Food additives are substances that are added to food during its production or processing in order to achieve certain goals or improve certain sensory properties, such as extending shelf life, improving taste, color or texture, and achieving other sensory properties. Additives can be natural or synthetic and are used in different types of food and beverages. The aim of this research was to examine the attitudes and opinions of students at the University of Rijeka about food additives, what their knowledge is about additives, whether they are concerned about the possible harmful effects of additives on health, and to determine the correlation between the gender of the respondents and their attitudes towards food additives. The research was conducted through an online questionnaire in the period from May to July 2023, and 101 students from the University of Rijeka participated, 74 women and 27 men. The results of the survey showed that students, predominantly women, believe that the health risks of synthetic additives in consumer products outweigh the benefits. Students are worried about the development of chronic diseases and are very worried about getting serious diseases (e.g. cancer). In general, students are concerned about their health, but at the same time, especially women, believe that they do not do everything they can to avoid contact with additives in their everyday lives, and food additives do not scare them. The results also showed that the students of the University of Rijeka are not sufficiently familiar with basic toxicological terms and regulations. Adequate information and education are essential for promoting healthy eating habits, health protection and better longevity.