Food Safety Knowledge, Attitude, and Hygiene Practices among Veterinary Medicine Students in Shiraz University, Iran

Background: Global occurrence of foodborne illnesses is of public health importance in both developed and developing countries. This study aimed to assess the food safety knowledge, attitude, and hygiene practices (KAP) among veterinary medicine students in Shiraz University. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2017 using structured questionnaires on food safety KAP. Data were collected from 210 undergraduate veterinary medicine students from the Shiraz University, Iran. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA at the significant level of 0.05 by SPSS version 24. Results: The mean scores of KAP of students were 12.05 ± 1.46, 58.67 ± 15.09, and 49.32 ± 18.19, respectively. Results revealed that various age categories and years of education were significantly different from the mean score of knowledge. Conclusion: Regarding the food safety, the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of students were moderate. So, it is necessary to raise the knowledge, change the attitudes, and promote the food safety practices of students.