Impact of Food Safety Education and Information Sources on Female Students’ Perception of Food Additives and on Product Prices with Additive-Free Labeling

Food additives are essential for food preservation and quality; however, consumers often perceive them as a potential health risk. The aim of this study was to investigate how educational background and information sources affect perceptions of food additive safety among female students, and to examine the relationship between additive use and product prices. A questionnaire survey was administered to 274 junior high school students, 145 high school students, 96 university freshmen who had not attended specialized lectures, and 137 university students who had attended such lectures. Additionally, 76 pairs of commercial food products were analyzed to compare the prices between those with and without food additives. More than 80% of the respondents expressed interest in food safety, and awareness of food additives was high across all groups, particularly for sweeteners, colorants, and preservatives. Students who had attended food safety lectures were significantly more likely to perceive additives as safe. The main sources of information differed by educational background: school education was the primary source among students who had attended lectures, the internet and social media were most common among those without specialized lectures, and parents and television were the predominant sources of information for junior high and high school students. Products without additives were, on average, 1.6 times more expensive than those with additives, and no price differences were observed across additive types. These findings suggest that specialized food safety education reduces excessive concerns about food additives, whereas "additive-free" labeling contributes to higher product prices by enhancing their perceived value.