Open AccessConsumers’ Level of Awareness and Safety Perceptions of Food Additives
Author(s) -
Badrah S. Alghamdi,
Ghidah Z Altabsh,
Alaa Al-Deibani,
Rahaf Almuhanna,
Shahlaa Gari,
Nusaiba Khayyat
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of pharmaceutical research international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2456-9119
DOI - 10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i60b34792
Subject(s) - perception , inclusion (mineral) , environmental health , psychology , cross sectional study , food products , medicine , food science , social psychology , chemistry , pathology , neuroscience
Aims: We aimed to measure the prevalence of Jeddah residents’ knowledge and their awareness of these ingredients.
Study Design: A cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study conducted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during 2019.
Methodology: This study was cross-sectional via an electronic survey that was handed out, and 676 of 868 respondents fit the inclusion criteria: all individuals were eighteen and above in addition to residing in Jeddah in 2019. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 21. Pearson's chi-square was used to test association.
Results: The results showed that 63.5% of consumers needed more information about food additives. About 80.5% were familiar with preservatives which, in their opinion, were the most disconcerting food additives. Moreover, 37.2% desired easier and accurate labels to gain a better understanding of this topic, while 43.6% said that the most acceptable idea for disseminating information about food additives to the public was by animation in independent display areas.
Conclusion: The study’s findings are examined in terms of the implications for future research and for the development of concrete communication materials to improve food additive awareness in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The level of knowledge was low. Further studies are needed to be done in Saudi Arabia about this topic.