Food Safety Knowledge and Foodborne Pathogen Awareness Among Food Truck Customers

Food trucks (FTs) are becoming increasingly popular in Saudi Arabia. However, inadequate food safety practices and limited consumer awareness of foodborne pathogens may increase the risk of foodborne illnesses associated with consumption from FTs. Therefore, we assessed consumer knowledge, attitudes, associations with sociodemographic characteristics, and dietary patterns among FT customers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia, between March to October 2025. An online questionnaire was completed by 500 adults covering sociodemographic characteristics, food safety knowledge, attitudes, pathogen awareness, and dietary intake. Data were analyzed using the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and linear regression. The mean scores for awareness, knowledge, and attitudes were 16.7 ± 3.8, 14.7 ± 3.3, and 30.8 ± 5.3, respectively. Women had considerably higher knowledge and awareness scores than men (p < 0.0001). Significant correlations were found between food safety knowledge and attitude scores (r = 0.531, p < 0.001), food safety knowledge and awareness scores (r = 0.633, p < 0.001), and attitude and awareness scores (r = 0.429, p < 0.001). A trend toward high fruit consumption was observed among participants with high knowledge and awareness scores. These findings highlight the need for targeted consumer education to improve pathogen awareness among FT customers.