Plant-based dairy alternative beverage sales have increased in recent years. Plant-based dairy alternatives often advertise on a platform of sustainability and environmental commitment. To ...successfully position and market dairy products in this competitive environment, dairy companies must understand the consumer definition of and importance placed on sustainability, as well as communicate sustainability information effectively. The objective of this study was to characterize consumer perception of the sustainability of milk and dried dairy ingredients and their respective plant-based alternatives. Focus groups and 2 online surveys were conducted. In the first survey, maximum difference scaling was used to rank the importance of specific dairy product attributes to sustainability, along with an exercise in which respondents selected whether a fluid milk or protein powder product was sustainable. A follow-up survey included 2 exercises in which respondents selected whether generic dairy products or dried dairy ingredients were sustainable, natural, healthy, trustworthy, or ethical. Over half of dairy product consumers reported that they looked for sustainability-related information. Consumers who purchased both plant-based dairy alternative and dairy products placed a higher self-reported importance on sustainability than those who purchased dairy products only. Focus group and survey maximum difference scaling results identified 5 key attributes for sustainability: minimal carbon footprint/greenhouse gas emissions, few/no preservatives, animal happiness and welfare, and simple/minimal ingredients. Plant-based dairy alternatives followed by fluid milk and protein powders were considered more sustainable than dairy products, but package type and organic status also played a role in consumer sustainability perception. Product labels were the most common source of sustainability information, although consumers also sought information on websites affiliated and unaffiliated with dairy companies. There was cognitive overlap among the terms sustainable, natural, healthy, ethical, and trustworthy as they relate to dairy products, but consumers used the terms distinctly. Consumers perceived differences in these terms between general categories of dairy as well as among products in a specific dairy category. Dairy companies may be able to differentiate themselves by helping consumers make these choices by simplifying sustainability-related messaging and by maintaining open, transparent communication regarding sustainability.
Consumer definitions of sustainability are largely uninformed by scientific research and may not align with industry definitions. Furthermore, consumers themselves have varied perceptions, ...definitions, and opinions of sustainability that vary between categories and products within the dairy category. Understanding these differences and developing marketing messaging aligned with consumer sustainability definitions offer an advantage to dairy product producers when strategically positioning their products in a changing marketplace. This review outlines the factors that may affect consumer sustainability perceptions to provide a basis for future marketing and scientific work. Consumer trends and desires for sustainability are explored, including how they are reflected in the rapid growth of plant-based alternatives. Factors that may influence consumer perception of dairy as sustainable are covered in detail, including packaging, labeling, animal welfare, organic status, grass-fed or pasture-raised feeding systems, and local and clean label perceptions. Finally, a discussion of the challenges of marketing dairy foods with sustainability messages is addressed.
Ultrafiltration and microfiltration are 2 types of membrane filtration commonly used by the dairy industry. Filtered milk products are becoming increasingly common, but there is concern that ...consumers unfamiliar with these processing methods may form negative uninformed perceptions of cheeses made with these milks. There are many studies that address the chemical and physical properties of cheeses made with filtered milk, but, to our knowledge, there are none that address consumer perception of these products. Similarly, ultrapasteurization is becoming more common for US dairy products. Although previous work has characterized consumer liking of ultrapasteurized milks, few have investigated understanding and perception of this process. The objective of this study was to explore consumer understanding of milk processing and constituents, particularly as it relates to milk used as an ingredient in cheese. To achieve this goal, we investigated the following 4 questions: (1) Does the average dairy product consumer understand the basic ingredients and nutrients in fluid milk and cultured dairy products? (2) Does the average dairy product consumer understand the basic processes for fluid milk and cultured dairy products? (3) Do different processes affect consumer perception or purchase intent? (4) Does explaining a process change consumer understanding of, beliefs about, and purchase intent for dairy products? Qualitative interviews (n = 54) and an online survey (n = 1,210) were conducted with dairy product consumers. Survey responses paralleled those from one-on-one interviews. The average dairy product consumer could recall key words related to dairy processing, composition, nutrients, and ingredients, but was largely unfamiliar with these subjects. Highly educated and older consumers were more likely to have a better understanding of dairy composition and nutrition, particularly lactose content of milk and Cheddar cheese and the source of fluid whey and whey protein. Processing-related descriptors (e.g., ultrapasteurized or ultrafiltered) in ingredient statements were likely to be overlooked on labels (especially for familiar products), as just 34% of dairy product consumers read the labels on dairy products often or always before purchase. The majority (>80%) of dairy product consumers were unfamiliar with ultrafiltered or microfiltered milk, but uninformed perceptions were generally positive. Consumers unfamiliar with processing methods were likely to assume those methods increase the price of a dairy product. For the majority of consumers, purchase intent for fluid milk and cultured dairy products was not affected when nonconventional processing terms such as ultrafiltered or microfiltered were included in the ingredients statement. This effect was consistent for fluid milk and Cheddar cheeses but not for cottage cheese, suggesting the possibility of product-specific effects. Providing respondents with a definition of filtration increased consumer understanding of, positive beliefs about, and purchase intent for fluid filtered milk and cheese made with filtered milk. Educating consumers through on-package labeling and other marketing messaging should be investigated for dairy products that incorporate processes such as ultrapasteurization or filtration.
