Assessing the Perception of University Students and the Safety of Snack Bar Food in University Neighborhoods

Abstract

Food Safety is a global concern that heavily affects developed and developing countries. Snack bar food is considered one of the most popular consumed foods by young adults, mainly university students. This study aimed to assess, compare, and evaluate the safety of snack bar food catered to university students across two universities in Lebanon, the American University of Beirut (AUB) and Beirut Arab University (BAU), and study the student’s perception in those two universities. The study involved 30 food establishments distributed equally from Bliss Street and Tarik Al Jadedeh. Ninety samples were collected, and 401 surveys were conducted from the two target universities. The surveys showed that peer influence affects BAU students’ decisions while age affects AUB’s consumption decisions. In addition, the living status of students was shown to influence the choice of the students to consume snack bar food significantly in both universities. Regarding the frequency of consumption, only distance influenced AUB students. In contrast, price, safety certificate, quality, taste, reputation, and peer influence were shown to be the most significant factors affecting it. As for non-consumers, AUB students' main influencing factor was the concern for safety while BAU students’ main factor was the hours spent in university. Microbiological results showed that 42% of the samples were contaminated across the AUB (Bliss) area and 31.1% across the BAU (Tarik Al Jadedeh) area. These results show that snack bar food vendors need training to improve food safety practices and that adjusting for the significant factors can affect the students’ consumption. Further guidance and interventions are required to lower contamination levels to safe levels.