Perceptions of Food Service Workers on the Use of Spices in Restaurants in Prishtina

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of food service workers regarding the use of spices in restaurants. Questionnaires were distributed to 100 food service employees in various restaurants across Prishtina. Participants were asked questions about their perceptions of natural and artificial spices. Furthermore, they were requested to respond to questions related to the need for public education and information regarding the use of spices, along with providing demographic information. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS program (Version 14.0 for Windows). The results showed that 66.7% of respondents used both natural and artificial spices, while 33.3% of respondents used only natural spices. Additionally, 69% of respondents reported that they had attempted to increase the use of natural spices. There were significant differences in perceptions and attitudes toward spices according to the type of restaurant (p<0.05). Respondents perceived a need for education on the safety of artificial spices and the production process of natural spices. The findings suggest that education related to the use of artificial spices, as well as cooking methods that utilize natural spices, is necessary to reduce the use of artificial spices in restaurants.