A 100-Year Review: Sensory analysis of milk Schiano, A.N.; Harwood, W.S.; Drake, M.A.
Journal of dairy science,
December 2017, 2017-Dec, 2017-12-00, 20171201, Letnik:
100, Številka:
12
Journal Article
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Evaluation of the sensory characteristics of food products has been, and will continue to be, the ultimate method for evaluating product quality. Sensory quality is a parameter that can be evaluated ...only by humans and consists of a series of tests or tools that can be applied objectively or subjectively within the constructs of carefully selected testing procedures and parameters. Depending on the chosen test, evaluators are able to probe areas of interest that are intrinsic product attributes (e.g., flavor profiles and off-flavors) as well as extrinsic measures (e.g., market penetration and consumer perception). This review outlines the literature pertaining to relevant testing procedures and studies of the history of sensory analysis of fluid milk. In addition, evaluation methods outside of traditional sensory techniques and future outlooks on the subject of sensory analysis of fluid milk are explored and presented.
Dairy product consumption is motivated by both familiarity and habit. Milk consumption decreases with age, but milk consumption during childhood and adolescence increases the chances of lifetime milk ...consumption. Understanding how parents perceive dairy milk and other dairy foods further enables development of dairy-positive messaging that aligns with their perceptions. The objective of this research was to understand parent belief systems around fluid dairy milk and plant-based alternatives (PBA). This goal was accomplished by assessing parents' implicit attitudes toward dairy milk and PBA with an implicit bias exercise (n = 331), followed by qualitative interviews to understand explicitly stated purchase motivations and guided recall of information heard about dairy milk and PBA to better understand external influences on milk perception (n = 88). The majority of parents (73.4%) implicitly associated dairy milk with positive attributes compared with those with a positive association with PBA (13.8%) or with a neutral bias (12.7%). The stronger a parent's implicit bias toward PBA, the more likely they were to purchase these products either alongside or as a replacement for dairy milk. Eighty-five percent of parents in our study could recall drinking milk at home as a child, and 58% remembered encouragement from their parents to drink milk. However, only 38% encouraged their own children to drink milk (the majority, 55%, were neutral toward their children's milk consumption). Generally negative media messaging toward dairy milk and positive messaging toward PBA may contribute to this trend, even if consumers are not explicitly aware of their perception changes. Seventy-seven percent of parents felt generally confident in choosing dairy milk or PBA for their children. However, only 26% of parents felt that nothing about dairy milk or PBA information or messaging was confusing. Sources of uncertainty about dairy milk included hormones and antibiotics, animal welfare, ecological sustainability, potential contamination, and intolerances or allergies. By addressing the most commonly encountered and recalled concerns about milk from parents, dairy producers may be able to increase trust and implicit bias toward dairy milk compared with PBA.
