The food industry has a reputation of taking incredibly healthy items and turning them into processed junk food and this is exactly what has happened to most yogurts available on the market. The Cornucopia Institute just came out with a very revealing report (an investigation that took 2 years!) about what’s in yogurt, and how giant food corporations, led by General Mills (Yoplait), Groupe Danone (Dannon), Walmart, and PepsiCo are saturating the market with less nutritious yogurt. Conventional yogurt usually comes from milk produced by cows that are confined and unable to graze in open pasture. They’re usually fed GMO grains, not grass. As the yogurt ferments, chemical defoamers are sometimes added. Then high doses of artificial sweeteners, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup are sometimes added too. That’s not all: colors, preservatives, and gut-harmful carrageenan can be dumped in. These practices alarm me, since yogurt has been such a healthy, longevity-promoting food for ages.
While all of these practices and controversial additives have completely ruined yogurt, what I found most disturbing in the report are the eye-opening claims about what might be in yogurt that isn’t as obvious – and may not even be on the label. Cornucopia was shocked by their own findings and filed a formal complaint with the FDA, asking them to investigate some yogurts on the market because they don’t appear to even meet the legal definition of yogurt!
Surprising Things That Can Be In Yogurt:
HFCS-90 – This variation of high fructose corn syrup contains way more fructose than regular high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). When HFCS-90 is used, the ingredient label won’t indicate that high fructose corn syrup is an ingredient, rather it can be deceptively listed as simply “fructose” or “fructose syrup” without any reference to corn syrup. Regular HFCS contains up to 55% fructose, whereas HFCS-90 has 90% fructose by weight. That’s 9 times more fructose than the average fruit! An overload of fructose in the diet isn’t healthy because diets that are high in fructose are associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease. HFCS-90 is derived from corn starch, which is likely GMO. It’s totally misleading when companies say that fructose is natural and comes from fruit, when it’s a processed additive typically derived from GMO corn.
Neosugar – This is a highly processed form of sugar made by hydrolyzing liquid GMO sugar beets or sugar cane. It’s so heavily processed that your body can’t digest it and it just passes through you like a fiber. It’s also marketed as a prebiotic, but there isn’t much evidence out there that neosugar is more beneficial than real food and it appears to just be a marketing ploy. Natural prebiotics are found naturally in raw fruits and vegetables. According to Dr. Michael Blaut, “It is questionable whether a wholesome diet rich in fruit and vegetables needs to be supplemented with prebiotics for optimal health effects”. Some names used by industry for neosugar are “Nutraflora” and “Fructan”, which is how you may see it listed on the ingredient label. Beware that neosugar is allowed in organic yogurt. Thankfully, the only organic company that is currently known to use neosugar is Horizon, so it’s pretty easy to avoid.
Dimethylpolysiloxane – You’ve heard me refer to this chemical in the past as the silly putty ingredient that’s widely used as a defoamer in oil fryers at restaurants, and famously used in McDonalds french fries and soda fountains. Turns out that it can also be used during the processing of yogurt – and it’s not labeled, even if residues remain in the final product. One of the biggest issues I’ve got with dimethylpolysiloxane is that the FDA allows it to be preserved with formaldehyde, one of the most highly toxic substances on earth. As Cornucopia highlights in their report, most of the safety studies that have been done on dimethylpolysiloxane were conducted or paid for by the chemical companies, and not enough independent research has been done. Every yogurt company I called – Dannon, Chobani, Zoi, Greek Gods – emphatically denied that they use any anti-foaming chemicals, except for one. Yoplait (General Mills) told us it was proprietary information and “We’re sorry, but we don’t share processing information”.
Nanoparticles – There’s a big controversy surrounding the results of a 2012 study that found titanium dioxide in Dannon yogurt. In May, Mother Jones reported that Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt contained the nanoparticle titanium dioxide, but have since retracted this from their article following Dannon’s claims that, “We don’t use any ingredients in Dannon plain yogurt that contain titanium dioxide. In the event we use an added color in our products we label it as an added ingredient”. I also contacted Dannon, and they confirmed this information. However, microscopic particles of titanium dioxide (nanoparticles) can be used as an artificial color to make white foods whiter and brighter. According to Friends of the Earth, there’s been “a tenfold increase in unregulated, unlabeled “nanofood” products on the American market since 2008… made by major companies including Kraft, General Mills, Hershey, Nestle, Mars, Unilever, Smucker’s and Albertsons. But due to a lack of labeling and disclosure, a far greater number of food products with undisclosed nanomaterials are likely currently on the market”. This concerns me because nanoparticles have been shown to carry risks to human health and the environment, and nanoparticles of titanium dioxide are specifically linked to gastrointestinal inflammation.
