Consumer Perceptions of Additives in Dairy Products C Brockman and C J M Beeren, Leatherhead Food Research, Leatherhead, UK ª 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Introduction Amid a variety of health scares in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the consumer very quickly became convinced that additives were dangerous chemicals to be avoided at all costs. The additives debate was both emotional and controversial, with experts openly disagreeing, leaving consumers feeling angry and suspicious. By the mid-1990s, things appeared to have calmed down somewhat, and although many consumers were still concerned, interest in organic and natural foods had begun to rise and other health issues started coming to the fore, particularly food scares such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in beef and salmonella in chickens and eggs. Consumers also started becoming more aware of some of the potential benefits of additives, including improved appearance of food and increased storage time and less risk of food mold/microbial growth. However, there are still high levels of concern over the potentially harmful effects of additives in children. This article describes the consumer perception of and attitude to food additives and looks at trends and developments in the dairy market. Key Trends in the International Dairy Market Virtually all innovative new product development in the international dairy industry can be classified under at least one of four key themes, each of which continues to play a significant role in influencing the ways in which modern consumers eat. These four broad trends are (1) health and wellness; (2) premiumization and indulgence; (3) convenience and snacking; and (4) lifestyle and ethics. In health and wellness, the focus had until recently been shifting to the addition of ingredients rather than removal (i.e., fat and calorie reduction in dairy products increasingly being replaced by functionality as the prime route to a health and wellness positioning). However, there has been a slight shift away from this trend in some segments over the last year or so, with emphasis now more on naturally made products with as few additives as possible. Functional ingredients, though, have become the mainstay of some segments of the dairy sector such as yogurts and milk, as these are considered very good carriers of such ingredients and there is an ongoing trend toward increasing the focus on specific health benefits. Although many functional ingredients have a generally positive image among consumers, the increasing trend – certainly for new-generation functional products – is to pay more attention to the ultimate effect of all the ingredients on health rather than to a specific ingredient. As a result, combining of several functional ingredients is an increasingly common practice, as manufacturers target a specific health issue or promote their products as general wellness foods. Functional ingredients and other healthy ingredients that have a strong ‘natural’ image are generally performing the best. For example, in the functional arena, this means good growth potential for the likes of probiotics, which can boost the levels of ‘friendly’ bacteria already found in the body, and omega-3 fatty acids, which have a ‘natural’ image, thanks to their close association with fish and other natural marine sources. The naturalness issue is also prompting increased interest in superfood ingredients, particularly the many antioxidant-rich superfruits. Superfood ingredients generally have a dual benefit in that they give a more ‘premium’ image to end products as well as a healthier profile. Although functional dairy products can command higher prices, offer better margins to suppliers, are a good way to establish strong brand awareness, and receive high levels of customer loyalty, their development does also require higher levels of investment to create and establish new concepts. As a result, the market is generally being driven by world’s larger branded dairy companies, which can afford this initial outlay. With a current focus on more economy variants in the recession and with the health claims procedure in the European Union adding further pressure, it is possible that future investment in R&D might be cut back, adversely affecting the level and diversity of new-product activity. With regard to the premiumization and indulgence trend, more unusual and upmarket ingredients and flavors are adding value to products in the dairy beverages, yogurts and desserts, cheese, and ice cream sectors in particular. Meanwhile, there has also been a shift toward targeting more products at adults. In yogurts and desserts, the development of superpremium products is attracting an older consumer base, while the ice cream market is constantly moving upmarket. Regionality and sourcing 41 42 Additives in Dairy Foods | Consumer Perceptions of Additives in Dairy Products of ingredients from specific countries are other routes to adding value, and such strategies have successfully been adopted in the milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream categories to date. The convenience and snacking trend is driven by an emphasis on