Food Safety Education in Slovenian Primary Schools: Evaluation of an Innovative Learning Approach

Introduction:
Foodborne diseases remain a significant public health concern worldwide, and consumers play an important role in preventing food safety risks. Developing food safety awareness at an early age may contribute to safer food-handling practices later in life. The aim of this study was to assess food safety knowledge among Slovenian lower secondary school students and evaluate the effectiveness of a game-based educational intervention.

Methods:
A structured questionnaire was developed and administered to 1,178 students attending grades 6–9 from primary schools across Slovenia. The survey assessed food safety knowledge, awareness, and information sources. In addition, an educational board game entitled Safe Food – Our Shared Responsibility: From Farm to Fork was developed as an innovative learning tool. The game was tested among students from a selected primary school, and knowledge levels were compared before and after participation in the intervention.

Results:
The findings revealed that students’ food safety knowledge was generally insufficient. Female students demonstrated significantly higher knowledge levels than male students. The results also indicated substantial gaps in understanding food safety principles and preventive practices. Following participation in the educational game, students achieved significantly higher knowledge scores compared with their pre-intervention results. The game-based approach improved students’ understanding of food safety concepts and increased their awareness of safe food handling.

Conclusions:
The study highlights the need for stronger food safety education in primary schools. Game-based learning represents an effective and engaging educational strategy that can significantly improve food safety knowledge among school-aged children. Integrating innovative educational tools into school curricula may contribute to long-term improvements in food safety awareness and behaviour.

Keywords: food safety; food safety education; primary school students; game-based learning; awareness