# In America, yogurt is not "yogurt"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695 "2007-08-23T22:12:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/1 "2007-08-23T22:12:57Z")
Overhearing a customer at Whole Foods today tell his companions that the non-fat Stonyfield Farms they held in their hands was not, in truth, yogurt, I was compelled to ask him whatever did he mean. He had me compare the list of ingredients in the Stonyfield Farms to that of a seemingly local brand of yogurt, the former contained skim milk, inulin and pectin (‘thickeners, whereas real yogurt is naturally thickened by bacterial cultures’), and “active cultures.” The other brand listed only “cultured yogurt.” It was claimed that most commercial yogurts are not, in fact, real yogurt, but have the bacterial cultures added at the end of the manufacturing process ‘so that the label can honestly claim it contains active cultures.’ The cited source of this knowledge was a three week intensive food science course at Penn State University. _Do_ commercial yogurts have bacterial cultures added at the _end_ of the manufacturing process? What exactly is “yogurt” anyway? Is Stonyfield Farm healthier than Dannon or Yoplait (aside from merely the relative sugar content)? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/2 "2007-08-23T22:36:23Z")
Since yogurt is _made_ by introducing cutures into the milk, how does he suppose they “manufacture” it without these cultures? I call BS. Commercial yogurts may be sweetened to a degree totally unnecessary, but they are “real” yogurts. There are some that are pasteurized before packaging, to make them shelf-stable. These will not have live cultures in them. But your run-of-the-mill Yoplait or Dannon is made with cultures and has them in the final product. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/3 "2007-08-23T23:19:39Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Since yogurt is _made_ by introducing cutures into the milk, how does he suppose they “manufacture” it without these cultures? [/QUOTE] That’s the whole idea. You can get yogurt-like substance by thickening using _other means._ Whether that constitutes real yogurt or not is a matter of debate. I will contend, however, that anything that contains gelatin or stabilizers is not “Sour Cream” but rather “Artificially Thickened Sour Half-and-half”. I’d imagine yogurt purists would have a similar argument. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/4 "2007-08-23T23:31:42Z")
Did he, at any point, claim that anything was “one molecule away from being plastic”? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/5 "2007-08-23T23:31:47Z")
I don’t accept the notion that if a yogurt contains pectin or stabilizers it was not also made by the natural bacterial culture of milk. Additives can be used to extend shelf life, stabilize consistency and modify the texture of naturally cultured yogurt. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/6 "2007-08-23T23:40:03Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] I don’t accept the notion that if a yogurt contains pectin or stabilizers it was not also made by the natural bacterial culture of milk. Additives can be used to extend shelf life, stabilize consistency and modify the texture of naturally cultured yogurt. [/QUOTE] I don’t think anybody is claiming _that._ I wouldn’t be surprised if some things that are labeled “Yogurt” do not actually have any cultured milk products. I don’t think US has any nazi labeling laws about yogurt (correct me if I’m wrong). There’s definitely some about ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/7 "2007-08-23T23:47:10Z")
My daughter dislikes yogurt since she found out it had gelatin in it. She is a vegetarian & really dislikes that they use that. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/8 "2007-08-23T23:59:16Z")
The National Yogurt Association [claims on their site](http://www.aboutyogurt.com/lacYogurt/facts.asp#q2): > [@](#): > > Under the standard of identity established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in order for a refrigerated product to be called “yogurt,” it must be produced by culturing permitted dairy ingredients with a bacterial culture, which contains Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. In addition to the use of bacterial cultures required by the FDA standard of identity, live and active culture yogurt may contain other safe and suitable food grade bacterial cultures. No standard of identity exists for frozen yogurt products, but they too may contain live and active cultures. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/9 "2007-08-24T00:01:30Z")
From the FDA: _§ 131.200 Yogurt. (a) Description. Yogurt is the food produced by culturing one or more of the optional dairy ingredients specified in paragraph (c) of this section with a characterizing bacterial culture that contains the lactic acid-producing bac-teria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Strep-tococcus thermophilus. One or more of the other optional ingredients specified in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section may also be added. When one or more of the ingredients specified in para-graph (d)(1) of this section are used, they shall be included in the culturing process. All ingredients used are safe and suitable. Yogurt, before the addi-tion of bulky flavors, contains not less than 3.25 percent milkfat and not less than 8.25 percent milk solids not fat, and has a titratable acidity of not less than 0.9 percent, expressed as lactic acid. The food may be homogenized and shall be pasteurized or ultra-pasteur-ized prior to the addition of the bac-terial culture. Flavoring ingredients may be added after pasteurization or ultra-pasteurization. To extend the shelf life of the food, yogurt may be heat treated after culturing is com-pleted, to destroy viable microorga-nisms. (b) Vitamin addition (optional). (1) If added, vitamin A shall be present in such quantity that each 946 milliliters (quart) of the food contains not less than 2,000 International Units thereof, within limits of current good manufac-turing practice. (2) If added, vitamin D shall be present in such quantity that each 946 milliliters (quart) of the food contains 400 International Units thereof, within limits of current good manufacturing practice. (c) Optional dairy ingredients. Cream, milk, partially skimmed milk, or skim milk, used alone or in combination. (d) Other optional ingredients. (1) Con-centrated skim milk, nonfat dry milk, buttermilk, whey, lactose, lactalbum-ins, lactoglobulins, or whey modified by partial or complete