Product Nutrition FAQs

Are Stonyfield products gluten-free?

All of our yogurts, smoothies, and soy yogurts (except YoToddler) are certified gluten-free, so people with gluten intolerance can enjoy those products without worry. Most of our gluten-free products have a small Certified Gluten-Free Symbol printed on the package (on the side or back panel of cups and smoothies, and on the top of the multipacks.)

Also, our ice cream and frozen yogurt products (except for the Cookies 'n Cream flavor), do not contain gluten. We follow safe manufacturing practices to ensure there is no cross contamination in the gluten-free varieties, but because they're run on the same equipment as products with gluten, they are not certified gluten-free and that should be kept in mind when making your purchasing decisions.

I have diabetes. Are there any Stonyfield yogurts safe for me to eat?

There is no reason someone with diabetes can't have Stonyfield Farm yogurt. You just need to integrate the yogurt into your plan, and a good place to start is by noting its carbohydrate content. The 5.3 oz vanilla organic Oikos Greek yogurt has 12 grams of carbohydrates. Plain Oikos has 6 grams - all from the lactose, which is a very low glycemic carbohydrate. Fewer carbs and more protein can make it a great addition to your plan.

When looking at the nutrition label on Stonyfield yogurt, it's important to note that about half of the sugar amount listed includes the sugar that naturally occurs in milk and fruit, so, there's less added sugar than it appears.

Of course, the best way to limit added sugar is to start with a plain Stonyfield yogurt, which includes no added sugar at all, and sweeten or flavor to your preference.

Does Stonyfield make a yogurt that is dairy-free for people who are lactose intolerant or who have milk allergies?

Stonyfield's O'Soy is made with organic soy milk vs. dairy. While we don't add any milk to our O'Soy soy yogurt, the live active cultures in O'Soy are grown in milk. The overall milk content of O'Soy is extremely low. However, because it's in the form of milk protein, if you're highly allergic to dairy, we don't recommend O'Soy.

We can still assure you that O'Soy is lactose-free, so folks who are lactose intolerant and not allergic to milk can safely enjoy O'Soy.

Stonyfield's traditional yogurts, because of the culturing process, are lower in lactose, but are not lactose-free. Our Oikos Greek yogurt is lowest in lactose because more lactose is removed during the straining process.

People with lactose intolerance have varying degrees of intolerance. Some can tolerate yogurt and some can't. Sometimes, because lactose intolerance is the result of a deficit of the lactase enzyme, a lactase supplement can help to tolerate foods that contain lactose.

Will freezing yogurt impact the health benefits of the live and active cultures?

Freezing can destroy some of the beneficial cultures in our yogurt, but there are billions, so there'll still be plenty to give you added health benefits. The cultures become dormant when frozen, but once thawed, either in the refrigerator or in the body once consumed, will become live and active once again.

How can I figure out calcium content in milligrams rather than percentages for Stonyfield yogurt?

Calcium is the easiest value to figure out on the label. The Daily Value (DV) for Calcium is 1000 mg so simply multiply 1000 by the percent listed on the label. If a label says there is 30%, it means there is 300 mg of calcium. 25% is 250 mg. That's true with any label.

Why do you add sugar to your yogurt?

Almost half of the sugar listed in the nutritional info is what's found naturally in the milk and fruit – which is why you see different sugar amounts in different flavors. Nutritionists don't consider these naturally occurring sugars unhealthy. The sugar we do add is organic sugar used to create the flavors that our yogurts lovers prefer the most.

If you'd like to limit your sugar intake, we offer plain versions of our YoBaby, 0% fat, lowfat, whole milk and Greek yogurt without any added sugar.

Are your products made without Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)?

At Stonyfield, we're committed to producing foods without the use of GMOs as part of our commitment to choosing the best organic ingredients so we can offer you the healthiest food possible.

Organic standards do not allow the use of GMOs and our farmer-partners continue to be vigilant on the farm to minimize the possibility of contamination from farms that do use GMO seeds. We know that for consumers demanding the highest quality food products that are produced without GMOs, organic remains the safest bet – and we're working hard to ensure it stays that way.

We are as passionate about organic food free of toxic persistent pesticides and GMOs as you and we hope you'll join us in raising your voice to demand the labeling of products produced with GMOs. Visit http://justlabelit.org/ and tell the FDA that you believe you have the right to know what's in your food.

Does being organic change what cows eat, and how does that impact the milk you end up with in your products?

All of the organic milk used to make our products comes from Organic Valley/CROPP, a Wisconsin-based cooperative of over 1,300 dairy farmers throughout the U.S. Because Organic Valley's farms are certified organic, they're required to follow pasture-based production standards, and Organic Valley goes even further with strict pasture policies that meet or exceed those of the USDA Organic Standards. Cows must have access to pasture to graze on a mixture of grasses, legumes such as alfalfa and clover, and other nutritious plants.

The minimum pasture requirement for lactating cows is 120 days per growing season. At least 30% of the cow's diet must come from pasture, which gives cows the vitamins and minerals they need to produce the nutrient-rich milk you need. Most farmers also produce their own organic feed from various sources on their farms including pasture, dry bailed hay, pellet grain, and haylage.

We don't measure the omega-3 fatty acids in our milk or other products. But research has shown organic milk to contain substantially higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids (as compared to non-organic milk), especially when the cows that make that milk have access to nutritious, rapidly growing pasture.

Through our Stonyfield Greener Cow Project, we've recently found higher levels of omega-3s in the milk produced by fifteen of the Organic Valley farms that supply milk for our yogurt. On these fifteen farms, cows eat a special, experimental diet rich in omega-3 sources, such as alfalfa, flax and grasses. The Greener Cow milk is also lower in saturated fat, and the cows burp less climate-damaging methane into the air – you can learn more about it here: Stonyfield Greener Cow Project