Goat’s milk consumption among Muslim Malaysian residents in Pulau Langkawi, Kedah

Goat’s milk can be considered as one type of natural functional food due to its variety of nutritional benefits. Nowadays, the dairy milk production in Malaysia is highly focusing on cow’s milk compared to goat’s milk. However, the demand for goat’s milk is increasing especially among Muslims as it is considered as one of the foods which consumed by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 221 residents in Pulau Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. This study showed that the practice of drinking goat’s milk among the local residents was still low; only 11.8% of the residents consumed goat’s milk daily and 40% chose goat’s milk in its powdered form. The main barriers to goat’s milk consumption included: not interested to consume goat’s milk (54%), unpleasant taste (51.3%) and non-staple food (50.8%). This study also found that knowledge (r2= 0.200, p = 0.003) and attitude (r2= 0.174, p<0.001) are positively correlated with goat’s milk consumption. In conclusion, further health intervention need to be done to promote the practice of drinking goat’s milk. With proper knowledge and positive attitude, the consumption of goat’s milk may improve the quality of life and sustain an optimal wellness and health throughout life.