A research published by the American Dairy Science Association and Elsevier found that when consumers are taught about dairy nutrition, they purchase and eat more dairy products such as cheese, ice cream, milk, and yogurt. The study was divided into three phases: a screening survey, nominal focus groups, and a follow-up survey with voluntary adult participants.
The research included 4,542 participants who filled out a 15-question screening survey. After the screening survey was completed, 195 individuals were assigned to nominal focus groups based on their interest, absence of food allergies, and reported dairy intake of fewer than three servings per day. Four infographics were created to assist participants learn about food labels and dairy concepts, including nutrition data panels, lactose maldigestion, nine key nutrients, and prebiotics and probiotics.
During the nominal focus groups phase, facilitators gave participants a pre-survey, then guided them through the graphical lesson before giving an ice cream acceptance test. Participants were given one of four combinations of scripted instructional messages and infographics. Following the ice cream test, participants were given a post-survey, followed by another one month later.
The study’s findings revealed that attending notional focus groups had a substantial and beneficial influence on dairy product purchase and consumption between the pre-survey and the one-month follow-up survey. The average weekly purchase of dairy products has climbed by 26% to 4.4 servings. The average intake of each dairy product also increased: 23% for cheese, 20% for ice cream, 26% for yogurt, and a stunning 53% for milk. Overall, participants consumed eight servings of dairy per week, a 35% increase.
However, the study team emphasized the significance of future research to better understand the long-term effects of education on dairy consumption and whether modifications to educational materials or delivery might increase their effectiveness. Overall, this research shows that well prepared educational messages on the advantages and nutritional properties of dairy foods may favorably affect consumer behavior, resulting in higher dairy product purchases and consumption.
