# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/41 "2007-08-24T16:59:22Z")
[QUOTE=Triskadecamus] No one eats live cow. [/QUOTE] “. . .a cow that good you don’t just eat in one sitting”. (old joke) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/42 "2007-08-24T17:02:33Z")
Note that not all of the flavored yogurts still contain “active cultures.” “Active cultures” have some health benefits on their own, so making sure your yogurt has them is a good idea. Most do, however. ---
**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, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/43 "2007-08-24T17:47:51Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] In your post #18, you did not mention plain yogurt. Most people buy flavored yogurt. [/QUOTE] Ah, I see. I consider “yogurt,” without further description the plain stuff. (Probably because when I buy yogurt, it’s for Indian/Middle Eastern/Greek recipes, where you certainly don’t want fruit flavor.) Why would you be surprised to find gelatin or pectin in something that has jellied or jelly-like fruit in it? That was my confusion. ---
**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, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/44 "2007-08-24T17:51:41Z")
A similar complaint I have is that a LOT of “cream” sold in the US is actually cream mixed in with carageenen, guar gum, and other crap. Very little commercial cream that I could find is actually honest-to-goodness cream and nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/45 "2007-08-24T18:08:17Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] In your post #18, you did not mention plain yogurt. Most people buy flavored yogurt. [/QUOTE] Wouldn’t the absence of ingredients other than milk imply that (in addition to being free of thickeners) it was plain? I certainly assumed that was the case. You were aware yogurt came plain, right? ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/46 "2007-08-24T19:03:54Z")
[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] This made me bust up laughing. My preschooler is befuddled by her crazy mother. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/47 "2007-08-24T19:03:55Z")
I eat plain yogurt almost every day. Recently someone gave me a single serving of “greek style yogurt” ( I forgot the brand name) that had a serving on honey on the side. Boy was that good! It was full-fat yogurt, so I won’t look for it on the shelves. But, boy was that good! ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/48 "2007-08-24T19:05:39Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] That would mean that within the eukaryote domain, plants and fungi are in, animals and protists are out. Outside the eukaryotes, bacteria are in, and archaea presumably are too, provided you could find some appetizing ones. What would be the explanation of the distinction between thou shalt and thou shalt not? [/QUOTE] That was just a little dysentery joke. Guess I should have used the smiley after all. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/49 "2007-08-24T19:07:45Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] That would mean that within the eukaryote domain, plants and fungi are in, animals and protists are out. Outside the eukaryotes, bacteria are in, and archaea presumably are too, provided you could find some appetizing ones. What would be the explanation of the distinction between thou shalt and thou shalt not? [/QUOTE] Inside a eukaryote, it’s too dark to see! Hey, it beats "In America, Yogurt believes YOU! ---
**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 25, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/50 "2007-08-25T01:07:27Z")
I’ve made yogurt twice from active cultures from commercial yogurt. The first batch I decided not to eat (don’t ask). The second was quite awesome. Hence, commercial yogurts (can) have good, active cultures. My Indian friends frequently offer home made yogurts (they convinced me to me make it, after all). It tastes pretty much like the commercial stuff, the natural commercial stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/51 "2007-08-25T11:41:24Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth] “one molecule away from being plastic”? [/QUOTE] The step, I believe, is to change an atom, or a naturally occurring molecule, within a larger molecule of margarine that will result in having plastic. Whether true or not I’ll leave as an exercise for a chemist. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/52 "2007-08-25T12:19:28Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > ## 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. But where in the product would you find the gelatin? I’d bet that it’s in the cherries at the bottom, and not in the actual yogurt. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/53 "2007-08-25T21:55:27Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] The step, I believe, is to change an atom, or a naturally occurring molecule, within a larger molecule of margarine that will result in having plastic. Whether true or not I’ll leave as an exercise for a chemist. [/QUOTE] Did you know that most commercially available table salt is almost 60% Chlorine by weight?! :eek: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/54 "2007-08-25T22:07:13Z")
[QUOTE=nyctea scandiaca] 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… [/QUOTE] I saw that, and if I recall correctly, it was made with powdered milk and cream. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/55 "2007-08-25T22:16:18Z")
When Dannon says, “Cultured Grade A Milk”, what exactly does that mean? Is it fresh milk or powdered milk from a 50 lb. bag reconstituted? Does grade A milk really mean anything from an industrial perspective, would powdered milk mixed with water still fall under the category of Grade A milk? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/56 "2007-08-25T23:38:57Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] I could be wrong, but I’ll bet if you did some looking you could find vegan yogurt. [/QUOTE] Wouldn’t yogurt, being a dairy product, be non-vegan by definition? ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/57 "2007-08-27T00:59:31Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] there isn’t any such thing as vegan gelatin. [/QUOTE] Couldn’t you theoretically make vegan gelatin by collecting nail trimmings and hair from compliant vegans? No animal abuse involved, and less squick factor than eating placenta. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/58 "2007-08-27T01:19:59Z")
[QUOTE=The Sonoran Lizard King] Couldn’t you theoretically make vegan gelatin by collecting nail trimmings and hair from compliant vegans? No animal abuse involved, and less squick factor than eating placenta. [/QUOTE] Hair and nails are 100% keratin, which is a different protein than the collagen that makes up gelatin. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/59 "2007-08-27T14:11:29Z")
Well, to answer my own questions… it appears that by law, when Dannon lists “Cultured Grade A Milk” on its natural yogurt that it is, in fact, “real” milk, and not powdered and reconstituted milk. [QUOTE=FDA] All bottles, containers and packages containing milk or milk products defined in Section 1 of this Ordinance shall be labeled in accordance with the applicable requirements of the FFD&CA, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990, and regulations developed thereunder, the CFR, and in addition, shall comply with applicable requirements of this Section as follows: All bottles, containers and packages containing milk or milk products, except milk tank trucks, storage tanks and cans of raw milk from individual dairy farms, shall be conspicuously marked with: The identity of the plant where pasteurized, ultra-pasteurized or aseptically processed. The words “keep refrigerated after opening” in the case of aseptically processed milk and milk products. The word “Goat” or “Sheep” shall precede the name of the milk or milk product when the product is or is made from goat or sheep milk respectively. The words "Grade “A” on the exterior surface. Acceptable locations shall include the principal display panel, the secondary or informational panel, or the cap/cover. **The word “reconstituted” or “recombined” if the product is made by reconstitution or recombination.** [/QUOTE] The particular type of yogurt that they showed being manufactured on “How it’s made” was a fruit yogurt made by Danone (Dannon) and probably was a predecessor or part of their [Danone Creamy](http://www.danone.ca/en/products/creamy.aspx) product line, and of course was made in Canada (as are all of “How it’s Made” featured products and manufacturing processes). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695/60 "2007-08-27T17:01:29Z")
[QUOTE=The Sonoran Lizard King] Couldn’t you theoretically make vegan gelatin by collecting nail trimmings and hair from compliant vegans? No animal abuse involved, and less squick factor than eating placenta. [/QUOTE] I don’t get this. I mean we could take a cow, and treat it like a member of the family, green pastures, daily massages, beer- and when it dies a happy and fulfilled life, still a vegan won’t touch it. Whereas a human source who can certainly have lived a horrible and stress filled life full of fear and coercion becomes OK? Explain this someone? 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america-yogurt-is-not-yogurt/416695.md?page=4)