Consumption of functional dairy foods in Northern Tamil Nadu: Pattern and key drivers

The study conducted in the northern parts of Tamil Nadu has analysed the consumers’ consumption pattern and the factors moderating consumption of functional dairy foods (FDFs) based on the data collected from 220 respondents (160 consumers and 60 sale points). The study has used tabular and frequency analyses for consumption pattern and double-hurdle model along with tobit model (for comparison) for factors moderating consumption analysis. It has found that 84 per cent of respondents were aware of FDF foods, with television advertisements being their primary source of information. The average monthly per capita consumption was 3.6 litres in terms of milk equivalent quantity which was 33.43 per cent of the total per capita milk availability in Tamil Nadu. The FDFs are still in the early stages of adoption, with fortified milk showing the highest potential. It has also found that factors like income, price, occupation, dietary habits, family size and location significantly influence the consumption expenditure on FDFs. Addressing these factors could facilitate broader adoption and integration of FDFs into consumers’ diets.