Which Factors Drive Consumer Decisions during Milk Purchase? New Individuals' Profiles Considering Fresh Pasteurized and UHT Treated Milk

Effect of Heat Pasteurization and Sterilization on Milk Safety, Composition, Sensory Properties, and Nutritional Quality

Milk pasteurization and sterilization by heat treatment have an exciting history, which followed steady steps. The main aim of these treatments is to extend the shelf life of milk by destroying pathogenic and milk spoilage bacteria. With developments in pasteurization techniques, the assurance of milk safety, and extended shelf life, pasteurized bovine milk has become a staple food, especially in Western diets. However, some concerns have recently been raised about the effect of pasteurization on the sensory properties and nutritional quality of milk, and alternative methods, such as high-pressure processing, are being investigated. The primary purpose of milk pasteurization and sterilization is summarized in this review article. The associated changes that affect the compositional, sensory, and nutritional quality of milk are discussed, with particular emphasis on protein structure and function. The review is concluded by considering alternative methods, their advantages and limitations, along with future prospects.

Milk consumers in Pakistan and Italy: a comparative study on the effects of geographical affiliation, socio-demographic characteristics and consumption patterns on knowledge, attitude and perception of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobials are extensively used in livestock to treat common diseases, including mastitis and other bacterial infections, with around 80% of food-producing animals receiving such treatments. Despite a ban in the EU since 2006, antibiotics are still used globally for growth promotion, exacerbating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). From the consumers' point of view, the potential exposure to resistant zoonotic bacteria in animal-derived food products may represent a threat to public health. However, consumers' knowledge and attitude vary across socio-demographic characteristics and geographical location. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of milk consumers regarding AMR in Pakistan (as a representative of low-to-middle income countries (LMICs)), compared to Italy (as a representative of high-income countries (HICs)).Data were collected via surveys from 401 Pakistani and 550 Italian milk consumers, focusing on socio-demographics, milk purchasing habits, and awareness of antibiotic residues and AMR. The study identified three principal components (PCs) influencing milk consumption: milk quality attributes and tradition, family-dependence, and eating style-dependence. A cluster analysis categorized consumers into four groups: "Attentive to milk quality attributes," "Loyal to milk," "Undecided consumer," and "Milk is essential in my food pattern."Italian consumers predominantly belonged to the "Attentive to milk quality attributes" group, valuing safety and health benefits, and were the most informed about AMR. Pakistani consumers, primarily belonging to the "Loyal to milk" group, exhibited high purchasing frequency influenced by family size but showed limited awareness about AMR risks. The "Undecided consumer" group, a mix of Italian and Pakistani individuals, lacked strong preferences and displayed moderate awareness of AMR, influenced by habitual consumption patterns.This research underscores the need for targeted educational campaigns to raise awareness about AMR and antibiotic residues in milk, particularly in LMICs. Survey findings can help to identify targeted action plans and boost policy development on AMR. Enhancing consumer knowledge through the One-Health approach could mitigate AMR risks and promote informed decision-making in milk consumption across different socio-economic contexts.

Characterization of Pseudomonas spp. contamination and in situ spoilage potential in pasteurized milk production process

To investigate the prevalence of Pseudomonas in the pasteurized milk production process and its effect on milk quality, 106 strains of Pseudomonas were isolated from the pasteurized milk production process of a milk production plant in Shaanxi Province, China. The protease, lipase and biofilm-producing capacities of the 106 Pseudomonas strains were evaluated, and the spoilage enzyme activities of their metabolites were assessed by simulating temperature incubation in the refrigerated (7 °C) and transport environment (25 °C) segments and thermal treatments of pasteurization (75 °C, 5 min) and ultra-high temperature sterilization (121 °C, 15 s). A phylogenetic tree was drawn based on 16S rDNA gene sequencing and the top 5 strains were selected as representative strains to identify their in situ spoilage potential by examining their growth potential and ability to hydrolyze proteins and lipids in milk using growth curves, pH, whiteness, Zeta-potential, lipid oxidation, SDS-PAGE and volatile flavor compounds. The results showed that half and more of the isolated Pseudomonas had spoilage enzyme production and biofilm capacity, and the spoilage enzyme activity of metabolites was affected by the culture temperature and sterilization method, but ultra-high temperature sterilization could not completely eliminate the enzyme activity. The growth of Pseudomonas lundensis and Pseudomonas qingdaonensis was less affected by temperature and time, and the hydrolytic capacity of extracellular protease and lipase secreted by Pseudomonas lurida was the strongest, which had the greatest effect on milk quality. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the key contamination links of Pseudomonas, the main bacteria responsible for milk spoilage, and the influence of environmental factors on its deterioration.

