Consumer research recently commissioned by Aimia Foods suggests that when it comes to vended coffee based drinks, fresh milk is not necessarily the consumers’ choice
The UK hot beverage market is a milky one – 4 out of every 5 drinks are served with milk. The most popular types of coffee – latté and cappuccino – are heavily milk based. As such, coffee and tea are arguably not the biggest factor in the vended drink equation. It’s milk that tips the balance. With a ratio of 3:1 milk to coffee in an average latté, the performance and taste of milk can have a bigger impact in the overall profile of the drink than coffee.
In vending, fresh milk is not without its issues…
The challenge for vending has always been in replicating the quality of drinks served on the high street. With coffee shops normally using fresh milk, and a public perception that fresh milk is superior to powder, the underlying question is this: do vending operators need to adopt fresh milk solutions to be more competitive?
The best of both worlds
However, within vending, fresh milk is not without its difficulties for the operator. Common issues include time consuming cleaning requirements to reduce the risk of pathogens; a short shelf life that increases the potential for wastage and difficulties in storage due to temperature. On the other hand, low-cost powdered milk can lead to partially dissolved drinks and clogging. In theory, granulated milk provides the best of both worlds. Better flow and solubility than powder and practical benefits of reduced cost and low storage requirements. The only question is can a granule can really taste as good as fresh milk?
Could people tell the difference between fresh skimmed milk and Milfresh Gold?
In order to answer this question, Aimia Foods commissioned independent consumer research, conducted by the University of Oxford Brookes. The idea was to determine whether, in blind taste tests, people could tell the difference between fresh skimmed milk and Milfresh Gold. The Milfresh was prepared prior to tasting and both milks were chilled for two hours before being presented in clear glass jugs.
79% suggested that the Milfresh sample looked more appealing
When viewed purely as milk, 66% couldn’t visually identify which of the two samples was fresh milk. 79% suggested that the Milfresh sample looked more appealing to drink or didn’t have a preference. After tasting the samples, 59% could either not tell the difference or believed that Milfresh tasted the most like fresh milk.
When sampled within a hot beverage, two out of three people couldn’t distinguish any difference between fresh skimmed milk and Milfresh Gold. 64% actually preferring the taste of Milfresh. When compared on creaminess, 63% of customers thought Milfresh tasted creamier than the fresh skimmed milk.
For vending operators this is hugely significant. It highlights that not only can they use Milfresh within their machine to overcome the issues around fresh milk, but actually in many cases it will be the preferred option with their customers.
‘The results have truly delighted us.’
Richard Ashton, Marketing Executive at Aimia Foods is delighted with the research: “We have always been extremely confident about the quality of Milfresh and the substantial operational benefits that it brings to operators. However we have never directly compared the product in blind taste tests against fresh skimmed milk with consumers on such a large scale. The results have truly delighted us. Not just because many consumers are unable to tell the difference. In many cases, consumers actually prefer the taste of Milfresh above fresh skimmed milk.”
This independent research should provide food for thought for vending operators, as it supports the fact that a granulated milk product which has a longer shelf life, is easier to store and which results in less maintenance issues, provides a creamier texture and does not only taste as good as fresh milk, but in many consumers eyes is better!
- Team Dumb and Dumber: Aimia’s James Howcroft does his bit for charity, here.
- WHAT DO YOU THINK? Your comments appreciated to editor@planet-vending.com