portability and portioning (single-serve formats). Flavored milks in lidded on-the-go cups represent a prime example of portability, as do spoon-free yogurts and desserts and hand-held ice creams. Cheese snacks and single-serve dessert formats are other sectors that make full use of portioning. The development of 100-calorie portions in the United States is another trend impacting the market in both the convenience and the healthand-wellness categories. These single-serve formats allow consumers to monitor their calorie intake at the same time as providing convenient, single-serve formats for snacking. In the lifestyle and ethics category, the organic revolution has been central to new product development (NPD) (despite the recent downturn in the fortunes of the organic sector owing to economic recession). The success of organics is also very much linked with premiumization issues, as consumers often consider organic foods to be of better quality than standard lines and, in response to this, many of the organic developments (particularly in the yogurt and desserts, and ice cream sectors) now primarily use premium ingredients as well as organic milk. Fairtrade, most closely linked with sectors such as coffee and chocolate, is also beginning to make its mark in a much wider range of markets, and the dairy sector has not escaped its attention. To date, most of the Fairtrade developments have been found in the ice cream market, where coffee, vanilla, and chocolate flavors are most prominent, but there is scope for further development in other dairy markets in the future. The Fairtrade movement also tends to be closely linked to the organic industry and, as a result, many of the Fairtrade ice cream products appearing also contain organic ingredients. New-Product Launches as an Indicator of Trends Reviewing recent product launches in the UK market, one can see that health, convenience, and premiumization remain the key trends. Health is the driving force behind the yogurt category, which is increasingly being spearheaded by functional brands. Numerous products have been relaunched on a health platform in the last two years, often highlighting calcium content (especially children’s products), as well as promoting the versatility of yogurt. However, although probiotic ingredients are now par for the course, functional ingredients as a whole are still an area of confusion for consumers and not all guarantee success (as evidenced by Müller removing omega-3 from its Vitality brand). The luxury end of the yogurt market also continues to witness high levels of innovation. Danone has attempted to bridge the gap between functionality and luxury with its Activia Intensely Creamy launch in 2008. Also at the premium end, the Swiss dairy company Emmi launched muesli yogurts in the market in 2007. This launch also reflected another growing trend: positioning of yogurt as a specific breakfast product. Highlighting the origin or type of fruit/flavor has been a marked feature of the market in recent years, for example, Madagascan Vanilla, Senga Strawberry, and Champagne Rhubarb. This development meets the growing consumer demand for more authentic flavors and tastes and for provenance in food. Several Lassi products have also been launched in the market on this type of platform. In the cheese sector, provenance has been a key trend with growing demand for cheese produced from local milk and with local ingredients. The health drive also has impacted this area, though, with numerous lower-fat cheese variants appearing. Dairy Crest and Lactalis have introduced lighter Cheddar versions, within their Cathedral City and Seriously ranges, respectively. The UK reduced-fat Cheddar market was worth £56 million in 2008, according to TNS, and growing strongly, up by 36%. The key challenge that producers are trying to address is how to improve the taste of lower-fat cheeses. Children’s cheeses have also been a focus area, particularly healthier variants. Kerry Foods launched a light version of its Cheestrings brand in 2007 and then relaunched the full range in 2008 with a greater emphasis on the nutritional aspects of the product. Kraft Foods relaunched Dairylea Lunchables in 2007 with less fat and reduced salt levels as well as its Philadelphia Light snack brand. Dairylea Bites also no longer contains artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Continental cheese has also been a growing area of interest with British consumers becoming more adventurous with both their cooking and their eating habits. Retailers have been reporting strong sales of Feta, Emmental, Parmesan, Mozzarella, and goat’s cheese, and new products are appearing in these sectors. Cheese with added fruit (e.g., Wenslydale with cranberries, Stilton with apricots) continues to emerge, while several smoked cheeses have appeared on the market. A general trend toward more premium and mature varieties, such as the vintage Cheddar, and strong flavors has also been witnessed indicating that taste has become a key area of focus with a more adventurous consumer base emerging in this area. Convenience also continues to remain a key issue influencing development of the UK cheese market, with mini portions and lunchtime snack products being a focus, along with presliced, resealable, and grated formats to Additives in Dairy Foods | Consumer Perceptions of Additives in Dairy Products save preparation time. Fondue has also made a return to the market as more consumers turn to comfort food and entertaining at home instead of eating out. Consumer Perception Food has its principal nutritional function in all cultures. In addition, food is a source of basic pleasure, of aesthetic experiences, and of medicine–poison dimension. We perceive food-and-drink products using our five human senses – sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing – and it is thus important to consider how the senses influence our perception. 