Product Factors Affecting Milk Choices among Chinese Older Adults

In China, milk is promoted both as an optimal food and gift for older adults. To understand the product factors affecting older Chinese adult milk choices, choice simulations and surveys were conducted in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Shenyang, China. Participants (n = 1000, aged 45-55 years old and 65-75 years old) were asked to choose one milk product out of eight alternatives for self-consumption and gifting, respectively, and to indicate product factors under their considerations. Results showed that, for self-consumption, the top four most popular milk products (two with domestic brands and two with international brands) were chosen by 84.9% of the participants. Females and younger participants were more open to international brands than their counterparts. Popular milk products differed across cities, potentially due to brand familiarity. Brand (85.9%), on-the-pack, nutrition-related well-being messaging (72.9%), price (63.1%), shelf-life (63.0%), and production date (57.6%) were the most frequently reported product factors considered when choosing milk. More males considered price than females (66.9% vs. 60.0%, p = 0.02). Female and older participants showed greater concern for certain detailed product factors, such as production date and shelf-life, than their counterparts. Variation across cities was limited, with participants in Chengdu and Shenyang showing less concern for certain product factors such as on-the-pack, certificate-related well-being messaging. When milk products were chosen as a gift, although overall milk choice ranking remained similar, package style received increased attention (32.0% vs. 40.8%, p < 0.01), whilst all other product factors, especially price (63.1% vs. 49.5%, p < 0.01), were considered by significantly fewer participants. These findings provide valuable marketing insights, helping to understand consumer preferences and considerations in the process of milk purchase decision-making.

Milk Quality Conceptualization: A Systematic Review of Consumers', Farmers', and Processing Experts' Views

Milk consumption has traditionally been recognized as a fundamental element of global dietary patterns due to its perceived nutritional advantages. Nonetheless, a substantial decrease in milk consumption has been identified within diverse populations in recent times. Specifically, consumers' expectations and representations of milk quality have undergone notable transformations, contributing to the observed reduction in consumption. The objective of this systematic review was to conduct a comprehensive examination and categorization of the conceptual attributes associated with milk quality, considering the representations of citizen-consumers, farmers, and processing experts. This review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The titles and abstracts of 409 articles were screened, and 20 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. The results demonstrate the existence of a dual articulation in the conceptual definition of milk quality. Farmers and processing experts exhibited a relatively similar representation of milk quality, focusing on technical indicators. In contrast, citizen-consumers held more simplistic and subjective concepts that are challenging to quantify. This study emphasized the critical need for establishing a platform for communication and knowledge exchange to foster shared representations and expectations regarding milk quality.

The role of socio-demographic variables and buying habits in determining milk purchasers' preferences and choices

Emerging new purchasing behaviors have been reflected in the sales trends of dairy products, mainly in cow milk consumption. This study aimed to investigate the preferences of milk purchasers toward different product attributes, by considering both individuals' socio-demographic characteristics (SD) and milk purchasing habits (PH) as independent variables in the milk consumption model definition. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1,216 residents in Northwest Italy. The application of the Best-Worst scaling (BWS) methodology to define the purchasers' declared preferences toward a set of 12 milk attributes, showed that milk origin and expiry date are the most important attributes for milk choice in the decision-making process. The correlation analysis showed that the SD and milk purchasing habits variables affect the definition of stated preferences heterogeneously between the intrinsic, extrinsic, and credence attributes.

Consumers’ Purchasing Determinants Towards Mountain Food Products

Mountain agriculture is a very important source of ecosystem services, such as cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity. However, traditional farming practices in those areas, particularly dairy livestock, are in sharp decline. For this reason, it is fundamental to find a way to improve sustainability using a holistic approach as indicated by the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategies. The “Mountain product” label can be a suitable tool to reach this aim. However, studies on consumers’ opinions concerning mountain food products are scarce. To fill this gap, a logit model was adopted in this study to define factors that influence consumers’ purchase intention toward mountain products. Additionally, the open-ended contingent valuation method was used to estimate consumer willingness to pay for milk labelled “mountain product”. The paper highlighted that consumers are interested in buying mountain products and that they are willing to pay a premium price for these products. However, the “mountain product” label is still poorly recognised and applied. Policy makers and institutions should invest more in the training of farmers, so as to improve their knowledge of this label. Furthermore, it is necessary to advertise this label to consumers to support quality local production.