RED DEER Ñ Conjugated linoleic acid is not only a mouthful to say, it is a hard concept for consumers to swallow.
And if people have never heard of this fatty acid, it would be difficult to get them to pay more for it in nutritionally enhanced dairy products,
CLA is credited with lowering the risk of cancer, as well as improving heart health and immune function. Aging baby boomers with extra money who worry about their hearts are most likely to pay more for enhanced dairy products.
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“Today’s challenge for the milk industry is to overcome the negative effects of fat in milk,” said Gail West of Laval University during the Western Dairy Seminar in Red Deer.
Adults concerned about fat tend to stay away from milk, even though it could provide health benefits. Laval said part of the sales pitch to persuade people to drink more milk involves educating them about benefits such as CLA and erasing misconceptions about milk, fat and nutrition.
Surveys of dietitians revealed a low awareness of CLA. Seventy percent said they never recommended it to clients.
A 2003 survey showed only 11 percent of consumers had heard of CLA but most know milk contains calcium needed for strong bones.
Many believe calcium enriched orange juice and soymilk are the equivalent or better than milk.
“Nutritionally that is really scary. They are not substitutes,” West said.
Surveys have also shown that many do not fully understand labels and claims on a growing list of dairy products.
For example, when asked how much fat two percent milk contains, many guessed seven percent.
“They didn’t realize two percent means two percent fat in it,” she said.
Interest in enhanced nutrition is growing in the United States, where people are shifting from the notion of food for fuel to food as a preventative measure against health problems.
Leigh Maynard of the University of Kentucky said CLA has been established as a sports supplement because of its ability to improve the lean muscle ratio to fat.
A study in Kentucky offering cows a half kilogram of fish oil to enhance CLA in their milk showed some success but consumer acceptance was not overwhelming.
A panel of 111 people preferred the taste of traditional milk, yogurt and butter, but Maynard said some of the problems could be related to the fish oil aftertaste or errors in processing.
Butter and cheese made from CLA-enhanced milk was creamier, but while that may be desirable for butter, it may not work well for firm cheese.
Participants in the study said they would pay more for CLA-enhanced dairy products, but other studies indicate people’s buying habits do not always correlate to what they say in surveys.
Overall, people said they would pay nine cents extra per litre for milk, four cents per cup of yogurt and 73 cents per kilogram of butter.
“That is about where our break-even level was on the farm to produce high CLA milk,” Maynard said.
At this point it may be premature to start a CLA-enhanced dairy line because consumer awareness remains low, he added.
