Recognition of Elementary School Students for The Country-of-Origin Labeling at School Foodservice in Seoul

Kim, So Yeon; Park, Sanghyun; Joo, Nami

Abstract

This study was conducted to offer basic data that give effective ways to inform the country-of-origin labeling, where the ingredients they are serving are from, at school foodservice and to reconsider the importance of the labeling origin based on the survey by the elementary school students. 96.0% of the elementary school students agreed to the regulation about the country-of-origin labeling and the older students were influenced more by media and also supported the labeling. About the tendency of ingesting food from the country the students didn't like, 69% of them disagreed to eat. In the ways to label the country-of-origin labeling at school foodservice, elementary school students recognized easily the indication of origin designed by menu items, letter type. 76% of elementary school students checked the country-of-origin labeling posted at restaurants. When the students eat out, 68% of them were unwilling to have the food using the ingredients from the country they don't like. The country-of-origin for main ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken and other meat products, rice, kimchi had high importance scores. We found that the students think about the country-of-origin for main ingredients is important. Consequently, education and public relations of the country-of-origin labeling for elementary school students would be required.