removal of lac-tose and/or minerals, to increase the nonfat solids content of the food: Pro-vided, That the ratio of protein to total nonfat solids of the food, and the pro-tein efficiency ratio of all protein present shall not be decreased as a re-sult of adding such ingredients. (2) Nutritive carbohydrate sweet-eners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; in-vert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner’s sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in part 168 of this chapter, except table sirup. (3) Flavoring ingredients. (4) Color additives. (5) Stabilizers. (e) Methods of analysis. The following referenced methods of analysis are from ‘‘Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists,’’ 13th Ed. (1980), which is in-corporated by reference. Copies are available from the AOAC INTER-NATIONAL, 481 North Frederick Ave., suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the avail-ability of this material at NARA, call 202–741–6030, or go to: http:// [www.archives.gov/federal](http://www.archives.gov/federal) register/ code of federal regulations/ ibr locations.html. (1) Milkfat content—As determined by the method prescribed in section 16.059 ‘‘Roese-Gottlieb Method (Ref-erence Method) (11)—Official Final Ac-tion, ’’ under the heading ‘‘Fat.’’ (2) Milk solids not fat content—Cal-culated by subtracting the milkfat con-tent from the total solids content as determined by the method prescribed in section 16.032, ‘‘Method I—Official Final Action,’’ under the heading ‘‘Total Solids.’’_ ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/10 "2007-08-24T00:03:30Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth] Did he, at any point, claim that anything was “one molecule away from being plastic”? [/QUOTE] Now, I’d believe that about Cool Whip. That stuff tastes like a petroleum product. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/11 "2007-08-24T00:13:36Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Since yogurt is _made_ by introducing cutures into the milk, how does he suppose they “manufacture” it without these cultures? [/QUOTE] It’s all done with mirrors..Duh! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/12 "2007-08-24T00:14:10Z")
[QUOTE=groman] I don’t think US has any nazi labeling laws about yogurt (correct me if I’m wrong). There’s definitely some about ice cream. [/QUOTE] [http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr030703.html](http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr030703.html) ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/13 "2007-08-24T01:10:39Z")
He was talking low fat? Of necessity they need to add things to it for mouth feel alone. Compare full fat yogurts’ ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/14 "2007-08-24T01:19:12Z")
On the Science Channel program “_How It’s Made_,” they did yogurt, and indeed it was made of milk that went through the culturing process with live bacteria… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/15 "2007-08-24T05:52:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Now, I’d believe that [one molecule away from plastic] about Cool Whip. That stuff tastes like a petroleum product. All sorts of things are one molecule away from being plastic. Water is one molecule away from being plastic: Just take away the water molecule, and replace it with a plastic molecule. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/16 "2007-08-24T07:43:11Z")
My joke was a reference to a rather nonsensical idea floating around that margarine is one molecule away from being plastic. By the exact same token, as **Chronos** pointed out, water is one molecule away from being uranium hexafluoride. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/17 "2007-08-24T08:05:28Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] All sorts of things are one molecule away from being plastic. Water is one molecule away from being plastic: Just take away the water molecule, and replace it with a plastic molecule. [/QUOTE] Wouldn’t it technically be two molecules away from being plastic? Now, bottled water is pretty close to being one molecule from being plastic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/18 "2007-08-24T08:23:25Z")
[QUOTE=ASAKMOTSD] My daughter dislikes yogurt since she found out it had gelatin in it. She is a vegetarian & really dislikes that they use that. [/QUOTE] Really? I have a container of Danon All Natural yogurt, and it lists only one ingredient: Cultured Grade A milk. I assume gelatin would have to be listed if it were included. Now, I also have some “Middle Eastern Style” yogurt, and that has all sorts of crap in it, but the Dannon All Natural seems to be pure yogurty goodness. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/19 "2007-08-24T09:44:07Z")
[QUOTE=groman] Wouldn’t it technically be two molecules away from being plastic? [/QUOTE] Nnnno. A molecule is what water _is_. A glass of 100% pure water is a glass of water molecules. (How many molecules depends on the mass and the isotope ratios of the atoms the molecules are made out of. Just picture an unimaginably gigantic number and multiply it by the national debt.) If you change the molecules from water to (a specific kind of) plastic, you now have a cup of (presumably molten) plastic. That’s the only possible way to interpret the ‘one molecule away from’ statement that doesn’t raise more, stupider questions. I’ve now wasted more brain power on this nonsense than any five people who believe in it. Good day. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/20 "2007-08-24T09:46:03Z")
Dannon “All Natural” yogurt: > [@](#): > > Cultured grade A reduced fat milk, sugar, natural flavor, pectin. Contains active yogurt cultures including _L. acidophilus_. Dannon “All Natural” blended style yogurt, cherry flavor: > [@](#): > > Cultured grade A lowfat milk, sguar, cherries, water, contains less than 1%: corn starch, natural flavor, pectin, locus bean gum, lemon juice concentrate. Contains active yogurt cultures including _L. acidophilus_. Dannon (double “n”) **“Fruit on the Bottom”** yogurt, cherry flavor: > [@](#): > > Cultured grade A lowfat milk, cherries, sugar, fructose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, contains less than 1% of modified corn starch, pectin, kosher gelatin, natural flavor, sodium phosphate, malic acid, carmine (for color), calcium phosphate. Contains active yogurt cultures including _L. acidophilus_. What is “kosher gelatin”? Gelatin derived from cattle hide, and certified by Rabbi Dr. David I. Sheinkopf. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695.md?page=2)