3.2.1 Understanding of the knowledge, attitude and risk perception of food poisoning prevention.

Majority of the respondents indicated that the FOODAlyzer© app effectively enhanced their understanding of food poisoning prevention in terms of knowledge, attitude and risk perception. The statement “The app helps me understand knowledge regarding food poisoning prevention” had the highest mean score (mean = 4.66, SD = 0.55), followed closely by understanding of attitude (mean = 4.65, SD = 0.50) and risk perception (mean = 4.61, SD = 0.54) towards food poisoning preventions.

Research suggests that improving food safety knowledge positively influences users’ attitude towards food poisoning prevention [28]. Furthermore, the heightened risk perception of food poisoning preventions positively affected with a more positive attitude toward food poisoning prevention measures [29]. To align with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-bring, intervention using 3D visualisation tool have shown promise in enhancing app users’ food safety knowledge and attitudes towards food poisoning prevention [30].

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified concerns about food-related infection risks, as the public initially feared that the virus could be transmitted through food [31]. To address the knowledge-behaviour gap in safe food handling, studies have found that interactive online games are more effective than video-based activities. These online games provide an engaging environment for users to repeatedly practice correct behaviour [32].

3.2.2 Assisting in decision making.

The study results indicated that the app proved advantageous in helping users select quality food premises for dining out or taking away (mean = 4.54, SD = 0.60). FOODAlyzer© app serves as a tracking tool, allowing users to scan QR codes provided by each premise and evaluate its the cleanliness of the premise through food premises rating. The overall cleanliness ratings provided by the app users could be utilised as a tracking tool for diners and local authorities in choosing and monitoring cleanliness of the food premises, respectively [33].

Consumers preference leans towards customised app information that aligns with their values and needs. Key factors influencing the use of digital food apps include clean premises, proper food hygiene, food safety, food freshness, and overall food quality [34]. The advent of industry 4.0 technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, real-time data and big data have been boosting food safety and promoting unique food education campaigns [35,36]. For example, AI-powered apps can assist users to decide better when choosing quality food premises by monitoring food quality, temperature and cleanliness, and ensuring the food handlers adherence to personal protective equipment protocol [36].

3.2.3 Ease of use of the app.

The ease of use of the FOODAlyzer© app was evaluated based on three sub-subjects: learnability, interactiveness and accessibility. The learnability sub-subject had the highest score in which the statement of “The app is easy to learn” had the highest marks (mean = 4.45, SD = 0.69). In term of interactiveness, the statement of “The interaction and navigation through the app is straightforward (intuitive)” (mean = 4.25, SD = 0.82) had a lower total mean score, indicating room for improvement in this area.Followed by “Instructions in the app is easy to follow” (mean = 4.36, SD = 0.75). These results suggest that FOODAlyzer© provides an accessible approach particularly for younger users. But accessibility (mean = 4.24, SD = 0.80) of FOODAlyzer© was the least preferred aspects among respondents with some users reporting unpleasant experiences such as repeated login requirement and refresh issues.

Research indicates that the quality of a website, download speed, and ease of navigation play crucial roles in fostering an image of clean and hygienic food premises [37]. Young adults (18–25 years) preferred to use applications that are reliable, simple and objective [22]. In the food service sector, app user prioritize functions that are easy to use and learn, consistency and simple to understand [34]. Furthermore, user-friendly apps with improved performance positivity influence users’ intentions to continue using and adopting the apps [18,38,39]. Moreover, easily usable apps can enhance learning performance and satisfaction in mobile learning contexts [38].

3.2.4 Satisfaction towards the app.

Improving user satisfaction towards FOODAlyzer© requires enhancing the apps’ loading speed. The statement “The loading speed of the app is fast” (mean = 4.17, SD = 0.87), with an increased number of respondents disagreeing with this assertion. Users reported issues such as inability to refresh the web page, had blank page when logged in, or difficulties logging into the web-based app. These issues likely due to the huge volume of concurrent connection during peak usage periods, affecting apps’ performance [17]. Internet connectivity is also important for maintaining loading speed as weak connection and adverse weather conditions can impact performance [40]. Hence, key factors influencing user satisfaction include information quality, service quality and system quality [37]. Apps that frequently lag, hang or have slow loading speeds between pages can significantly reduce user satisfaction [41].