Synthetic Pesticides – Yogurts that contain fruit likely contain synthetic pesticide residues unless they are organic. Berries are the most popular fruits found in yogurts, and they’re also on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen List of the most contaminated produce. The pectin that is added to some yogurts may also contain another dose of pesticides, as it’s made from conventional fruit. The National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the President’s Cancer Panel all warn about the health dangers of consuming pesticides found on conventional produce.
What’s Missing From Many Popular Yogurts?
Probiotics – The “Live and Active Cultures” seal on a container of yogurt does not guarantee that any probiotics are actually in the yogurt by the time you eat it – it only verifies they were there when it was manufactured. The addition of artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose may compound this problem because they’ve been shown to be antimicrobials that also have the ability to kill beneficial bacteria in the gut, which warrants more research. (sources: 1, 2). Cornucopia sent yogurt samples to the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Food Processing Center to test for probiotic content, and what they found was astonishing. Several yogurts were found to have less than the required 100 million cultures per gram including Chobani, Walmart Great Value, Yoplait Go-Gurt, LaLa Cult, and Dannon Danimals Smoothies.
Fruit – I know it’s ridiculous, but some fruit-flavored yogurts on the shelves don’t contain any fruit, and are solely flavored with artificial and natural flavors. Yoplait calls one of their flavors “Strawberry Banana Burst GoGurt” but it doesn’t have any strawberries or bananas in it. You also won’t find any fruit in Greek God’s Honey & Strawberry Yogurt, and yogurts targeting children like Dannon Danimals Strawberry Slide Greek Yogurt. The natural and artificial flavors that are used to mimic the taste of fruit are designed to keep you coming back to eat more. As explained by flavor manufacturer Nature’s Flavors, “The trick to making a product taste good is to give the customer only enough flavor to tease their taste buds. You never want to completely satisfy their tastes”. Do you really want to be eating fake flavors that were manufactured to keep you unsatisfied and wanting more, or would you rather just eat real fruit and all the nutrients that come with it?
Beneficial Fat – Cornucopia commissioned the University of Nebraska’s lab to study the nutritional profile of several yogurts, specifically for the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids and the levels of beneficial fats such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). They found that organic yogurt contained better fat ratios and way more CLA than conventional yogurt. Chobani yogurt came out the worst, compared with Cedar Summit Farm’s organic yogurt coming out on top with nearly 20 times more CLA than Chobani.
Always Choose Organic Yogurt.
Last month I broke down for you all the big reasons to only choose organic dairy products, including yogurt, which is corroborated in Cornucopia’s report. When you choose organic, you avoid:
- Genetically Modified Ingredients (GMO) – Most sweeteners in yogurt come from GMOs. Whenever you see high fructose corn syrup, fructose, or sugar on the ingredient list it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s derived from GMO corn or GMO beet sugar.
- Growth Hormone Drugs – Banned in over 30 countries, linked to cancer, and may increase the incidence of painful mastitis in cows (requiring antibiotics).
- Herbicides & Pesticides – Residues from chemical herbicides and pesticides end up in our food and water, and also contaminate the food of dairy cows. It’s possible that these chemicals are passing through to their milk, which have been linked to kidney disease and other diseases in humans.
How To Choose The Best Yogurt:
The only kind of yogurt I recommend is plain organic yogurt (greek or regular), which you can sweeten yourself with fresh fruit, raw honey or maple syrup. Cornucopia built a great reference, a Yogurt Buyer’s Guide, which rates 114 yogurt brands from best to worst based on these criteria:
- Organic vs. Conventional
- Thickeners and Stabilizers
- Carrageenan
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Added sugar
- Artificial coloring
- Flavors
- Synthetic nutrients
- Milk Protein Concentrate
- Preservatives
They ultimately recommend minimally processed organic brands that are either sometimes grass-fed or 100% grass-fed. These include: Traders Point Creamery, Maple Hill Creamery, Nancy’s, Organic Valley, Kalona, Wallaby Organic, and Clover Stornetta, Stonyfield, and regional brands such as Butterworks Farm, Seven Stars, Straus, Hawthorne Valley Farm, and Cedar Summit. By doing so, we support organic farmers, protect our environment, encourage humane treatment of animals, and ensure good health for ourselves and our families.
