Consumer perceptions of food additives play a significant role in shaping food choices and the acceptance of modern food technologies. This study examined factors associated with concern about food additives in a nationally representative sample of Slovenian consumers (N = 705). Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey and analysed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, regression analysis, cluster analysis, and correlation analysis. The overall level of concern was moderate to relatively high (M = 3.77, SD = 0.79, on a five-point scale). In the baseline model, trust in government institutions was the strongest predictor of concern (β = −0.403, p < 0.001), followed by perceived knowledge (β = −0.139, p < 0.001) and age (β = 0.144, p < 0.001), while education was negatively associated with concern (β = −0.089, p = 0.022). The extended model explained 35.8% of the variance, with health-oriented attitudes emerging as the strongest positive predictor (β = 0.377, p < 0.001), alongside trust (β = −0.323, p < 0.001) and perceived knowledge (β = −0.154, p < 0.001). Concern was positively associated with avoidance of food additives (r = 0.423, p < 0.001), food label use, organic food choice, and preference for locally produced foods. Cluster analysis identified three consumer segments, with the largest group (62.5%) characterised by above-average levels of concern, perceived knowledge, and trust. Overall, the findings show that consumer concern about food additives is shaped by trust, perceived knowledge, and health-oriented attitudes, and is reflected in additive avoidance, label use, and preferences for organic and locally produced foods.
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