Household consumption preferences of dairy products and their perceptions of milk safety

Abstract

The study investigated consumer perceptions of milk safety and consumption preferences of dairy products. Households randomly selected from urban areas (n = 135) and non‐urban areas (n = 135) were surveyed using semi‐structured questionnaires. An ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate probability of households preferring to consume particular milk products and that of milk safety knowledge being important to households. Urban households were 2.8 times more likely to consume fresh milk (p < .05). Households from urban areas were two times more likely to purchase fresh milk from the kiosks, while households from non‐urban areas were five times more likely to buy fresh milk from vendors. The likelihood of appearance, quality and nutritional value of milk products being important to households was higher in urban locations compared to non‐urban locations. Consumers prioritized price and convenience over milk safety. Knowledge and awareness of milk safety issues was more important to urban households.Practical applicationsUnderstanding consumption preferences and consumer perceptions enables regulatory agencies, policy‐makers, and the dairy industry to make informed decisions and to put in place awareness programs on the risks of purchasing potentially contaminated milk through informal markets.

Consumer Perceptions towards Dairy Products: Effects of Mass Media

“…Quality perception functions quite in a similar way; the quality of a product is usually the perceived quality of that product. Based on this point, a quality perception model is developed in order to minimize the difference between the quality defined by the producer and the quality perceived by the consumer (Ophuis & Van Trijp, 1995). This model suggests that the producers should analyze the perceptions of consumers in order to improve their products.…”

Effect of Structural Condition of Milk Processing Facilities and Food Safety Systems on Escherichia coli and Coliforms Presence in Cultured Buttermilk

“…Milk products commonly consumed include yoghurt, ghee, icecream, butter, cheese, and cultured buttermilk [1]. Cultured buttermilk is one of the most commonly produced and consumed milk product because it does not require high levels of expertise or processing equipment as compared to the other dairy by-products [2]. Cultured buttermilk is a nontraditional milk product made by simultaneous fermentation of the standardised heattreated homogenised milk with Lactococcus lactis culture and a cream culture [3].…”

“…ere are obligatory technological steps such as pasteurization and safety systems set to improve microbial quality of buttermilk during processing. In most developing countries, cultured buttermilk is, however, predominantly sold through the informal sectors [2]. Although cultured buttermilk has been traditionally produced by registered largescale processors, there has been an increase in the number of small-scale processors, majority of whom are unregistered [6].…”

“…Although cultured buttermilk has been traditionally produced by registered largescale processors, there has been an increase in the number of small-scale processors, majority of whom are unregistered [6]. e informal milk processors fill market gap left by large-scale processors in developing countries and, thus, are key to regular cultured buttermilk supply [2]. Some of these informal milk processors do not follow proper handling and manufacturing procedures when processing milk into the cultured buttermilk [2].…”

“…e informal milk processors fill market gap left by large-scale processors in developing countries and, thus, are key to regular cultured buttermilk supply [2]. Some of these informal milk processors do not follow proper handling and manufacturing procedures when processing milk into the cultured buttermilk [2]. Although the small-scale farmers pasteurise the milk during processing, the safety of milk products is not guaranteed [7].…”