Cornucopia also conducted a cost analysis and found that many of the organic yogurts that they recommend are cheaper (per ounce) than conventional over-processed yogurts (including yogurts that are marketed for children) – Yeah! You can read Cornucopia’s complete report, “Culture Wars: How the Food Giants Turned Yogurt, a Health Food, into Junk Food” here.
Because I know many of you might ask, my personal favorite is Traders Point Creamery (found at Whole Foods & Healthy Home Market), I love that it comes in a glass jar and not plastic and is made from cows fed a 100% organic grass-fed diet.
You can also, of course, make your own yogurt, which my mother has been doing since I can remember! She still makes it for me so I don’t have to buy it that often. I would start with the best ingredients of course – grass-fed organic (and raw – if you can find it) milk would be ideal. Here’s her recipe:
- 4 cups grass-fed organic milk
- 3 tablespoons plain organic yogurt (purchased or homemade)* or powdered yogurt starter (amount specified on package)**
- Place milk in pot on stove, heat and until milk starts to bubble (medium high heat)
- Stir consistently to prevent skin from forming
- Cool milk until it is luke warm - about 110-115 degrees
- Add organic yogurt or yogurt culture to the milk
- Pour mixture into small glass jars or one large glass container
- Place lid on containers, put a towel over them and store in a draft free place at room temperature
- Yogurt should be complete in about 6-8 hours
- Place yogurt in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving
- Store yogurt in fridge for up to 1 week
Please share this information with your friends and family – it’s absolutely critical we know what’s in our yogurt and stop supporting the junk versions of this very otherwise healthy food!
Xo,
Vani
P.S. If you like investigations like this, you will love my new upcoming book The Food Babe Way. It’s available right now for pre-order at a special extra 30% off on Amazon with code “HOLIDAY30” (all uppercase). This will likely be the lowest price ever available so get it now! Offer is only good until Midnight tonight 12/1! (Please note – this coupon code is only good for one hardcover book per account).
thanks for lets know about all junk food this country sale …ohh my God. They kill people ….slowly.
This is America.
you mean this ARE America.
Investigation of the total relative contents of MSG hidden in each brand of yogurt would be especially helpful, since labels mislead about MSG content hidden within other ingredients.
Hi Ray,
One thing that a lot of people don’t know about MSG is why it is added only to salty, sour or savory (including umami) foods: its action on the taste buds is limited to the enhancement of those flavors; MSG does little to enhance the flavors of sweet foods, so there’s no point to adding it in.
Glutamates are amino acids that occur naturally in very small quantities in all protein containing foods, including milk products (and even in foods like tomatoes). It is also produced by the human body for brain and metabolic functions. When present naturally in a food, it presents very few issues.
MSG (monosodium glutamate) is the sodium salt of glutamate, which, when added to foods, provides more glutamate flavor than would otherwise be present in that food. It’s a trick: it sort of excites your taste buds into being wowed by the flavor. It’s also addictive, so it makes you want more of that particular food. Interestingly, it’s been shown that if you eat a lot of an MSG containing food, and then you are fed the same food substance without the added MSG, your taste buds will prefer the MSG containing food; the regular food may taste bland.
So, although you’d be getting a minute quantity of natural glutamates in your yogurt, unless it is flavored in a non-traditional/savory way, it is highly unlikely to contain added MSG.
Hi Foodie,
Thanks for the info. So you are sure that the ‘natural flavors’ added to many of the yogurt brands listed above do NOT contain any added MSG? I’ll check out the links you provided for further info.
Hi Ray, let me put it this way: while it “could” be added, I really doubt that it “would” be added to yogurt. The reason is that there is no real benefit to adding it, since it does not enhance the taste of sweet foods, and because MSG costs money and, let’s face it, these companies are out to make a buck. There is no financial incentive for them to add it to sweetened yogurt.