The consumption of ice cream and frozen desserts in the “better-for-you” (BFY) category has grown rapidly over the past few years, even as traditional ice cream sales remain stagnant. To better ...understand consumer preferences within the BFY category, an online survey (n = 1,051) was conducted with ice cream and frozen dessert consumers, followed by consumer acceptance testing of commercial BFY frozen dairy desserts. Consumers of BFY frozen desserts (n = 578) completed an adaptive choice-based conjoint survey and MaxDiff exercise to identify the attributes that drive purchase of BFY frozen desserts. MaxDiff exercises were also used to determine which attributes all frozen dessert consumers (n = 1,051) perceived to make a frozen dessert BFY and which stabilizers or emulsifiers were most attractive on an ice cream or frozen dessert label. Subsequently, a consumer acceptance test (n = 186) was conducted using 4 commercial vanilla-flavored frozen dairy desserts made with different sweetening systems (sugar, sucralose + acesulfame K, monk fruit + allulose, and stevia + erythritol). Half of consumers were primed or informed with the sweeteners and basic nutritional information for the frozen desserts before tasting, and the other half of consumers evaluated samples blinded, where they were only informed that they were tasting a vanilla-flavored frozen dessert. Sweetener type and base (dairy vs. plant) were the most important attributes to BFY consumers when selecting a BFY frozen dessert (n = 578). For all ice cream and BFY dessert consumers (n = 1,051), sweetener-related claims (naturally sweetened, reduced sugar, no added sugar), along with “all natural” and a short ingredient list, were the top attributes that contributed to perception of a “healthier” frozen dessert. When BFY frozen desserts were tasted by consumers, purchase intent decreased after tasting, suggesting that frozen desserts made with natural non-nutritive sweeteners did not meet consumer expectations. Flavor of BFY frozen desserts remains more important than perceived healthiness. Consumers perceive frozen desserts, even those in the BFY category, as an indulgence. Frozen dessert manufacturers should focus on naturally sweetened, dairy-based desserts with minimal sweetener-related flavor defects when designing products for the BFY category.
Conscious consumerism is growing, along with consumer demand for socially conscious dairy products or dairy alternatives. To successfully position dairy products (especially conventional dairy) in ...this changing marketplace, dairy producers and processors must understand how to strategically use both on- and off-package messaging aligned with consumer perceptions. However, consumer perception of attributes such as sustainable, natural, and healthy is complex, and varies between product categories as well as among products within a category. The objective of this study was to characterize consumer definitions of the terms “sustainable,” “natural,” and “healthy” as they pertain to dried dairy ingredients. To meet this objective, we conducted an online survey with 3 maximum difference scaling exercises to determine the importance of 63 label claims to consumer definitions of the terms sustainable, natural, and healthy. The role of priming with dried ingredient processing information on consumer perception of these terms was also explored. Within the dried dairy ingredients category, there is extensive cognitive overlap between the terms sustainable, natural, and healthy. Priming did not affect consumer definitions of any of these terms. Certification-related claims were considered among the least important claims for consumer definitions of sustainable, natural, and healthy, whereas claims that were simple to read and visualize were considered among the most important. Claims related to animal welfare and happiness or simple, minimal ingredients and processing were considered by consumers to be important for all 3 terms. For each of these terms, there was a cluster of consumers who defined the term primarily by simple ingredients and minimal processing, and another cluster who defined the term primarily by happy cows and conscious farming practices. The terms sustainable and healthy each had a third, unique consumer cluster. This third definition cluster defined sustainability primarily by environmental effects, whereas this cluster defined healthy primarily in fitness and nutrition terms. Age and to a lesser extent, gender, affected importance placed on these 3 terms and also affected definition of the term. Understanding these consumer definitions provides insight on how to formulate marketing and educational messaging to speak to each consumer segment.
This study established attractive attributes and drivers of purchase for prepackaged Cheddar cheese shreds. Seven focus groups of Cheddar cheese shred consumers (n = 61) were conducted to probe ...consumer beliefs regarding packaging, ingredients, label claims, and applications of prepackaged Cheddar cheese shreds. Subsequently, an online survey was developed utilizing the key attributes from the focus groups. The survey (n = 1,288) included maximum difference scaling, Kano questions, and adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis. Additionally, 9 different commercial Cheddar cheese shreds varying in color, shred thickness, brand, and price were selected for a follow-up qualitative multivariate analysis to gain further consumer insight on attribute importance. Consumers (n = 13) were provided with commercial packages of shreds to evaluate over a 4-week period. Consumers journaled their likes and dislikes after use of each cheese shred and subsequently participated in a final 2.5-h focus group and projective mapping exercise. Consumers placed highest importance on price, followed by nutrition claims, color, sharpness, thickness, and label claims. Four consumer clusters were identified from conjoint utility scores. One consumer cluster exhibited preference for value-added features such as nutrition claims and brand, and another consumer cluster placed importance on shred color, whereas the other 2 groups were driven primarily by price. The qualitative multivariate analysis results confirmed the focus group and survey results: meltability, orange color, lack of clumps, ability to reseal the bag, and desirable “Cheddar” flavor were also preferred Cheddar shred qualities.