1. With our sense of sight we measure the appearance of food-and-drink products. The appearance is in most instances the first information we obtain on a product, and we thus make our first judgements. The main elements of the appearance of food or drinks are likely made up by the following: Product packaging Product color Product size and shape Clarity of beverages Composition of foods Surface texture of products 2. Smell is the sense of volatile stimuli perceived by our nasal cavity. We perceive smell through our nose (orthonasal) and via our mouth (retronasal), when consuming food-and-drink products. 3. Taste is the sense of dissolved involatile stimuli perceived with our taste buds on our tongue, palate, and in our throat. We recognize five different basic tastes: sweet, salt, sour, bitter, and umami. 4. With our sense of touch, we mainly feel the product texture. Touch comprises two components: the tactile surface response from skin (somaesthetic sensations) and kinesthesis, a deep response from muscles and tendons. 5. Hearing may be an important sense for some food-anddrink products. Sound is often linked with the freshness of products, for example, the sounds a soda drink makes when opening the bottle, the snap of breaking chocolate, or the crunch of fruits and vegetables. • • • • • • Our senses interact with each other. The appearance of a product will, for example, have an influence on how we perceive the product’s flavor, with increase in color giving an increased flavor perception. Consumer Perception of Food Additives Besides the taste, the most important aspect about foods for the American people is what it contains. The American people appear to think that natural foods are 43 better. A similar conclusion on the inclination to believe that foods are better when they are natural was arrived at in an online research study by Leatherhead Food Research in 1996, where two-thirds of the respondents perceived the pack claim ‘natural’ as important in determining their food or drink product choice. In line with this, additives identified as ‘artificial’ evoke strident criticism. This emotional focus on artificial additives gives the perception that man-made chemicals are more dangerous to health than chemicals naturally present in our foods – an erroneous perception. In a study on what people think about contributors to a healthy life, reduction in additives came in at the ninth place, with reduction in smoking, increasing the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, and regular exercise covering the top three (Figure 1). In the same study carried out in the United Kingdom, consumers accepted that, overall, additives in foods and drinks had both advantages and disadvantages. Nearly two-thirds agreed that additives extended the shelf life of foods and drinks, and almost as many agreed that some additives were essential for the shelf life of processed foods. However, despite additives being accepted as necessary in food and drink to some extent, the automatic assumption was that additives were ‘bad’, and not that they might be there to make the food safer, and about three-quarters of the respondents agreed that additives should be universally reduced in food products. Less than a quarter of the respondents recognized that an E number is an indication of European safety approval of the food product; E numbers were generally seen as the ‘baddie’. When told in the discussion groups that E numbers were intended to be informative and reassuring in that all foods containing E numbers had been tested to the highest safety standards, there was sincere astonishment among the consumers. Although consumers’ response was generally unfavorable toward additives, their knowledge of additives was limited. Less than two-thirds of the respondents recognized at least half of the 19 additives shown. This is an important consideration for manufacturers especially with regard to food product labeling, for not only will the consumers not understand the relevance of its inclusion, but they will not even recognize the word. Most of the ingredients with the word ‘artificial’, synthetic, or some sort of technical/scientific reference in their description were automatically assumed to be an additive. Conversely, those with the word ‘natural’ or functional in them were far less likely to be classed as additives. Although salt is technically not an additive, consumers were most concerned about salt. This concern was undoubtedly fueled by the Food Standards Agency