Ray – I forgot to add that, while MSG isn’t added to sweet foods because there would be no point, High Fructose Corn Syrup and the so-called 96 Fructose are, and the net result is much the same: you sense a flavor explosion of sweetness and get addicted to it, craving more of the same.
Ray, it’s not added to sweet foods, only sour, salty or savory foods. Have a look here for more information: http://www.foodinsight.org/Everything_You_Need_To_Know_About_Glutamate_And_Monosodium_Glutamate
Is it not true that, very frequently, many ingredients on the labels actually could contain up to 60 percent added MSG (for each ingredient)without being listed as a part of that ingredient (e.g. Natural Flavors)? This would be an amount in ADDITION to the
specific ‘MSG’ as its own ingredient. Can the total amounts added to food ingredients (say in instant noodles) reach very substantial levels?
Even in sweet foods, wouldn’t MSG still cause increased firing of the neurons?
Hi Ray, I’ll try to address each of your points here: Yes, that could be true. Your original question was about sweetened yogurt and not other foods, so I offered my two cents on that.
Other foods can indeed contain substantial amounts of MSG, either hidden by virtue of being “non-reportable” under our current labeling laws, or hidden by calling it something else, as in the case of “natural flavors” or hydrolyzed proteins/autolyzed yeast extract, etc. I have found that, in particular, foods that are labeled “low-salt” probably contain MSG. According to Foodinsight.org, this is because “MSG contains only one-third the amount of sodium as table salt (13 percent vs. 40 percent) and is used in much smaller amounts. When used in combination with a small amount of table salt, MSG can help reduce the total amount of sodium in a recipe by 20 to 40 percent, while maintaining an enhanced flavor”.
The rule of thumb I go by is this: read the label (ALL of it, not just the ingredients list) to see if 1) MSG or a rose by another name has been added to the product (if so, avoid at all costs), or 2) if the label specifically says that there is no “added” MSG (this is a judgment call as to whether to avoid). The words “no added MSG” are a good indication that, while the product may not actually contain added MSG, there is a good possibility that there may be a high level of naturally occurring glutamates in the product or some of its ingredients. Some foods like mushrooms and tomatoes contain glutamates naturally, and if they’re in the product, the product will, too, but that is not necessarily problematic. I am extremely sensitive to MSG (horrendous migraines that last three days), and avoid all added MSG, but foods that contain glutamates naturally do not bother me.
Yes, even if added to foods where it does not confer a “taste benefit,” MSG is still an excitotoxin and will still produce the same effect on the human body. If one is sensitive to MSG, this would be a problem. Thus, if I were, for example, to eat a sweetened yogurt to which MSG had been added, I would not necessarily be able to discern an enhanced flavor, but I would still get the three-day migraine, since the excitotoxin’s effects on my body would be the same.
Can MSG be added to individual ingredients (up to 60% of each ingredient) and still have no single ingredient listed as MSG, or, would ‘MSG’ always be listed if any of the individual ingredients were to have had significant % of MSG added to one or more ingredients?
According to Foodinsight.org, “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires labeling of all ingredients on processed and packaged foods. When MSG is added to a food, it must be included on the ingredient list, as “monosodium glutamate.” Glutamate-containing food ingredients, such as hydrolyzed protein and autolyzed yeast extract, also must be listed on food labels. When glutamate is a component of natural protein foods, like tomatoes, it is not listed separately on the label.”
I stick with the Wallaby, it’s so good!
You have to be careful with Traders Point Creamery as a brand. Obviously, check the ingredients as some of their products (which they label as “organic” and “healthy” have carrageenan (e.g. the chocolate milk, of course).
Also it doesn’t matter if the creamery or dairy farm is small or family owned. I had an in-depth conversation with someone who personally knew such a dairy farm and the family who ran it, and was shocked to learn that there were bad ingredients in said farm’s yogurt. My guess is some of these farms don’t know what’s being suggested/sold to them.
I’ve been fighting this gut killer (carrageenan) for years. Probably 10 years now, and I have suffered the effects of what it can do to your insides. Stay far away!
me too! First realized the problem when a starbucks employee of all people told me she cant drink their product because most starbucks drink contain carrageenan! What an eye opener that was.
but carrageenan comes from seaweed and isn’t seaweed good for you?
