Abstract
Consumer complaints about food products have increased over the past decade due, in part, to consumer error in the preparation of products. Although the food industry assumes that consumers are knowledgeable about food preparation at all stages ranging from purchasing to preparation to storage, little is known about consumers' actual knowledge. The study reported here assessed young adults' food preparation knowledge as well as examined their confidence in their food preparation abilities. Guidelines, based on the findings, are proposed for writing food preparation instructions that have the potential to minimize consumer error and subsequent complaints.