Perceptions of Food Safety and Curricular Offerings1

Students in an introductory microeconomics course were surveyed to determine their level of awareness of what comprises the field of food safety, a university's food safety program and the demand for food safety graduates and their level of interest in learning more about a degree in food safety. There was considerable ignorance among student respondents about the availability of a food safety degree and diversity of thought regarding potential courses required for the degree. The students were surprisingly accurate in their top-of-mind definitions of food safety. Just under one-third of respondents mentioned each of the key areas of procedures/processes to ensure safety of food, food properly prepared and processed and food free of disease/contamination. Respondents in general were not interested in learning more about a degree in food safety. Nor were they particularly well versed in potential careers, with many respondents mentioning jobs that in general do not require post-secondary education and would generally include firm-sponsored on-the-job training. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]