Where do you buy yogurt starter?
I don’t know where to buy yogurt starter (perhaps a health food store) but I have always purchased a small container of plain unflavored yogurt and just thrown a dollop into the pot as a starter.
You can buy a yogurt making machine & starter at Amazon like the one sold at Williams Sonoma!
Cultures for health has a mild flavor yogurt starter that we love http://www.culturesforhealth.com/mild-flavored-yogurt-starter.html
Thanks for this great article. I’m very picky about yoghurt and the first ingredient I look (after the amount of sugar added) is to see if the manufacturer has added gelatin, or locust bean gum. Why? Because they add those thickeners instead of allowing the yoghurt to thicken naturally through biological activity. The cheapest yoghurts are like milk-flavored jello.
You are right when you say that they put the taste so you can want more and are not satisfied …that happened to me when I first started eating yogurt many years ago ..I got hit by that never ending satisfaction , I just ate and ate..then I realized it never satisfied me…so I stopped not knowing what I know now…and now with this information it very sad …..more and more they are just poisoning us for greed…the faster the product is made with more junk is all that matters to the food industry sad that they don’t have the interest of the consumer And how many people don’t care what is in their food there cannot be enough support to boycott these devil industries…..SAD….
I use Organic Brand yogurt from Safeway – how does that rate. Living in a small town does not give one much options. We have a Wal-Mart and a Safeway.
Good day to you!! Check out food bulk operations; sell bulk Organic(s). Azure Standard has a boat full of foods. mail to you or pick up at a pre-arranged site.. If in small town, perhaps set up a community garden and or start growing your own food. Remember, it’s all in the soil. Learn how to cultivate the soil and it will take care of you. Many nurseries have stacks of large black buckets that they sell of give away. Buy Heirloom seeds.
Watch your water. Check out ‘The Hidden Secretes In Water,’ written by Masaru Emoto. Carry on God’s Blessings
Just make some Mike, Its pretty easy
How about Noosa Yogurt???
Cows are grass fed and they are not given antibiotics, etc.
can you comment on the health of this brand?
Thank you.
Noosa is good and local to CO. However, the company was recently sold and I am skeptical of it’s future.
http://www.adventinternational.com/news/PressReleases/pages/Pressrelease20141121_English.aspx
What about coconut yoghurt? I get the unsweetened vanilla from So Delicious, says it has live cultures, non GMO and no caaragean (sp?) but am wondering now if it’s any good?? Please can you look into the non dairy yoghurts, too?
The thing about the live cultures is that they are killed by heat above 115 degrees. Almost all, if not all, yogurts are pasteurized after fermentation which would kill those cultures that started out live. “Some yogurt products are heat-treated after fermentation, which kills most of the beneficial active cultures found in the yogurt. To help you identify those yogurt products that contain live and active cultures, the National Yogurt Association (NYA) has established a special Live & Active Cultures seal. The NYA is a national non-profit trade organization whose purpose is to sponsor health and medical research for yogurt with live and active cultures and serve as an information source to the trade and the general public. The Live & Active Culture seal, which appears on refrigerated and frozen yogurt containers, helps you recognize those products containing significant amounts of live and active cultures. The seal is a voluntary identification available to all manufacturers of refrigerated yogurt whose products contain at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture, and whose frozen yogurt contains at least 10 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture. Since the seal program is voluntary, some yogurt products may have some live cultures but not carry the seal. It is, however, the industry validation of the presence and activity of significant levels of live cultures.
Look for the Live & Active Cultures seal on the yogurt you buy, and learn more about live and active culture yogurt by visiting Yogurt: Wholesome Food for Every Body. – AboutYogurt.com”
I appreciate this investigation… And we buy local pastured raw milk to make yogurt and Kiefer from, but I have a question: doesn’t it negate the purpose of using raw milk to make yogurt if you’re going to boil it anyway?? Just checking… I have always wondered that!
