By: Violet Batcha (Only Organic)
Many people think of yogurt as a smart, healthy snack to be enjoyed any time of day, but is all yogurt really as good as it’s cracked up to be?
Not so much. Many brands display the industry’s “Live and Active Cultures” seal, which indicates high levels of beneficial probiotics. They’re there, all right. But most conventional yogurt brands are also loaded with artificial sweeteners, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, synthetic preservatives, and chemical defoamers. These additions more than cancel out the benefits of the probiotics, according to a recent report by the Cornucopia Institute.
Cornucopia, a sustainable agriculture research institute, recommends organic yogurt, which is guaranteed to have been produced without growth hormones and antibiotics and contains less pesticide residue and fewer processing aids.
Conventional farmers have been feeding dairy cows unnecessary hormones and antibiotics since the 1950s to accelerate growth and enhance milk production. The overuse of antibiotics in livestock production is believed to have contributed to the development of antibiotic-resistant human pathogens, making antibiotics less effective in combating human diseases.
Buying conventional yogurt not only supports farmers that use antibiotics and growth hormones but can lead to increased exposure to pesticides and chemical processing aids. Conventionally grown fruit has been found time and again to have higher levels of pesticide residue than organic. It is especially important to buy organic yogurt when you are looking for varieties that contain whole fruit pieces. Most chemical processing aids are prohibited from organic production. If you are concerned about these chemicals, going organic can help you avoid them.
The next time you are in the yogurt aisle, consider going organic. You also refer to Cornucopia’s Yogurt Buyer’s Guide, which ranks both organic and conventional yogurt brands, and EWG’s Food Scores database and mobile app, which rank a variety of foods including yogurts.
