Sensory Testing of Milk With School Children

Abstract

Milk is an important component of a school meal, and the temperature at which it is served may impact preferences of elementary school children for this beverage. The 1997 FDA Food Code recommends that milk be served at 41°F or below to maintain good quality and prevent bacterial growth. The purpose of this study was to discover the specific temperature range that children preferred for drinking milk. Preliminary bench testing of white and chocolate milk at various temperatures was conducted at a home day care to provide information on the ability of children to distinguish temperature differences and to establish temperature ranges for preference testing. Final sensory testing of milk was conducted at a selected elementary school in North Texas over three nonconsecutive days. Sixty children ages 6 to 11 years completed a series of three paired preference tests of 2% white milk at three temperature ranges, and an additional 60 children completed similar tests with 1% chocolate milk. Sensory testing was conducted in the school cafeteria using portable testing booths. Digital thermometers were used to periodically measure milk temperatures during testing. For each test, a majority of children preferred the milk served at a colder temperature. The children showed a significant (p<0.05) preference for both the white and chocolate low temperature milk (32-36°F) when it was paired with high temperature milk (46-50°F). Children also showed significant preference (p<0.10) for low temperature (32-36°F) vs. medium temperature (39-43°F) chocolate milk. Order of presentation of the milk samples had no effect on preference. Results indicate that drinking temperature is an important factor in milk desirability among elementary school age children. Use of appropriate refrigeration equipment and handling practices to maintain temperatures in the desirable range of 32-36°F may favorably influence American school children regarding milk consumption.