You don’t boil it to make yogurt, you bring it just under boiling temperature. Yes, it is no longer raw but it will have the benefits of culturing. It is still not homogenized which I think is a big deal. I think originally yogurt was accidentally made by carrying warm milk in a bag in the desert, so its quite possible the near-boil isn’t necessary. The point is to kill other bacteria so the yogurt doesn’t develop an off flavor or texture.
You don’t have to pasteurize the milk before fermenting it. My family makes raw yogurt by heating the raw milk to just 100 F, and then adding the yogurt culture and keeping it warm for 8 hours. This is technically not “yogurt,” because it doesn’t “set” — it’s still runny. Some people call it “fermented milk” instead of “yogurt.”
Because of you I have learned so much that I have changed my eating habits.I am more aware and awake now. . For that I thank you from my hearth.it is so sad. They are not only poisoning us but as well as their own families too.they put money above of all…
Vani, one of your graphics shows Vitamin D3 as being bad because it is “synthetic”. I thought D3 was natural and D2 was synthetic. Can you clarify?
Thanks,
Dave
I gave up yogurt years ago to reduce my dairy consumption, but my husband still eats Greek yogurt, so I will be passing this info. on to him! Sometimes we disagree about whether to pay extra for organic, so now I’m armed with extra points for my next argument 😉 Thanks for the recipe- I didn’t realize it was so easy to make!
Or better yet, buy or make Vegan, Cruelty Free, yogurt. Good for your body, good for your soul. And good for the animals.
Why don’t you mention White Mountain Foods Bulgarian Yogurt? It is more highly rated on the Cornucopia report over some of the other brands you mentioned. Just curious why you didn’t recommend it?
What about the brand brown cow?
Great article! Trader’s Point Creamery makes incredible dairy products, and they are just a short drive from me! If you get the chance to try their Greek style yogurt, do it. But be warned, you will be so spoiled, you will have a hard time eating any other brand again! (Sadly, they use carrageenan in their chocolate milk and ice creams, but I’ve emailed them and asked them to consider removing it.) I also love Nancy’s whole milk plain, it’s very thick, almost like Greek.
I am highly allergic to MSG. Get unbelievable migraines from this chemical that is in most of American processed foods. The second ingredient in Campbell’s soup is Monosodium Glutamate! MSG comes in many different names to hide it’s use from the consumer. And we all sit and wonder why we have so many children suffering from ADD ADHD and other mental illnesses. Go figure!!!
I use a three quart pot and heat the milk to 185°. I then let it sit covered for three hours until the temperature reaches 115°. I set aside a cup of yogurt each batch as the next batch’s starter. I add that and whisk it thoroughly. The pot of milk and starter goes into the oven and gets covered. I turn on the oven light and set the time for six hours.
When it’s done, I use a ladle and funnel to transfer the yogurt to empty jars from Bonne Maman. The three quart pot fills 10 of these jars, leaving about an inch for jam and mixing. The jars go into the refrigerator, stacked three high. I have one each morning with a teaspoon of Bonne Maman jam. Delicious.
Can you add organic fruits the homemade yogurt to add better taste?
Yes! I also like to add a little raw honey or maple syrup. But sometimes some berries is all you need 🙂
So, Food Babe – can I add organic fruits or honey or is it toxic like the other person replied?
It is not toxic to add your own organic fruit.
Take care!
Great article. I would like to make my own yogurt but Im intolerant to cow’s milk. Could I use a Nut Milk instead?
I was sad you didn’t mention Erivan yogurt. It is the BEST on the market after home made!
I kept expecting some mention of carragennan. There seem to be totally conflicting reports and it’s so hard to avoid.
What do you know about REDHILL FARM PLAIN GOAT MILK YOGURT?
It is easier to digest for me…. Just worried it may contain something not on label….
I thought Face plain yogurt was probably pretty good for you compared to the others on the shelf. Not mentioned but wondering what is bad about it.?
Hi Gail,
Check Cornucopia’s chart where they have Fage listed: http://www.cornucopia.org/yogurt/
Take care!
Gail, please read that report carefully. The numbers could be viewed out of skew very easily due to what is being compared. First off, the total score of 1700 is based on organic. So knock Fage 500 for not being to a possible score of only 1200. Then look at what they removed 325 points for. Added Sweeteners, Thickeners, and flavors for 300 and 25 more for how sugar it has. So therefor if Fage only solid plain unflavored yogurt. They would have a perfect 1200 score.
