120731 Yogurt Ingredients

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Sodium citrate
Sodium citrate, made from the natural fruit acid citric acid,
balances the acidity of yogurt to enhance its flavor.
Sucralose
Like aspartame, the sweetener sucralose, marketed under
the brand name SPLENDA®, is much sweeter than sugar and
can be used in extremely small amounts to add sweetness
with no calories.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, oats, rye and barley.
Some people are sensitive to gluten and must eat foods that
are “gluten-free.” Dannon Plain yogurts (Lowfat, Nonfat and
Natural) and Dannon Plain Activia are all gluten safe. Though
Dannon products are not formulated to contain gluten, all
other Dannon yogurts cannot be designated as gluten safe
because we do not specifically test every ingredient or the
overall finished product for gluten. Of course, when we use
wheat or wheat products, we do list those ingredients on the
label, as one of the 8 major allergens.
REFERENCES:
Food and Drug Administration, Part 184 — Direct Food Substances Affirmed
As Generally Recognized As Safe, 2005.
International Food Information Council, Sugar and Low Calorie Sweeteners,
2004.
International Food Information Council, What’s This Doing In My Food?
A Guide to Food Ingredients, 2000.
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For more information contact:
The DANNON Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 90296
Allentown, PA 18109-0296
1-877-DANNONUS (1-877-326-6668)
or visit us on the web:
www.dannon.com
You asked
about yogurt
ingredients
The basic yogurt recipe is simply fresh milk, sweeteners,
cultures and flavors or fruit. Most DANNON® yogurts also
contain other ingredients to enhance their flavor, texture
and appearance.
Acesulfame K
Acesulfame K (or Acesulfame potassium or ace-K) is a
calorie-free sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Acesulfame K, which can be used alone, often is blended
with other low calorie sweeteners to produce a more sugarlike taste than that of any of the low calorie sweeteners alone.
Acesulfame K also helps the blend retain its sweetness over
time, thereby maintains the sweetness shelf life of products.
Aspartame
Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener that is used in place of
sugar. It is made from two amino acids, or protein building
blocks, called aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Ounce for ounce,
it has the same number of calories as sugar, but because it is
close to 200 times sweeter, aspartame is added in extremely
small amounts that add almost no calories. It is a popular
sweetener in reduced-calorie yogurts.
Aspartame is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) as safe to use for the general population,
as well as for people with diabetes. People with the hereditary
disease phenylketonuria (PKU) should not use aspartame
because their body cannot process phenylalanine.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch is natural starch that is extracted from corn. A
related product called modified cornstarch is natural cornstarch that has been treated to make it more stable. Modified
cornstarch holds up well in heat and helps give body and
texture to yogurt.
Fructose
Fructose is a simple sugar derived from fruit. It adds sweetness to yogurt. High fructose corn syrup is a type of corn
syrup sweetener that contains a combination of fructose and
glucose, another simple sugar.
Gelatin
Gelatin gives consistency and texture to certain varieties
of yogurt. DANNON uses kosher gelatin, and DANNON
products are made with gelatin derived from cattle hide. Pork
gelatin is not used. DANNON products containing kosher
gelatin are marked with the symbol K on the label, recognizing
their kosher certification by Rabbi Dr. David I. Sheinkopf.
Malic acid
Malic acid is a fruit acid derived from apples. It helps balance
the tartness of yogurt.
Pectin
Some DANNON yogurt varieties contain a small amount of
pectin, a fiber from fruit. Pectin helps to thicken yogurt and
give it the desired consistency and texture. DANNON uses a
pectin blend from citrus fruits, including lemons, limes,
oranges and grapefruit.
Phosphates
Calcium, potassium and sodium phosphate are mineral
compounds that are present naturally in milk. DANNON
also adds these compounds to yogurt products to improve
their quality. For example, calcium phosphate boosts the
texture and consistency of fruit mixtures, while
potassium and sodium phosphate
help prevent the naturally
derived fruit color from
mixing in with the
white yogurt.