Drivers of liking for Cheddar cheese shreds Meals, S.E.; Schiano, A.N.; Drake, M.A.
Journal of dairy science,
March 2020, 2020-Mar, 2020-03-00, 20200301, Letnik:
103, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
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The prepackaged cheese shred category has steadily increased over the past few years, and Cheddar shreds represent the highest volume in this category. Recent studies have established extrinsic ...attributes that drive purchase in this category, but no published studies have addressed the intrinsic flavor and texture properties that drive consumer liking. The objective of this study was to determine the desirable flavor and functional attributes for Cheddar cheese shreds. We conducted a category survey of commercial Cheddar cheese shreds (n = 25, collected in duplicate). We documented sensory properties (shred appearance, flavor, texture, and hot texture) using a trained sensory panel. Analytical instrumental tests performed included shred-size distribution, proximate analysis, sugars (lactose, glucose, galactose), lactic acid, Cheddar meltability, pH, and color. Then, representative shreds (n = 10) were evaluated by cheese shred consumers (n = 151) for overall, appearance, flavor, and texture liking. Analysis of variance, principal component analysis, and external preference mapping were used to interpret results. Shreds were differentiated by color, whey, diacetyl, sulfur, nutty, and brothy flavors, as well as by hot and cold texture attributes and instrumental tests. Mild or medium shreds exhibited greater firmness, stretchability, and elasticity when hot than did sharp shreds. We identified 3 consumer clusters, defined by high acceptance for all Cheddar shreds or preferences for sharp or mild shreds. Bitterness was an overall driver of dislike. Visible powder negatively affected appearance and overall liking for some consumers. Sensory properties strongly affected consumer acceptance and purchase intent for Cheddar cheese shreds. Results from this study can be used to optimize the intrinsic sensory properties of Cheddar cheese shreds.
Off-flavors in milk related to light oxidation form due to photoxidation of native riboflavin and tetrapyrroles, resulting in an array of lipid oxidation compounds. Recent work has established that ...fortification with water-dispersible vitamin A can result in off-flavors in fluid skim milk caused by vitamin A degradation products in the vitamin premix. The objective of this study was to determine the role of vitamin fortification on light oxidation of high temperature, short time pasteurized fluid skim milk. First, the aroma profiles and aroma-active volatile compounds in light-exposed vitamin premixes were determined by exposing the premixes to fluorescent (FL) or light-emitting diode (LED) light at 2,000 lx at 4°C for 0, 2, 4, 8, or 24 h. A trained panel (n = 6) documented aroma profiles of each vitamin premix at each time point. Headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-olfactometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were performed to characterize aroma-active compounds in light-exposed vitamin premixes. In the second experiment, commercial vitamin premixes (vitamin A and vitamin D in oil and water matrices) were used to fortify skim milk (vitamin A: 3,000 IU/946 mL; vitamin D: 600 IU/946 mL). Skim milk was pasteurized, homogenized, and packaged in 946-mL high-density polyethylene jugs. Milks were exposed to FL or LED light at 2,000 lx at 4°C for 4, 12, 24, or 48 h. Controls with and without vitamins and light shielding were included. Riboflavin and vitamin A and D degradation were quantified via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. A trained panel (n = 8) documented sensory profiles of milks at each time point. Lipid oxidation volatile compounds were quantified via solid-phase microextraction with GC-MS. Vitamin degradation volatile compounds were quantified via solvent-assisted sorptive stir bar extraction with GC-MS. Riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin D degradation were consistent with that reported in previous studies. We found no effect of vitamin fortification on development of typical light oxidation–related off-flavors (cardboard and mushroom) or lipid oxidation–related volatiles (hexanal and heptanal). A perfumey/floral flavor was documented in the oil-based vitamin A-fortified milk, suggesting that light exposure affected the off-flavors contributed by water- versus oil-based vitamin fortification. These results show no evidence that vitamin fortification at current levels provides any protection against light oxidation–related off-flavors in fluid milk.
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