divided participants into theoretical and practical groups based on
two different teaching approaches and compared pre-treatment and post-
treatment data. They also investigated the potential of drawings in
comparison to questionnaires and interviews as an evaluation approach.
Although both practical and theoretical approaches demonstrate
improvement among the target populations, the practical one was more
tailored to children’s cognitive needs. The authors reported that
students in the practical group represented microorganisms more in the
While Swedish teachers
reported that the
observational investigation
increased interest and
knowledge of date labelling,
food hygiene, refrigerator
storage, and food wastage
among students [36], some
US teachers preferred to
have trained individuals in
their classroom to execute
the programme.
Although both practical and
theoretical approaches
demonstrate improvement
among the target
populations, the practical one
was more tailored to
children’s cognitive needs.
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context in which microorganisms are found and their actions defining
through illustration of the causal linkage between the actions of
microorganisms and the subsequent consequences on people. The
practical group was more informed about hand-washing after touching
raw meat, covering one’s mouth when sneezing, and storing food in the
correct way. Drawings were demonstrated to be an ecological method
adapted to children’s competences and abilities effective in preserving
and stimulating children’s creativity. The authors concluded that
children were able to depict in their drawings all the critical elements
corresponding to the explanations they had received in the programme
[12].
Multimedia
Lynch et al. [38] developed a web-based, interactive, multimedia
program engaging students in learning about food safety through the
use of computers and the Internet. The web application consisted of
animations, videos, games, and quizzes to convey the various food
safety topics. Each lesson was delivered by an animated professor.
Interactive games and activities were based on the material from the
lessons, and students tested their knowledge by taking short quizzes
after completing each module. The evaluation was done through pre-
and post-test assessments.
Teachers and students were excited about using the web-based
program. Although the general difference between the pre-test and
post-test was statistically significant,it was much smaller than expected
by the authors. Detailed analysis revealed that the web application was
not appropriate for the younger grade levels (> 7th grade). The authors
emphasise the major advantage of this approach through the possibility
of meeting the needs of all students, regardless of learning style.
Long-term programmes
Two long-term programmes are also reported in the reviewed literature
(Table 1). Riyanto et el. [40] used bookcovers consisting of materials on
bacteriological and chemical food safety and two 22-minute long
videos. They distributed ten kinds of book covers to each student during
the first week of intervention. The food safety education was given
through book covers every week while videos were given three times
within six months (at the beginning, in the third, and the sixth months
of the intervention). The videos focused on street food practices
(purchasing, reading labels) and food-borne diseases. Shen et al. [39]
applied nutrition and food safety textbooks, taking into account local
characteristics with several issues specifically emphasized, according to
the results of the baseline investigation. During the lectures,
gamification was also applied. Broadcasts and bulletins were used for
educational purposes.
Both research groups applied a pre-test–post-test control group design.
While Riyanto et al. [40] reported assessment done three times (before
the first intervention, after the second intervention, and after the third
Detailed analysis revealed
that the web application was
not appropriate for the
younger grade levels
(> 7th grade).
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intervention, regarding the videos) Shen et al. [38] reported the baseline
and final evaluation.
Riyanto et al. [40] reported that the knowledge, attitudes, and practices
of street food safety improved significantly after six months when the
pre-intervention and post-intervention results were analysed. The
highest improvement was detected in the students’ knowledge regarding
the impact of unsafe street food on health. Shen et al. [39] reported
that the programme improved knowledge and behaviour scores but had
no effect on attitude.
DISCUSSION
The analysed studies (Table 1) with different intervention lengths,
ranging from one school hour to a regular programme over several
months with diverse outcome measurements, makes determining best
practices difficult. Despite differences in delivery, each intervention had
some effect on participants’ knowledge, attitude and/or behaviour. Data
collection methods are mostly on the self-report and recall level.
However, observations [34, 35] or children’s drawings [12] were also
applied for evaluation purposes. As Marklinder and Erikkson [36]
warned, all kinds of measurements of a self-reported nature must be
interpreted with caution.
Studies that compared theoretical and practical educational approaches
unanimously demonstrated that theoretical awareness is not effective
for changing and maintaining appropriate behaviour, whereas
experiences had significant impact [10, 12, 34, 37]. If children can
participate in experiments, they see their participation as an amusing
game, as further discussed by Faccio et al. [12] However, based on
their literature review, Caraher et al. [35] concluded that practical
cooking sessions have a greater impact on the cooking confidence of
older primary school children. Furthermore, improvement of attitude is
frequently evaluated, and improvement is reported [10, 38, 40].
