Girls were more knowledgeable about food safety than boys, mainly because they were more worried about their body image and more interested in environmental issues. Media Mr Coulson believes greater awareness about the dangers of additives, pesticides and BSE is due to media coverage and particularly to parental worries. He thinks his research has big implications for education. A lot needs to be done. It is known that beliefs held for a long time are resistant to change.
Education needs to ensure young people are getting a balanced view about food safety.
His research found that teenagers and people under 24 had a dual approach to the media. However, they also looked to it as a main source of information. Mr Coulson called for further research into whether children's increased awareness made them more picky about the food they ate. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.