The present study aimed to verify the instrument’s reliability and validity for assessing children and adolescents’ risk perception, knowledge, and food safety practices in the school context. Moreover, it aimed to test the hypothesis that both application methods (paper and pencil (PAPI) and online) are valid. The instrument comprised three questionnaires and followed a strict protocol to combine online and PAPI models, resulting in five application forms. The sample consisted of 439 Brazilian students from 10 to 14 years old (y/o). The results related to reliability and validity indicated that the knowledge questionnaire presented adequate stability and discriminant validity coefficients. The self-reported practices questionnaire obtained acceptable coefficients of stability and internal consistency. Regarding risk perception data, it was observed that students attribute a low probability of Foodborne Diseases (FBD) outbreaks occurrence and low severity of possible symptoms. In addition, students demonstrated insufficient knowledge and inadequate practices on issues related to failures associated with the time and temperature of preparation, storage, and exposure of food, contamination of food, and consumption of unsafe food. In this context, the reproducibility and validity indices need to be interpreted and discussed correctly, and young people in food safety actions are a priority in facing FBD.

In the fight against foodborne diseases, expanding access to information for different groups is needed. In this aspect, it is crucial to evaluate the target audience’s particularities. This study constructed and validated an instrument containing three questionnaires to identify the level of knowledge, practices, and risk perception of food safety by low-income students between 11 and 14 years old. The following steps were used: systematic search of the databases; conducting and analyzing focus groups; questionnaires development; and questionnaires analysis. After two judges’ rounds, the final version was reached with 11 knowledge items, 11 practice items, and five risk perception items. The content validation index values were higher than 0.80. The adopted methodology considered the students’ understanding and perceptions, as well the appropriate language to be used. Besides, it allowed the development of questionnaires that directly and straightforwardly covers the rules set by the World Health Organization for foodborne disease control called Five Keys to Safer Food (keep clean; separate raw and cooked; cook thoroughly; keep food at safe temperatures; and use safe water and raw materials). Its use can result in a diagnosis for elaborating educational proposals and other actions against foodborne illness in the most vulnerable population.

In the last decade, we have seen a substantial increase in the development and use of mobile technology to improve diet and healthy eating behaviors. Objective: To describe the characteristics of nutrition and diet apps before and after the COVID-19 pandemic available in Brazil. Methods: Nutrition and diet apps were identified using the official Apple and Google stores. The search occurred in January 2020 and May 2022 in Brazil. We extracted the nutritional content and standard indicators (e.g., being developed before or after 2020, number of languages, target population, investment, prices, seller, number of reviews and downloads, consumer rating). Results: 280 apps were launched before and 411 during the COVID-19 period. Most apps were available in at least ten languages (96.6%), with no indication of age (95.6%) or partial or full cost (59%). As for the contents, 18.9% addressed personal diet suggestions; 73.4%, nutritional education; 48.8%, revenues; 35.9%, physical activity with a nutritional guide; 2.3%, nutritional recommendation for eating out; 23.9%, grocery shopping with a scan code; 32.4%, food diary; 18.9%, water intake; and 4.6%, nutrition/diseases. The data show an evolution that may have been boosted by the pandemic and that reveals a trend towards the development of apps with educational content. Conclusion: During the pandemic, there was a positive qualitative and quantitative movement in e-health regarding the promotion of education.

This study assessed raw vegetable sanitizing in Brazilian schools and identified barriers to standards. This experimental and quantitative study was conducted in 12 school food services in the Federal District (Brazil) public primary education institutions. Microbiological analyses were conducted with vegetable samples (before and after sanitizing) and water used in the sanitization process, collected before the process. The Petrifilm^®E. coli/Coliform Count Plates and COLIlert methods were used to evaluate vegetables and water samples, and a checklist of good practices was applied in each school food service to identify barriers to proper sanitization. Thirty-five samples of raw vegetables were offered to students, 32 samples of water, and 17 hygiene processes were evaluated. The results indicate that 76.5% (n = 13) of hygiene processes were considered unsatisfactory, with an average increase of 5.8 log CFU g⁻¹ (DV = 7.4) in the initial microbial load in 47.1% (n = 8) of the evaluated processes; moreover, 33.3% (n = 6) of the samples exceeded the tolerable limit, with an average value above 1.5 × 10³ CFU/g. Attention to food handler training and necessary organizational changes is essential to ensure safe food and promote healthy student eating habits, highlighting the importance of strengthening basic hygiene practices and following the parameters for sanitizing vegetables.