When we meet someone for the first time and share what
we do, it often seems to open the gateway to a game of 20 questions. “What do you think
about the Paleo diet?” “It’s a good thing to give up gluten, right?” “Is a
banana bad for me?” “So, do you always eat
healthy?” When we’re asked these kinds of questions, we’re happy to answer
them. We feel grateful that people feel comfortable enough to ask. Here's a recent
question we were asked...and here's the answer!
Question: What
does the “live and active cultures” seal mean?
Answer: The “Live & Active Cultures” seal is restricted to
yogurt products, according to the California Dairy Research Foundation.
Developed by the National Yogurt Association, the seal is intended to help
consumers distinguish between products containing live cultures of bacteria and
those that have been heat treated, subsequently killing all bacterial strains.
The seal is available to any refrigerated yogurt or frozen yogurt manufacturer and
requires products to contain a standard amount of lactic acid bacteria per gram
at the time of manufacture. While helpful to consumers, the seal is limited in
that it does not differentiate from added probiotics—those beneficial bacteria that
populate our intestinal tract and have been linked to specific benefits, such
as improved digestion and immunity—and the starter culture bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophiles) used in the fermentation
process for producing yogurt. As for other products containing probiotics (that
may not carry the seal), such as granola bars, cereal, and chewing
gum, additional research is required by the consumer to investigate whether the
products contain adequate quantities of probiotics, whether they are alive at
the time of manufacture, and whether research has determined that the
probiotics listed in the product are beneficial.
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| Greek yogurt (with Live & Active cultures) topped with blueberries |
This Q & A was written by McKenzie for the December 2013 issue of Environmental Nutrition.
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