A 2017 survey found that nearly ten percent of Americans think chocolate milk comes from brown cows.
- 7% of Americans equates to roughly 16.4 million people who are over 18.
- 48% said that they do not know where chocolate milk comes from.
- Cecily Upton, co-founder of the nonprofit FoodCorps: “Nothing in our educational framework teaches kids where food comes from.”
Around 16 million Americans believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows.
This was found in a survey conducted by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. What is even more surprising is that a staggering 48% of people claimed that they were not sure where chocolate milk came from at all. Putting these two percentages together shows that more than half of Americans do not know how chocolate milk is made. On their website, the U.S. Dairy shared:
Does chocolate milk come from brown cows?
To be fair, some milk questions and myths may make us smile. But we realize we need accurate information to make the best choices for ourselves and our families about what we eat. It’s time to set the record straight about some common misconceptions about chocolate milk.
Chocolate milk is made from cow’s milk and flavouring or sweeteners.
In other words, chocolate milk does not come from brown cows. According to The Sun, “despite nearly one-fifth of the American states having cattle populations that outstrip the human population and agriculture being one of the country’s biggest industries, Americans remain largely ignorant of where much of their food comes from.”
Cecily Upton, co-founder of the nonprofit FoodCorps, discussed the survey findings.
At the end of the day, it’s an exposure issue. […] Right now, we’re conditioned to think that if you need food, you go to the store. Nothing in our educational framework teaches kids where food comes from before that point. […] We still get kids who are surprised that a French fry comes from a potato, or that a pickle is a cucumber. […] Knowledge is power. Without it, we can’t make informed decisions.