advertisements. Most concerns about additives were regarding artificial flavors, synthetic colors, monosodium 44 Additives in Dairy Foods | Consumer Perceptions of Additives in Dairy Products Figure 1 Importance placed on contributors to a healthy life ranked in the order of importance (determined by mean score). From Leatherhead Food Research (2006) Additives and Attitudes, a UK Consumer Perspective. Leatherhead ed. Leatherhead Food Research. glutamate (MSG), and artificial sweeteners; respondents were least concerned with natural flavors, functional foods, and vitamins and minerals (Figure 2). In a study by Rozin and colleagues covering food attitudes of Japanese, French, Belgian, and American people, it appeared that women showed a greater concern about the food–health link and were relatively more interested in nutrition than were men. In general, it was found that among the four studied groups, Americans associated food most with health and least with pleasure, and the French people were most food pleasure oriented and least food health oriented. Overall, 25% of the respondents claimed to check product labels for additive information either all or most of the time when they were shopping. However, just over 1 in 10 admitted to never checking the labels for additive information. Of the respondents who did check labels, 39% to some extent confessed to finding the additive information on food product labels difficult or very difficult to understand (Figure 3). Looking at product sectors (Table 1), respondents perceived the soft drinks category to have the highest levels of food additives. Processed cheese was perceived by the consumers as the dairy product with the highest level of additives. Figure 4 shows the perceived additive levels for each of the dairy products questioned about. Sensory Panel and Consumer Evaluation of Dairy Products Sensorial responses to food products can be measured using trained sensory panels or untrained consumers. Consumers will give their hedonic response toward food products; for example, they are able to tell which products are liked, which one is preferred in a sample set, and whether specific sensory characteristics are acceptable. Consumers are unlikely to give feedback on specific sensory characteristics, such as the sourness intensity, firmness or unripe aftertaste. For this detailed feedback on product characteristics trained assessors should be utilized. Trained assessors are usually screened in basic tastes recognition, odor evaluation, ability to discriminate stimuli, and ability to verbalize and quantify sensory characteristics. In addition, they are trained in specific test methods and products. Specifically for the evaluation of dairy products, some consideration should be given to the serving Additives in Dairy Foods | Consumer Perceptions of Additives in Dairy Products 45 Figure 2 Consumer concern for specific additives. From Leatherhead Food Research (2006) Additives and Attitudes, a UK Consumer Perspective. Leatherhead ed. Leatherhead Food Research. Table 1 Food and drink categories ranked by perceived additive levels High Figure 3 Understanding of additive information on food product labels. From Leatherhead Food Research (2006) Additives and Attitudes, a UK Consumer Perspective. Leatherhead ed. Leatherhead Food Research. temperature and the sourness of the products, as these may influence and, if not correctly presented, bias the perception. Important attributes of dairy products include color and texture on appearance; aroma and flavor characteristics such as dairy, creamy, and sour milk; sweet and sour taste; and the texture and mouthfeel attributes such as smoothness, thickness, creaminess, and viscosity. Also the aftertaste and afterfeel should be taken into account, as dairy products may often give some aftereffects too. Low Category % of respondents Soft drinks Crisps/savory snacks Ready meals Diet soft drinks Sweets/chocolates Biscuits/cakes Sauces Processed cheese Processed meat Ice cream complements Milk shakes Ice cream Cereal bars Bread Fruit juice Breakfast cereals Yogurts 81 77 75 73 70 69 60 58 52 51 45 43 35 24 23 18 15 8 9 10 17 16 18 19 20 34 22 35 31 51 65 69 67 72 Do not know 11 14 15 10 14 13 22 22 14 27 21 26 14 12 8 15 13 From Leatherhead Food Research (2006) Additives and Attitudes, a UK Consumer Perspective. Leatherhead ed. Leatherhead Food Research. When specific attributes are being evaluated, it is imperative that the attributes be well understood by the assessors. Some examples of dairy attributes and their definitions are given in Table 2. 