However, as further discussed by Caraher et al. [35], a positive attitude
is essential to achieving changes in behaviour, but the attitude itself
does not necessarily translate into behaviour changes, whereas the
latter is harder to achieve than the former. Self-efficacy, expressed as
the confidence to perform food preparation activities properly, was
examined only in one study [10], in which, despite their recognition that
mistakes during food preparation, potentially leading to health problems,
can be made, participants do not see themselves as a possible cause,
also after intervention. Byrd-Bredbenner et al. [19] suggested that food
safety education should equip primary schoolers with strategies to
overcome barriers that are preventing the implementation of appropriate
food safety practices.
Furthermore, teachers’ perspectives were addressed in the reviewed
studies. The importance of qualified teachers, in addition to quality
curriculum, was demonstrated by Pivarnik et al. [17], in which some
teachers preferred to have trained individuals in their classroom to
execute the intervention programme. Reservations regarding the
If children can participate in
experiments, they see their
participation as an amusing
game.
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pedagogical qualifications of invited chefs were also expressed by
Craher et al. [35]. While Caraher [41] reported a lack of trained home
economists in the UK, Ovca et al. [42] reported differences and
deficiencies in Slovenian home economic teachers’ formal education.
Therefore, teacher education must not be neglected. One purpose of
teacher education must be concerned with the issue of helping them to
develop their understanding of the scientific concepts on which their
teaching is based so that they feel skilled in teaching the concepts to
children. Additionally, policy makers have to set minimum standards
regarding who is qualified to teach food safety topics on all educational
levels.
Most of the reviewed studies are short-term interventions in
40–90-minute workshops, up too few sessions in a certain period. Only
two long-term programmes are described and evaluated in the reviewed
literature [39, 40]. Future school-based initiatives should take the time
component into account as previous research has found an association
between educational exposure and desired behaviour. Despite reports
that food safety contents have been restricted in national curriculums or
moved from compulsory to elective courses [43, 44], as a course,
home economics represents the most suitable vehicle to systematically
address challenges and to implement strategies in the education of
primary school children related to microbiological food safety. Home
economics education (among other courses) emphasizes critical
thinking and holistic approaches [27]. From their qualitative findings,
Brennan et al. [45] suggested that (besides gender and work status)
formal home economics training plays a determining role in domestic
food safety behaviour among adult consumers. Byrd-Bredbenner et al.
[19] recommend a student-centred approach involving youth in the
development and design of the education about food safety. With this
approach, food safety education would have characteristics desired by
youth. The importance of considering children’s views and perceptions
is also emphasised by Lange [46].
It has been shown that the present maintenance of food safety in the
food supply chain can easily break down, because of different kind of
barriers or simple misunderstandings [47, 48]. In the classic food
supply chain strategy, all relevant activities are taken for the benefit of
human beings, but the consumer is located outside the system. The
consumer should be an integral part of food safety systems, because
he/she is a vital link between retail and home. We expected that a well-
informed consumer would start to follow ‘Good Housekeeping Practice’
(GHKP), which is a selection of the principles and techniques of food
storage and preparation at home performed directly by the consumer
[47]. Given the considerable number of food-borne diseases occurring
in domestic food preparation, it is obvious that we do not have GHKP,
and we neglect the fact that the consumer is a crucial link in the food
supply chain. Consumer behaviour and attitudes toward food safety
show that the levels of understanding, motivation and trust need to be
further cultivated.
Policy makers have to set
minimum standards regarding
who is qualified to teach food
safety topics on all
educational levels.
Given the considerable
number of food-borne
diseases occurring in
domestic food preparation, it
is obvious that we do not
have GHKP, and we neglect
the fact that the consumer is
a crucial link in the food
supply chain.
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CONCLUSIONS
Teaching microbiological food safety and building awareness about food
microbiology at the primary level is crucial, because behaviour is more
easily influenced at that stage. Learning about food safety in schools
makes it possible to influence children’s behaviour with systemic
measures; school-based education (on the primary level) in developed
countries generally reaches all social classes. The development of
proper teaching methodologies seems to be the key for the achievement
of aware, confident and skilled students (on the consumer level) during
primary education.
Raspor and Jevšnik [2] emphasised that it should be considered that safe
food is the aim of all; therefore, every misleading act and information
(intentional or unintentional) that could happen in the food supply chain,
in the end, affect consumers. However, the status of food safety is the
result of several factors, not only effective education, starting with a
favourable domestic environment. All the players within food supply
chains and all consumers have to experience proper education at the very
early stage to imprint awareness about microorganisms and their role in
food production, processing, distribution, preparation, and consumption.
This is why we shall permanently improve and adapt teaching techniques
to cope with the state of the art in fast changing societies around the
globe.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Slovenian
Research Agency (research core funding No. P3-0388). The authors
would like to express their gratitude to Terry Jackson for language
corrections.
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