Drivers-of-Liking (DOL) for Boiled Milk among Women of Reproductive Age and Children Aged between One and Five Years in Peri-Urban Communities in Ghana

Raw milk is heat treated in different ways to improve the safety of the milk for consumption. The heat treatment imparts different sensory properties to the milk that may influence its acceptance by consumers. In Ghana, fresh milk is boiled and sold locally to consumers. Generally, consumption amongst women of reproductive age and children under five is low. In this study, the sensory properties that drive liking for local boiled milk and other heat-treated milks in women of reproductive age and children between 1 and 5 years of age was studied. External preference mapping was used to understand the sensory properties of the milks that were liked by the two consumer groups. The sensory properties of boiled milk that made women of reproductive age like a particular product was its sweet and salty taste, smooth mouthfeel and artificial flavour. For children between 1 and 5 years, the oily aftertaste, boiled egg aroma as well as its sweet taste made them like the same product as the adults. This product also had a cooked aroma and flavour which could have influenced liking in the consumer groups. A small minority of adult consumers liked products that had a smooth and runny appearance with a raw/uncooked note.