I was linked to this study by a friend linking to this article on Food Babe. I LOVE fage yogurt myself after changing from growing up on the 50 cent Yoplait cups that are horrible for you. So I was very interested in this report to see how my favorite Greek Yogurt was rated, so when I saw such a low score I instatly dug into the data to see what was considered so bad and if i needed to stop eating it. What i found it the data is based on the Brands offering of all yogurts added together. So that Split cup of strawberry and peach that has corn starch, xanthum gum, and cane sugar added and is considered 325 points BAD cancels out the Fage classic with no added fruit.
I find this article very interesting and it has encouraged me to buy Organic yogurt more when I can but just because it’s not organic does not mean it is bad for you.
I think the Data of the study is badly skewed due to all products not being shown that were evaluated. Comparing apples to oranges when the other company also makes apples is not a good comparison overall and ruins the data output. Comparing Erivan, who only makes one product unplain, vs I’m guessing at least 15 Fage plain and fruit flavors just isn’t a good comparison to find a good single Product.
Wow! I’ve been trying hard to cut out as many grocery store products as possible for reasons just like these. You can’t trust big companies. All they care about is their bottom line not our health. Very well written post! Thank you so much for sharing!
http://www.freshfaithbites.com/homemade-yogurt-recipe.html
Hello Food Babe, thank you for the great service that you offer! Question: In your experience, can you use anything other than cow’s milk to make the yogurt?
I really try to avoid all cow’s dairy 🙂
Thank you!
We use our crock-pot to make our own yogurt. The more you strain the whey, the more “Greek” it becomes.
Have you seen all the ingredients stonyfield puts in their “yogurt?” I would not support this brand even if they start with organic milk.
Painful read because I still don’t know which to buy. The best possible response to this comment is a simple recommendation list, and the rest is “why”.
Do you have any information about Fage yoghurt?
The Cornucopia Institute has information on additional yogurt brands: http://www.cornucopia.org/yogurt/
Take care!
I just found you while I was looking for the health dangers from chemicals in our food. I am so angry with the food industry and the FDA. They do not care about our children or us. They are slowly killing us with all the dangerous chemicals that are put in our food. The sad thing is they try to hide it.
Although the organic brands may not contain additives some contain a lot of sugar.
Interesting article written about the science behind food addictions created by the food manufacturers. This may not be news to some folks, and it is a loooooooooong read, I’m not gonna lie to you, but it is fascinating and horrifying at the same time. I would encourage you all to check it out: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?pagewanted=all
What about Fage? I looked on their label and they have nothing but milk and cultures. I think it’s the best yogurt around…has a ton of protein and it’s Fake “Greek” yogurt.
Hello –
Glad you asked about FAGE yogurt. I recently was learning about them,
No GMO’s
No rBGH (Growth hormones)*
No artificial flavors
No artificial sweeteners
No preservatives
Foodbabe– is Choboni yogurt bad and include all
I’m wondering this too. Also what about Tillamook yogurt? They are pretty well priced, and I used to live in Oregon and have visited the cheese factory all the time. They seem to be a trustable brand IMHO. You can usually pick up Tillamook products at WINCO throughout the PNW and even in the SW regions.
switch to non-dairy yogurt, check out our product on our website. Awesome tasting non-dairy yogurt made from organic, non-GMO and soy-free. http://www.crunchculture.com
Many people have said that our non-dairy yogurt is the best on the market.
Vani- please let me know when you/we are gonna start the fight against fluoride in our water. I live in Charlotte and have a young child. And as a renter, don’t feel I should have to consume fluoride filled water just bc I don’t own an expensive filter connected to my faucet. I will fight as much as possible to change the system here in our home city. Please tell me you are on board. We need you to help push this!
I’ve been hoping you would post something on the tooic of yogurt. Here is my dilemma. My daughter loves yogurt… Will eat it with every meal. I usually buy the Wallaby Organic Greek yogurt in a big tub. She recently started preschool and I had been sending her with a frozen organic brand yogurt tube – Stoneyfield brand. But one day I saw that the Sigg brand also had the tube yogurt so I compared the ingredients and the Siggs (which isnt labeled Organic) only had 4 or so ingredients where as the Stoneyfield had three times that many. What’s your opinion on this? It seems like the Siggs is made up of less crap but not organic. Help please!