3.2.5 Subjective quality of the app users.

Subjective quality refers to the app users’ perspectives on the app [42,43]. FOODAlyzer© app users provided positive feedback regarding this subject. In term of two statements for app engagement, the statement “The app is interesting for repeated use” had the highest mean mark (mean = 4.29, SD = 0.71), while the statement “Given the chance, I intend to use FOODAlyzer© App before ordering food and beverages in restaurants” recorded the lowest mean mark (mean = 4.25, SD = 0.68) with 34 respondents (8.1%) choosing “3-Unsure” for this statement. Thus, these results indicated that FOODAlyzer© meets user expectations and motivates them to continue using the apps in the future [37]. Positive and negative dining experiences—such as poor food quality, sanitation and food safety issues—can encourage individuals to voice their concerns. Therefore, by offering a dedicated platform to raise awareness about food safety, FOODAlyzer© can motivate users to remain engaged with the app. The web-based app users’ intention to revisit the apps increased when they felt pleasure and interest, and they could control the specifications of the apps [44]. Engaging apps can also improve app users’ learning performances [38]. Interestingly, while most respondents found FOODAlyzer© app interesting for revisiting, fewer indicated they would practically use it before ordering food. This discrepancy suggests that emotional attachment to the app may be stronger than its practical application.

Users showed a willingness to introduce (mean = 4.26, SD = 0.70) and recommend the app to others (mean = 4.28, SD = 0.69) for general use and (mean = 4.28, SD = 0.61) for restaurant use. These findings highlights the importance of social influence in app adoption and use [45]. Well-designed apps can effectively connect users with trusted individuals in terms of intelligence, awareness, and educational level [18].

3.2.6 Personal innovativeness.

For the respondents’ personal innovativeness in driving them to use FOODAlyzer©, three statements, “I like trying new app” (mean = 4.07, SD = 0.94); “If I heard about newly-introduced app, I would try using it” (mean = 3.98, SD = 0.91) and “I would always be the first to try newly introduced app among my peers” (mean = 3.76, SD = 1.03) scored the lowest marks.

These results showed that while respondents generally enjoy trying a new apps, they are not necessarily early adopters. This finding may be attributed to a preference for more fun, joyful and enjoyable apps [46]. Continuous app use is influenced by user satisfaction, trust, and the absence of space and time restrictions [38]. The personal habits and frequency of app use positively impact the intention to continue using the apps during and even after the pandemic [47]. Thus, the stronger the intention of try new apps, the greater the likelihood of actual adoption [48].

3.4.1 Technical improvements suggested for FOODAlyzer© web-based app.

3.4.1.1 Accessibility and inclusivity of use. Four respondents highlighted the user friendliness across different demographics, such as need for larger fonts, more intuitive icons, and simplified navigation to accommodate users of all ages, particularly the elderly. Furthermore, multilingual access was mentioned by the respondents (n = 4) through adding more language options. The respondents emphasized the importance of inclusivity by incorporating more languages (e.g.,: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil) to reach diverse user groups. Many respondents (n = 18) also suggested device and app platform compatibility improvement in which providing downloadable standalone app. This may due to Gen Z respondents preferred a mobile app downloadable via the App Store instead of web-based browser access, enhancing convenience and accessibility.

“This application may not be suitable to people who are 50 years old and above, because this group of people needs easier and briefer way to access the apps. For example, they may face issue if they want to access YouTube from FOODAlyzer©. Perhaps, old people do not familiar with the apps setting and they are not clear on how to click back to the main page.” (Respondent 179)

“The apps should be bilanguage or given a selection of language.” (Respondent 158)

“Mobile app version from App Store/Play Store is better compared to web-based app. As it is easier to use and access.” (Respondent 105)

Despite more than half of the senior citizens (61.9%) hesitant about internet use due to perceived technological limitations, 81.1% still express interest in receiving health related information through online platform [49]. FOODAlyzer© should also provide multilingual support to accommodate Malaysia’s diverse population, improving accessibility across diverse users’ backgrounds, including different age groups, mother tongues, preferred languages and educational backgrounds. Almost every Malaysian (96.8%) has access to the Internet, and 86.3% download software and apps [49], making FOODAlyzer© available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store would increase user acquisition. These suggest a significant opportunity to design an accessible and inclusive app that bridges technological gaps.

