# Milk: A Nutritive and Healthy Food? Consumer Perspective from French and Portuguese Participants
## 4 Discussion  
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the consumption of dairy products differs significantly from region to region, depending on dietary habits, available milk processing technologies, market demand, social and cultural development, and level of product knowledge [51]. The per capita consumption of milk and dairy products exhibits higher rates in developed countries, while there is a discernible rise in demand for these products in developing countries (like East and Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Vietnam) due to rising income levels and population growth, among other factors [51; 52]. Projections for the European Union anticipate that per capita consumption will either remain stable or experience a decline in the ensuing decade [53]. Examining specific countries within the European context, France exhibits higher milk consumption than Portugal, notwithstanding their shared foods and culinary cultures [53]. Regarding milk on a global scale, most consumers continue to harbour a robustly positive perception regarding the inherent goodness of milk, acknowledging its substantial nutritional value [54]. In the context of Portuguese and French countries, knowledge about milk was assessed by evaluating respondents' scores on various statements concerning nutritive components and the impact of consumption on human health. Globally, all the respondents revealed that they are well informed about the nutritive value of milk. Moreover, Portuguese and French participants consider milk an important food that should be consumed at any age, extending beyond the age of 30. This discernment aligns with observations made among Turkish consumers, reflecting a recognition of the importance of lifelong milk consumption [54]. The heightened awareness observed in Portuguese and French respondents, evidenced by their notable understanding of milk's nutritive value, can be attributed to their elevated level of education, with 67.2% of participants attaining a high educational level. However, the French participants showed a higher level of knowledge than the Portuguese, which can be associated with a higher percentage of young adults and an elevated level of education observed among the French participants. The role of education in shaping one's dietary patterns is unquestionable, and a higher education or university studies contribute to this [55]. Therefore, knowledge of the nutritional richness of milk is also possible among people with higher studies. Considering that there is a positive link between choices and patterns of milk consumption and individuals' awareness and understanding of the nutritional composition and potential health impacts of milk, it is reasonable to anticipate that the French population would surpass the Portuguese population in terms of milk \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Factor** & **Group** & **N** & **Min** & **Max** & **Mean \(\pm\) Standard Deviation** \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{F1 (5 items)} & France & 238 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.54 \(\pm\) 0.66 \\  & Portugal & 143 & 2.00 & 5.00 & 3.95 \(\pm\) 0.74 \\  & Global & 381 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.70 \(\pm\) 0.72 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{F2 (6 items)} & France & 238 & 1.50 & 5.00 & 3.66 \(\pm\) 0.71 \\  & Portugal & 143 & 1.50 & 5.00 & 3.97 \(\pm\) 0.67 \\  & Global & 381 & 1.50 & 5.00 & 3.78 \(\pm\) 0.71 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{F3 (5 items)} & France & 238 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.31 \(\pm\) 0.66 \\  & Portugal & 143 & 2.00 & 5.00 & 3.46 \(\pm\) 0.71 \\  & Global & 381 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.37 \(\pm\) 0.68 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{F4 (3 items)} & France & 238 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.74 \(\pm\) 0.79 \\  & Portugal & 143 & 1.33 & 5.00 & 3.82 \(\pm\) 0.81 \\  & Global & 381 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.77 \(\pm\) 0.80 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{F5 (1 item)} & France & 238 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.21 \(\pm\) 1.19 \\  & Portugal & 143 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.12 \(\pm\) 1.26 \\ \cline{1-1}  & Global & 381 & 1.00 & 5.00 & 3.18 \(\pm\) 1.21 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 7: Mean scores for knowledge considering the items in each factor.