Determining Perceptions of 'Milk': Investigating Consumer Understanding of Dairy Milk and Plant-based Milk Alternatives

The proposed study is to evaluate the nutrient content understanding of subjects before and after exposure to nutrition facts and ingredients list labels, along with the decision-making behind consumption choices. Before the activity, subjects will complete a consumer choice questionnaire and an eating habits questionnaire, which evaluates grocery shopping patterns and typical 'milk' beverage preferences of subjects prior to participation in the activity.

Subjects will be presented with several 'milk' products in a four-section activity. Carton set-up will vary between sections in terms of number and order. The order the cartons will be set up on the tables will be randomized for each subject in order to avoid having results attributed to the order the cartons are seen. In order to make a smooth randomization process, each carton with has a number sticker on it, such as '#1' '#2' and so on. If carton '#1' is almond milk in section I, it will remain carton '#1' for all subjects during section I - only the order that the cartons are placed will change. Each of the four sections of the activity will take place in its own cubicle. Subjects will be able to look at, move around, and compare cartons while answering questions for that section's respective questionnaire booklet. There will be no time limit on questionnaires. Questions in the booklet will be separated onto different pages in order to prevent subjects from looking back at previous answers and/or changing answers due to surrounding questions. Questionnaires throughout the four sections will assess consumer perceptions of nutrient content of 'milk' beverages before and after exposure to nutrition labels, exposure to varieties of 'milk,' and an ingestion component - the requirement to choose one smoothie in front of a 'milk' carton to consume. All cartons will remain unbranded throughout the activity. The difference between labeled and unlabeled cartons will be only the presence or absence, respectively, of a nutrition facts table and ingredients list on the side of the carton.

II. Study Subjects Subjects will be recruited through online advertisements, flyers distributed throughout the university and local communities, and word of mouth. Interested individuals can either click a link or scan a QR code to a secure online pre-screen survey available in online advertisements and on flyers, or will be directed to the secure online pre-screen survey by phone and/or email through using the contact information provided to the subject on the online advertisements and flyers. Based upon this initial screening outcome, subjects will be contacted to schedule their study visit. Upon arrival to the study visit, subjects will have their birth date and hunger level confirmed by study personnel. Hunger level will be analyzed through a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) question. Subjects that mark a vertical line on the VAS that is under 25mm or over 75mm, meaning extreme fullness or extreme hunger, respectively, will be dismissed from the lab and are able to return at another time. One hundred (n=100) subjects will be recruited.

III. Study Procedures Recruited subjects must meet all eligibility criteria (age requirement, no allergies that could produce bias in choice during this study); sign and date a written Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved Informed Consent Form prior to any study procedures, and be willing and able to comply with study schedule and procedures. Subjects will also be asked to fast for two (2) hours before coming to our site - this means no eating or drinking other than water. During the screening visit, which includes confirming age and collecting basic health information (weight, height, body composition), participants will also complete questionnaires relating to eating habits and choice patterns in purchasing, including general questions about dairy milks and plant-based milk alternatives to assess consumption preferences. These will not be used for exclusion, but rather to characterize population included in the study from a general health standpoint. These answers will allow for understanding of selection bias when comparing those who do and do not complete the study. Subjects will be required to drink a smoothie containing strawberries and banana during their visit at the CNRC.

IV. Study Visit After completion of the initial online pre-screen questionnaire, eligible subjects will be provided the option to schedule a study visit time, meaning a time to come into the CNRC to complete the study.