3.4.1.2 Interface design and visual communication. Four respondents had similar concern in app icon clarity and consistency due to confusing ‘+’ icons in Pendidikan section. The participants found that similar-looking icons created confusion while using the app, suggesting the need for unique and clearly labelled icons. In addition, enhancement in visual readability were suggested (n = 5) due to small infographic posters and small font size. Infographics were too small to read on smartphones, undermining food safety educational purposes of the content.

“This app is very good and I would like to suggest that each button that can be clicked on the app should provide a tooltip, a brief info of the button. Thus, it will be easier for the app users to understand.” (Respondent 128)

“Quite confuse when going back to main hall from kitchen because the sign + is the same, maybe can change to others for better experience. The info graphic posters are very small to be read on smartphones, maybe can enlarge it or do some interactive way to educate people.” (Respondent 6)

Thus, clear icons and tooltip guides are essential to help app users understand food safety criteria and accurately rate premise cleanliness. Food safety educational materials, such as posters should be easily navigated through intuitive icons and in lager font size.

3.4.1.3 Interactive and engaging user experience. The respondents (n = 4) were looking for engaging virtual environment, suggesting feedback and review mechanisms on FOODAlyzer© that equipped with comment section and peer reviews. Accessing to other users’ evaluation and providing personal feedback on food premises’ hygiene and sanitation level may enhance transparency evaluation. Secondly, a functional multimedia integration could be integrated by embedded YouTube viewing on FOODAlyzer© app. The respondents (n = 3) commented the issues being redirected to YouTube, interrupting the experience, and hence suggested to embed video playback to retain engagement. To further, one respondent (Respondent 137) suggested actionable feedback for app users by popping up the summary of evaluation results, requesting an instant feedback post-evaluation, such as whether the food premise is suitable for dining, which enhances the engagement between the app and users.

“My suggestion is to list all the restaurants and have a search button to make it easier for users to find and see the cleanliness analysis of a restaurant. You can also add a comment and rating section so that users can more easily look at user satisfaction with the restaurant.” (Respondent 36)

“No need to switch to YouTube to watch the videos, can just use the current app.” (Respondent 7)

“After the user evaluates, the system can inform whether the user is suitable to have meals at the evaluated restaurant based on their evaluation.” (Respondent 137)

Multiple functions and advanced features can attract higher user volume and meet the needs of the users. These apps should integrate purposes of app ranging from creating awareness to offering notice cautions and managing food poisoning issues, unlike current common featured app. The app users were able to engage in food safety educational information when exposed to both cognitive and affective learning structures [50]. Hence, an evidence-based approach is critical to upholding the accuracy of the food safety information conveyed through expert inputs, which boosts FOODAlyzer© as a trusted pioneer app for the users to decide and consume from safe and hygiene food premises [43].

3.4.1.4 Functionality and system performance. System responsiveness and reliability due to app frozen or logged out automatically were highlighted by the respondents (n = 3). When navigating certain features like YouTube videos, users experienced being logged out, indicating app instability that can disrupt the performance of FOODAlyzer©. In addition, the respondents (n = 7) suggested to improve login and evaluation flow by enabling phone number login and faster email verification. A smoother login experience was recommended to increase system performance and to reduce user frustration.

“This app keeps log me out after I click on the YouTube video.” (Respondent 165)

“Change the sign in way from email switch to phone number so it’s easier to log in.” (Respondent 40)

Time-saving while using the apps was the primary factor that affected the app users to keep using the app because time-saving apps could increase the performance of the app and the tendency of the app users to browse the apps [47]. Nevertheless, majority of the app users preferred apps that could respond effectively and focus on user-centred design [43].

3.4.1.5 Interconnectedness with broader food and food safety related ecosystem. One respondent urged for external service integration by linking with “foodpanda” or other delivery platforms. Connecting with food delivery apps could extend the reach of food safety messages in a larger volume of app users. Moreover, alignment with government existing infrastructure (n = 2), such as MySejahtera app which could enhance credibility and adoption of FOODAlyzer©.