46 Additives in Dairy Foods | Consumer Perceptions of Additives in Dairy Products Figure 4 Dairy products by perceived additive levels. From Leatherhead Food Research (2006) Additives and Attitudes, a UK Consumer Perspective. Leatherhead ed. Leatherhead Food Research. as a key part of their diet. These markets are characterized by particularly high levels of cheese and butter consumption. For UK and Spanish consumers, on the other hand, most of their dairy intake is in the form of liquid milk. US consumers take less dairy products in their diet in general than do European consumers, while the dairy markets of Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East/Africa, although fast growing, are significantly less developed. The dairy product range on offer in France is particularly extensive, and French consumers take great pride in their own expertise in dairy production. France produces over 1000 cheese types, and almost all French households purchase cheese. With an average per caput consumption of 23.7 kg yr 1, France is the world’s second largest cheese consumer (only behind Greece). French consumers have a strong knowledge of dairy products and of ‘terroirs’ (regional specialties) and traditional products in particular. A survey for the Dairy Council in the United Kingdom in April 2008 found that 77% of consumers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘Dairy products are healthy’ (this figure rose to 88% just for yogurt and 93% just for milk, but declined to 49% for cheese and 31% for butter). Of the consumers, 88% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘Dairy products are good for children’. This survey also found that dairy products were the most common source of food allergies, although only 55% of the people claiming to have a food allergy were actually medically diagnosed as having one. With 12 million Germans reportedly being lactoseintolerant (according to the website of OMIRA Oberland–Milchverwertung Ravensburg GmbH), the high levels of dairy consumption in Germany reflect the importance of the category to the rest of the population (Table 3). Table 2 Examples of dairy attributes and their definitions Attribute Definition Visual thickness Perceived thickness of sample upon dropping off spoon Flavor of cream, milk, Greek yogurt Thickness of yogurt in mouth Creamy mouth-coating effect Dairy Thickness Creamy mouthfeel Consumption of Dairy Products Table 3 Per caput consumption levels of dairy products, 2007 (kg per capita) Germany France Italy The Netherlands Spain The United Kingdom The United States a Butter Cheese 64.2 67.1 60.1a 79.4b 107.6d 115.6 86.1 6.4 7.9 2.9a 5.5b 1.0c 2.6 2.2 20.5 23.7 22.6a 21.5c 9.3c 10.1 15.1 2006. 2005. 2004. d 2003. EU figures from CNIEL, L’Economie Laitière en Chiffres 2009, US figures converted from University of Wisconsin (Brian Gould, Agricultural and Applied Economics, UW Madison). b The major European dairy markets of Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands offer their consumers a wide array of dairy products and ranges, and dairy products are viewed very favorably by most consumers Liquid milk c Additives in Dairy Foods | Consumer Perceptions of Additives in Dairy Products Consumer Demand for Clean Labels Removal of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives has been a key feature within many food categories in recent years, as consumers have become more aware of the presence of these substances and have taken a greater interest in nutrition and the link between diet and health. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated and knowledgeable, whilst food markets are becoming increasingly global – trends in the West are swiftly reflected elsewhere, as a result of which it is no longer possible for manufacturers to treat regional markets differently. Historically, removing things from foods has reduced their taste and mouthfeel quality. It is therefore the task of the additives industry to develop effective ways to counter act this. Recent emphasis has been on moving to foods with inherent goodness. Hence ‘natural’ was the top claim on all new food and drink products launched globally in 2008 (accounting for 23% of all new product launches, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database). Words such as ‘naturally rich in’ (e.g., antioxidants), ‘wholesome’, and ‘nutritious’ are describers that consumers increasingly understand and wish to see. The superfood trend has led to significant interest in fruits, nuts, seeds, and cereals that offer added health benefits owing to their antioxidant, mineral, or fiber content. Throughout the food industry, fruits rich in antioxidants, including pomegranate, blueberry, cranberry, and açai, are becoming particularly popular and, although their use is perhaps most pronounced in the soft drinks industry, the yogurt sector has not been immune to the superfruit phenomenon. In general, superfruit flavors are most commonly used in yogurt ranges that already offer some kind of natural (e.g., organic) or healthy (e.g., heart healthy) positioning. Innovation in the yogurt market has involved products containing fruits such as cranberry, acerola, pomegranate, açai, and blueberry. In terms of the leading health-positioning categories for new dairy products, between January and July 2009, Innova Market Insights recorded the following as the top positioning claims globally: (1) digestive/gut health (14% of all launches); (2) low fat (14%); (3) allergen-free (9%); (4) vitamin/mineral fortified (8%); and (5) no additive/ preservative (7%). An example of a dairy product tapping into the natural, clean label trend is Häagen–Dazs with its ice cream brand Five launched in early 2009, which contains just five ingredients: skim milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and a flavor (e.g., mint extract for the ‘mint’ version). Natural and Greek-style yogurts are experiencing something of a resurgence in several countries at present, prompted perhaps by an increasing demand for more 47 natural foodstuffs and by an interest in new ways of eating yogurt, for example, with honey for breakfast or in cooking. The UK yogurt market has seen particular strength in recent times and own-label suppliers have recently got into the act with the launch of their own breakfast yogurts combining natural yogurt with honey or granola, and even their own organic natural and Greekstyle yogurts. It was reported by Danone in 2009 that natural and Greek-style yogurts represented 11% of the healthier yogurt and yogurt drinks market (which itself was 42% of the total yogurt and pot desserts market) in the United Kingdom and were experiencing strong growth. However, there are significant regional differences in the performance of natural and Greek yogurts. In many Continental European countries, for example, natural yogurt has a fairly mature image and is attracting little significant NPD. In general, Greek-style yogurts appear to have a more widespread appeal and are performing fairly well throughout the world. Greek-style yogurts generally contain more fat than do standard yogurts but, despite this, consumer interest is increasing, thanks to their positive image of quality. In addition, leading suppliers have offered reduced-fat versions to appeal to the health-conscious consumer, while organic versions are becoming more widespread. The Future The maturing dairy markets of Western Europe and North America will not be the prime drivers of future growth in the industry; that will come from developing dairy markets such as those of Eastern Europe, China, and India. Cheese sales in Western Europe for example are forecast to decline by 0.1% per annum in volume terms between 2008-12, versus growth of 4.2% per annum in Eastern Europe, and 8.3% growth per annum in Asia. Health looks set to remain the most dominant of the megatrends. Healthy options in dairy have significantly outperformed the rest of the dairy sector in recent years. For example, healthy dairy options grew 36.2% in value in Germany between 2003 and 2008 versus only 7.3% growth for dairy sales as a whole. Further Reading American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Chambers E, and Wolf MB (1996) Sensory Testing Methods. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM. Calvo C, Salvador A, and Fiszman SM (2001) Influence of colour intensity on the perception of colour and sweetness in various fruitflavoured yoghurts. European Food Research and Technology 213: 99–103. 48 Additives in Dairy Foods | Consumer Perceptions of Additives in Dairy Products Drake MA (2009) Modern sensory practices. In: Clark S, Costello M, Drake MA, and Bodyfelt F (eds.) The Sensory Evaluation of Dairy Products, pp. 505–530. New York: Springer. Innova Market Insights (2009) Dutch giant to focus on natural inherent benefits. In: In: Wyers R (chief ed.) Innova, Vol. 7, p. 1. Duiven, The Netherlands: Innova Market Insights BV. Johnson JL, Dzendolet E, and Clydesdale FM (1983) Psychophysical relationship between sweetness and redness in strawberry-flavoured drinks. Journal of Food Protection 46: 21–25. Johnson JL, Dzendolet E, Damon R, Sawyer M, and Clydesdale FM (1982) Psychophysical relationships between perceived sweetness and colour in cherry flavoured beverages. Journal of Food Protection 45: 601–606. Kilcast D (2004) Measuring consumer perceptions of texture: An overview. In: Kilcast D (ed.) Texture in Food, Vol. 2: Solid Foods, pp. 4–32. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing Limited. Lawless HT and Heymann H (1998) Sensory Evaluation of Food: Principles and Practices. Dordrecht: Kluwer. Leatherhead Food Research (2006) Additives and Attitudes, a UK Consumer Perspective. Leatherhead: Leatherhead Food Research. Leatherhead Food Research (2008) The Dairy Market – Global Trends and Innovation. Leatherfood: Leatherfood Food Research. Leatherhead Food Research (2009a) Global Food Markets database. //www.leatherheadfood.com/global-food-markets (accessed 18 June 2010) Leatherhead Food Research (2009bb) The UK Food & Drinks Market Report. Leatherfood: Leatherfood Food Research. Lindley M (2006) Healthy-eating challenges and the use of food additives. Food Science and Technology 20: 16–17. Mintel (2009a) Consumer Goods Europe, Vol. 551, p. 11. Mintel (2009b) In: Halliday J (ed.) Natural Comes Out Top in New Product Claims 2008.http://www.foodnavigator.com. Rozin P (1996) The socio-cultural context of eating and food choice. In: Meiselman HL and MacFie HJH (eds.) Food Choice, Acceptance and Consumption, pp. 83–104. London: Blackie. Rozin P, Fischler C, Imada S, Sarubin A, and Wrzesniewski A (1999) Attitudes to food and the role of food in life in the USA, Japan, Flemish Belgium and France: Possible implications for the diet–health debate. Appetite 33: 163–180. Shepherd R and Raats M (1996) Attitudes and beliefs in food habits. In: Meiselman HL and MacFie HJH (eds.) Food Choice Acceptance and Consumption, pp. 346–364. London: Chapman & Hall. Relevant Websites www.minusl.de – OMIRA Ravensburg GmbH. Oberland-Milchverwertung