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A startling number of American adults think chocolate milk comes from brown cows

Apparently we all need a field trip to a dairy farm, stat.
/ Source: TODAY

A recent dairy organization's survey feels straight out of one of those man-on-the-street interview skits you'd see on a late-night talk show.

"Where does chocolate milk come from?" the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy asked 1,000 American adults this April, as reported by Food & Wine.

Chocolate milk on a glass with red straw
Refreshing Delicious Chocolate Milk with Real CocoaGetty Images

It's a real survey, though, which found that 7 percent of American adults surveyed think that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. And 48 percent of adults surveyed admitted to not being sure of where chocolate milk comes from.

The topic is even covered on the facts and myths section of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy's site: "Chocolate milk — or any flavored milk for that matter — is white cow’s milk with added flavoring and sweeteners."

Funny cows
Getty Images

Uh, yeah — sorry people, but unless you're vegan or have a dairy allergy, don't most of us learn that when you first squeeze Hershey's syrup into a glass of milk at 6 years old? And aside from that, how on earth would a mammal be able to manufacture cocoa inside one's organs?

The organization's site is very diplomatic, though, adding, "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."

One other myth we were happy to hear debunked: A study of more than 7,000 children and adolescents found that drinking neither flavored or white milk was not related to weight gain, compared to non-milk drinkers. For those of us who always chose the chocolate milk over other choices in the school cafeteria, that's music to our ears.

If you're one of the grown-ups who has any lingering doubts about where chocolate milk comes from though, we recommend a visit to a dairy farm — stat.