From The Spring 2005 Issue of Natural Grocery Buyer

Organic yogurt alive and kicking

Mitchell Clute

Today’s consumers expect more from their food than just a full belly. They want to know that the foods they eat are healthful, too. For many of them, that means they’re looking for meat and dairy products without added hormones, antibiotics or other potentially dangerous toxins. And if the food actually has something in it that promotes health, they’re sold. Organic yogurt fits this bill.

“We know that most people who begin to choose organic food start eating organic because they’re having a child or are concerned about what their children are eating,” says Cathleen Toomey, vice president of communications for Stonyfield Farm, based in Londonderry, N.H. “Within organic food, organic dairy is the category where most consumers first dip their toes in the water.”

There are a lot of wet toes out there. Stonyfield, a manufacturer of organic yogurt, was the fourth-best-selling brand of yogurt in the country in the 52 weeks ended Dec. 26, 2004. It sold $148.5 million worth of organic yogurt, accounting for 5.3 percent of the total share of yogurt sold in supermarkets, drugstores and mass merchandisers (excluding Wal-Mart), according to Information Resources Inc. Of the top five producers, Stonyfield had the greatest growth at 21.4 percent.

A major selling point for organic yogurt is its high level of probiotics. The most common strains of these beneficial bacteria are Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterim bifidum, both of which help support digestive tract health. Probiotics are “huge every place except the United States,” says Lynn Dornblaser, director of Mintel International’s Global New Products Database Consulting Services, noting that trends that begin in Europe often find their way across the Atlantic. And once consumers learn about the advantages of probiotics, they’re often hooked.

Probiotics have a wide range of health benefits, from promoting immunity and gastrointestinal health to reducing the symptoms of lactose intolerance and the incidence of yeast infections. “Probiotics are a group of helpful bacteria that actually implant in the small and large intestine,” says Nancy Hamren, namesake of Nancy’s Yogurt, based in Eugene, Ore. “They fend off harmful invaders; they produce acidity that helps with calcium uptake; they stimulate the immune system to form immunoglobulins; they synthesize B vitamins, folic acid and vitamin K; they inhibit the growth of pathogens; they produce the enzyme lactase that helps digest lactose; they help the liver to detoxify the blood; they balance the flora of the bowel so the kidneys don’t have to work so hard to eliminate waste; they form antibodies against food poisoning organisms; they moderately lower cholesterol; and they help suppress colitis.”

While active cultures are found in all yogurts, often other ingredients in conventional yogurt cancel out their beneficial effect on intestinal flora. “Many conventional yogurts have high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners that act as food for the bad bacteria,” says Debra Boutin, a registered dietitian and clinical nutrition coordinator for Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash. “And while all yogurt has probiotics, levels vary significantly from brand to brand. Some organic yogurts, such as Nancy’s, work hard on having high levels of active live cultures in [their] product.” Some brands, such as Stonyfield, include multiple strains of active cultures.

There are a variety of additional reasons consumers may choose organic yogurt over conventional products. “The biggest issue is the toxins in our foods and in our bodies,” Boutin says. Because many environmental toxins are fat-soluble—including growth hormones given to cattle raised by conventional methods, as well as pesticides and herbicides—these toxins go directly into cattle’s fat stores, including the milk of dairy cattle.

“When you make whole-milk yogurt [from the milk of conventionally raised cattle], you’re going to get major toxins. In nonfat conventional yogurt, there are fewer toxins, because the fat has been removed. Organic yogurt, even whole-milk yogurt, has the fewest toxins, because the cows are not exposed to these toxins in the first place,” Boutin says.

Because organic production is regulated from the ground up, consumers know that organic yogurt will be much lower in pesticide and herbicide residue. “There was a recent study done at the University of Washington comparing children on a conventional diet to children on an all-organic diet,” Stonyfield’s Toomey says. “Not only did the children on the conventional diet have higher pesticide levels, but in some cases the levels were nine times higher than EPA [Environmental Protection Agency]-recommended standards. That’s very frightening, considering the organ development occurring in preschool-age children.”

In fact, the youngest children are at the greatest risk from toxins in conventional dairy products. It’s recommended that children under 2 be fed whole-milk yogurt—which, in its conventional form, has the highest levels of toxic residues—because the infant brain requires high levels of fats for development. “Breast milk has a very high fat composition,” Boutin says. “The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement saying that babies up to the age of 2 require whole-milk product for adequate brain development.” American consumers’ love affair with low-fat products means that some parents don’t get this message, but Boutin says that children can continue to eat whole-milk products until the age of 5, unless they are overweight.

In addition to its regular product lineup, Stonyfield offers a full range of whole-milk products just for children. Its organic YoBaby brand includes drinkable yogurt, yogurt with organic fruit and cereal puree, and traditional spoonable yogurt, all for babies and toddlers. For older kids, Stonyfield makes yogurt cups and squeezable yogurt.

Another health issue with conventional dairy products is antibiotic residue found in milk. Conventionally raised cattle are often given antibiotics mixed in with their feed as a preventive measure, because the conditions under which they are raised increase the likelihood of illness and infection. By contrast, the National Organic Program rule prohibits any use of antibiotics in organically raised cattle.

“Antibiotics are definitely an issue,” Boutin says. “In the past, the [conventional] dairy industry claimed that the antibiotics were digested, but that may not be true. The trace amounts we consume could make our bodies resistant to antibiotics, so it is a potential problem.”

And that has consumers worried. In 2003, 59 percent of consumers who learned about this potential problem expressed a high desire to avoid products made from animals raised on antibiotics.

Bovine growth hormone in conventional yogurt is another concern, especially for children. “Many people are obviously very concerned about rGBH,” Toomey says. “It’s not healthful for the cow, and it’s been linked to increased early [sexual] development in children.”

“In the absence of long-term studies on human health, it’s better to choose yogurt from dairies that can assure the consumer that both their conventional and organic milk supplies are free of rBGH,” Hamren says.

Add up all these concerns, and it’s easy to see why organic yogurt is a critical choice for consumers looking for healthier alternatives. “It tastes good, it’s good for you, and you know exactly what goes into your organic yogurt,” Toomey says.

Mitchell Clute is a freelance writer, poet and musician living in Crestone, Colo.