Food Safety Knowledge Among Tourism Faculty Undergraduates in Slovenia: Can Social Media Leverage Educational Gaps?

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Education on food safety is vital, especially for future tourism managers undergoing training at universities. This study aims to assess the food safety knowledge of student seniors in the two Slovenian public tourism faculties, compare it with previous European and Southeast European studies, and explore the impact of social media use on food safety knowledge among tourism students. The research method utilised a questionnaire-based approach that surveyed three academic years of students until 2023/2024 from the two Slovenian public tourism faculties. Data analysis involved descriptive and bivariate statistics. The research reveals a notable scarcity of studies investigating students’ food safety knowledge within the EU. The results indicate that the average food safety knowledge score among Slovenian tourism undergraduates was 52.6%, raising serious concerns as it is lower than such scores reported in similar studies outside the EU, in Serbia and in Turkey. Slovenian tourism undergraduates demonstrated low elementary knowledge about personal hygiene and the spread of foodborne diseases. Curricula analysis showed the absence of mandatory hygiene and food safety courses at Slovenian tourism faculties, and most students (64%) recognised the need for food safety knowledge education. The findings suggest that neither students’ work experience in the hospitality industry during their studies (compulsory education at the workplace should be provided for all persons involved in food processing) nor following the food safety information on social media could compensate for the lack of formal education. This study underscores the urgency of introducing a comprehensive food safety curriculum in Slovenian tourism faculties to ensure future managers are equipped with essential food safety knowledge.