Vani, I love the work you do and the info you provide to us to make good decisions about our food. Thank you so much!
My 5 year old’s favorite breakfast is steel cut oats, with vanilla greek yogurt, homemade granola, and banana slices. Is there a way to flavor these plain yogurts with vanilla extract and have it taste like yummy vanilla yogurt? Unfortunately, I know he’s NOT going to go for it if it’s just plain yogurt… I can gradually add in more of the plain to alter his taste buds, but what to do in the meantime?
Thanks in advance for your help!
You could try some sweet leaf stevia flavor….comes in a liquid and has a dropper. A little goes a long way and they have tons of flavors. You can find them online or at most health food stores, although I have found flavors are limited in the stores.
Well, I made my first batch according to the recipe and let it sit for 6-7 hours. It tastes very good but texture is slimy and a little runny. I used whole organic milk and a good brand of organic yogurt. What happened?
I have been making our own yogurt for a while now. It’s easier than I ever thought. And like you we add our own fruit and honey. 🙂
the best yogurt here we have in TX is withe mountain Bulgarian yogurt:
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/white-mountain-foods-austin?select=1YMIGYMH-MH-VtI_y5-pJQ#1YMIGYMH-MH-VtI_y5-pJQ
i used to make my own yogurt but not any more.
I am an American now living in Scandinavia.
Yogurt has recently appeared in stores that has MSG added.
As if something as simple as yogurt needed a flavor enhancer.
We love you Vani! Keep up the great work 🙂
i eat coconut milk yogurt because I try not to eat dairy because it can create inflammation in the body. Is this yogurt ok to eat?
This article claims that you avoid pesticides when you buy organic which is not true. They just use organic pesticides which are often less effective in many cases and are also quite often carcinogens like their organic counterparts. The idea that natural this always better is just poor logic. Here is a link to a article but do your own research as well. I recommend reading about both sides of the argument before taking one lady’s word for it. https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~lhom/organictext.html
Wait so what is pectin? I see its in almost all dairy products that I have seen in the store, organic and non-organic, and above it is highlighted red as bad in the “Activia Greek Orchard Peach Yogurt*” and its not highlighted red in the Danimals smoothie one? I dont even know what pectin is and if it is bad or not? :/
HELP……………………….
Okay, I know I’m late asking this question but hope I can get some help. I read this when I got the email, but didn’t have time until now.
Since it’s winter here in the cold Northeast and we keep our house on the ‘pretty cool side to save oil’, is sitting this on the counter going to work? We get raw milk and I often make the curds and whey but in the winter, it doesn’t do as well unless I put it in a cooler with hot water for several days, which is a pain.
I’ve read some comments to see if anyone else asked, but don’t have time to read all, so does anyone have any suggestions about the temperature for making this work if your kitchen is cold?
Thanks, foodbabe……
Hi Ann,
I have a pretty cold house in the winter as well (usually 40-60 degrees).
Here are some thoughts:
Insulate a cooler with towels and place the warm jars in there to set over night.
Also, you could place it in your water heater closet if you have space.
Some have suggested that you can wrap your jars in towels and place them in the oven and turn the oven light on (which will radiate a bit of heat), but I think this option works better in warmer homes.
Let us know how it goes!
Hi, Janet –
Thank you so much for the quick reply.
I wasn’t sure if keeping them inside the cooler on towels would be be sufficient or not but that sounds like the best idea for me. It’s a pain when I do the curds to keep the water hot enough inside (not to mention messy and heavy) as I fill it about half way full.
Our water heater is down in the basement, (no closet) so that won’t work, but I’ll try wrapping them in towels inside the cooler. I’ve been wanting to do kefir, but the Amish guy who promised 2 yrs. ago to give me some grains has never mentioned it since. 🙁
By the way, I’m happy to see Wegman’s organic passes, as we shop there regularly. They have LOTS of great organic foods, way above any other local market. But making it is still better AND less cost. We’ve also bought Stoneyfield, but know they were sold awhile back.
Thank you again!
There is nothing wrong with yogurt if you pick the right one. Plain greek yogurt is the way to go. I love the liberty Greek yogurt.