“Link with “foodpanda” and other food-delivery services.” (Respondent 76)

“Conduct two-way collaboration with the Malaysian government through the Ministry of Communications to improve this application and promote extensively like MySejahtera application.” (Respondent 88)

Collaboration with local-focused government authorities and science institutions would enhance users’ trust and credibility towards the app [46]. An evidence-based approach is also critical to upholding the accuracy of the food safety information conveyed through expert inputs, which boosts FOODAlyzer© as a trusted pioneer app for the users to decide and consume from safe and hygiene food premises [38].

3.4.2 Food safety education and food premises rating improvements.

3.4.2.1 Enhancing food safety education. Two respondents suggested to initiate targeted educational features for the criteria for clean food premises in ‘Pendidikan’ section by adding important food safety cleanliness criteria to educate both consumers and premise owners, reinforcing behaviour change towards better hygiene practices.

“In my opinion, it may be necessary to add a few more detailed criteria regarding what needs to be in a restaurant to make it of better quality in terms of restaurant cleanliness.” (Respondent 121)

“Hopefully this application will also provide information to food premise owners about the practices that should be taken to maintain food hygiene and cleanliness of the premises.” (Respondent 138)

Internal and external hygiene factors, such as food handlers’ socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and food handling premises could affect hygiene practices of the foodservice premises [51]. Furthermore, poor food safety knowledge level among migrant food handlers in Malaysia highlighted the importance of advocating food safety education among respective group of population [52]. On top of that food safety criteria were not prioritised by consumers when selecting food premises although food safety information is important as a guideline during selecting premises to dine [24].

3.4.2.2 Reward-based user motivation. Gamification and incentives, such as offering interactive quizzes and points on FOODAlyzer© (n = 3) could enhance food safety educational purposes. The respondents (n = 2) also expected promotional benefits like coupons or rebates for frequent raters of the app. This is due to incentivizing evaluations through tangible rewards could encourage repeated app use and consistent feedback contributions.

“Simple quiz and games can be integrated into the app to test users’ understanding of food poisoning prevention subjects.” (Respondent 28).

“Give promotion coupon or money rebate to the person who often rates the restaurant.” (Respondent 50)

Online game-based activity could enhance consumers food safety behaviours and beliefs in which game showed less impact on beliefs among consumers ages 20–30, however, surprisingly it showed better impact for the older age groups [32]. Furthermore, implementation of tablet PC simulation game proved that college students were motivated in learning food safety knowledge [50].

3.4.2.3 Clarity and effectiveness of evaluation tools. One respondent pointed a critical issue of confusion during evaluation intent, ambiguity between self-evaluation and premise evaluation. The respondents were unsure whether they were rating their own perceptions or the premises themselves, signalling a need for clearer instructions for the ‘Penilaian Permis’ questionnaire. Secondly, improvement of questionnaire scale format should be considered by replacing Likert scale with emoticons or descriptive options. Gen Z respondents (n = 10) suggested more intuitive, simplified formats, such as emojis and Yes/No that are easier to interpret and less prone to error. Thirdly, length and complexity of questionnaire with too many and long questions in the questionnaire (n = 11) should be improved to reduce user fatigue, for ease of understanding and to improve completion rates.

“The questions for “Penilaian” section are confusing. The rate is for the shop or for our perspective?” (Respondent 5)

“Instead of scale, maybe can use emoticon icon to show the reaction when evaluate the restaurant.” (Respondent 67)

“Do not use a long sentence for the evaluation part. Using just keyword is better because people usually don’t like to read long sentences.” (Respondent 43)

Although online and offline interventions showed no difference in improving respondents’ food safety and handling knowledge, however the knowledge scores of the respondents declined with increasing in intervention number. This shows that identifying optimum intensity while answering the questionnaire on FoodAlyzer© could reduce the tendency of user fatigue [53]. Combination of diverse learning and evaluation strategies, such as surveying, case-based learning, simulation-based learning, gamification and situated learning could also positively impact knowledge, attitude and behavioural changes of the participants involved [54] (Table 3).

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Table 3. Summary of improvement’s themes and sub-themes descriptions.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333511.t003