“I Have No Idea What's in It!”—A Qualitative Study of Adolescents' Conceptions of Milk Alternatives

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze and compare adolescents' conceptions of plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) and precision fermentation-based milk alternatives (AFM), their ingredients, and production. For this purpose, a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews was chosen. A total of twenty-five adolescents from Germany aged between 16 and 19 years were interviewed in September and October 2022. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results show that the adolescents in our study held simplified conceptions of the ingredients (water, oats, sugar) and production (grind oats, mix with water, and heat the liquid if necessary) of PBMAs. Their conceptions differed depending on cow's milk and PBMA consumption, with PBMA consumers having the most differentiated conceptions. Regarding AFM, the adolescents held vague conceptions and expressed their lack of familiarity with the product. They either had no concept of AFM or believed AFM to be artificial, synthetic, or laboratory milk. In conclusion, adolescents' conceptions of milk alternatives were simplified and dependent on consumption patterns, with PBMA consumers having more differentiated conceptions. Based on our findings, we suggest that nutritional education should address the ingredients and production of cow's milk and milk alternatives, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, to enable young people to make informed decisions about their consumption of milk (alternatives).