Food Protection Trends - January/February 2018 - 27

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE

Lydia C. Medeiros* and Jeffrey LeJeune

Food Protection Trends, Vol 38, No. 1, p. 27-51
Copyright© 2018, International Association for Food Protection
6200 Aurora Ave., Suite 200W, Des Moines, IA 50322-2864

Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State
University, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691, USA

Mental Models of Pasteurized and Unpasteurized
Milk Product Consumption in the United States
SUMMARY
The objective of the study was to create mental
models of Americans who consume either pasteurized
or unpasteurized milk products. An online survey was
conducted using a modified snowball-sampling technique;
1103 responses were received, 454 of which were
valid and accepted for statistical analysis. Parametric
and nonparametric statistical procedures were used
to detect differences among four groups based on
residence (urban/rural) and milk consumption preference
(pasteurized/unpasteurized). Four mental models were
developed using distinguishing outcomes from ANOVA,
Chi-Square tests, discriminant analysis or hierarchical
linear regression. All models show that the respondents
were information avoiders but differed in their sources
of information on milk safety and depth of information
processing. The strongest predictor of milk consumption
behavior was attitude about milk healthfulness, especially
that of unpasteurized milk, and the role of government
and the dairy industry in regulating and advocating for
responsible milk production and practice. This study
demonstrates that major differences related to milk
consumption choice are rooted in values, opportunities,

knowledge, and the desire to seek out knowledge about
the safety of milk products. The mental models of milk
consumption can inform instructional efforts of educators
and regulators to encourage the safe consumption of milk
products by consumers.

INTRODUCTION
If pasteurization leads to food-safe consumption of milk
products (17), why do some Americans choose to consume
unpasteurized dairy products? For some consumers, the
simplest answer is that they are dairy producers and choose
to consume their product rather than to pay retail prices (15).
If safety is a concern, home pasteurization is an option for
dairy producers. For non-producers, the option to consume
unpasteurized milk products is complex, depending on their
resident state in the United States of America (USA), as some
states restrict the legal sale of unpasteurized dairy products
(11). Where the sale of unpasteurized milk products is not
legal, but consumption of dairy products produced by legallyowned, milk-producing animals is allowed under state law,
the "ownership" of dairy animals is accomplished by farmers
who sell shares in cow- or herd-sharing agreements with nonproducers. These arrangements grant non-producers the right

*Author for correspondence: Phone: +1 330.202.3548; Fax: +1 330.263.3677; E-mail: medeiros.1@osu.edu

January/February Food Protection Trends

http://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/jan-feb-18-medeiros.pdf

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