7% of Americans Think Chocolate Milk Comes From Brown Cows

7% of American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. It’s to undo such myths and bring real innovation that Eat Innovation exists.

According to a survey commissioned by the Innovation Center of US Dairy, more than 16 million people are uninformed. The research was online, certainly there would have variation if it were face-to-face.

Pure milk comes from white cows…

… and chocolate milk coms from brown cows?

The fact is that food ignorance is alarming not only in the US but throughout the world.

Brazil: “Q: Does anyone knows how powdered milk is made? – A: Freeze the milk and grate it.”

Children grow in cities, people consume more meals out of home and the supply of processed foods has increased. This distancing from the origin of food production is creating a generation of “agricultural illiterates” or even food illiterates.

From a study with californian students

Why did I decide to talk about this, even knowing this is an innovation blog?

Because this information is so scary that I could not let it go. And also because that’s the biggest reason why I write this blog: to bring knowledge on innovation, science, and food technology to people.

Science is not a “black box” that only academics can access. Not all “scientific” studies are well done, there are so many ways to manipulate research …

I could “write hard”, use technical jargon, but I put things in the simplest and most correct way possible, so that anyone can understand, being a specialist or a lay person, either in portuguese (my native language) or English. I could also avoid controversial issues, but I do not run away.

Wanna see some polemics? Take a look:

• Stinky potential: the innovation and the faeces
• Cientists create machine that turns urine into beer
• Luxury marijuana: rising segment in the food world
• Broccoli taste like chocolate: why you should not buy this idea
• Cockroach milk can be your food in the future

I could talk only about mild curiosities, not criticize any innovation, nor company, not expose myself. But that is not my professional role. With the innovation boom, there are many “professionals” self-proclaming themselves innovation experts and even giving courses on it!

When knowledge is lacking it is easy to fall into the conversation of self-confident crooks. The “professional” of this video here for example, (sorry this video is only in Portuguese, I refuse to publish his video on my blog!) Says he is a food scientist, but there is no record of him in any food science course and clearly just spreads food lies.

I chose to do different, I chose to study in the best universities that I could, to be food scientist, gastronomist (I did the two graduations, but I did not do Nutrition nor Food Engineering, these are different courses ok?), to do a master’s degree in global innovation management. Yes, there are masters in innovation, although it is common to see people who put “innovation” in the curriculum just to value themselves, but never studied it. It was rare in 2014, but it was the best course of my life and since then I share this learning with you followers – information about the course here.

Only a diploma does not measure anyone’s ability, so I took advantage of everything I could to go beyond it and learn by practicing.

“It is not because you read good books and know good things that you are intelligent. You can be just an idiot with good references.” – Go beyond the books, but do not devalue serious study!

I keep each diploma with affection because we worked hard (me and my family!) to conquer them. I never left a job with the doors closed, I have a lot of respect for everything I learned in every place I went.

I still cultivate the habit of reading as much as possible, learning everything I can, discussing, debating, questioning.

How many people do not know where their food comes from?

How many believes that chicken has hormones, that dehydrated foods have preservatives and that we sell ourselves to the food industry? (I’m still waiting for payment from this “deadly industry” that never arrived!).

“Q: Which egg yolk to use, the white or the yellow one? – A: Egg yolk is the yellow part of the egg.” -Image credit: Tudo Mais ou Menos Gostoso

How many are afraid of innovation? Why do so many companies bankrupt? Why do the releases fail? Why do new products come up every day and leave shelves in a few months?

That is what I want to change, it is a challenging goal, I confess, but I hope that every trend I explain here, every innovation I bring to the debate makes you think, allows you to prepare for change. Listen to your customers and meet their needs, the ones they have and what they do not even know they will have.

What do I expect from you? I expecte you take part!

As we are already clearing things here, I need to tell you that this blog will be monetized soon (there is no free lunch!). I am studying the best way to do this and I count on your help so that this blog can continue to exist.

Now tell me: what have you learned from this humble blog? What kind of post do you most like to see here? What do you want to know about innovation and food trends and is ashamed to ask?

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Let’s make Eat Innovation the safe haven for food innovation? Let’s innovate together?