Another unclear food label - live cultures in yoghurt.

[awayandaway]

I have just discovered the bit on the yoghurt pot I was eating from that says "live cultures" and it is tiny.

Ok, it IS there, but it is very small, and I am dyslexic. I did check in the shop before picking it up, but I didn't see it.

I now have to contact my cancer nurse arrange a telephone conversation. Not that there is anything she can do now, I have eaten it.

I am going to contact the manufacturer and complain. Particularly on the grounds that a lot of people undergoing chemo are going to have temporary eyesight problems. But obviously, this is dangerous to other people too, not just cancer patients.

I think food with a content that poses a significant danger to a significant proportion of the population should have that warning written in a standard colour, so it is easy to skim the package standing in the super market isle, and find that warning.

There should be a list of ingredients that have to be printed in bright orange, or something, so that if you are scanning for a particular ingredient, and you don't see any bright orange, you know it isn't there.

Of course people who are severely colour blind might have to get someone else to scan for them, but that would solve this issue for most people most of the time, wouldn't it?

From Waitrose:
The majority of yogurts sold in the UK are 'live' yogurts - this means that they contain live bacteria when they are sold and up to the use by date. Rather confusingly the label 'live' on a yogurt usually refers to the fact that one of the new types of bacteria has been added (a 'bio' yogurt).

The "live" you refer to is just to note the added cultures as "healthy" bacteria.

Since when can young children not eat yoghurt!? You must be mistaking it with something else here. There is no problem with children eating yoghurt. In fact I am currently making my own kefir which my whole family (indulging young children!) will have. It has many benefits for your gut.

Pauteurised means the milk is pasteurised, not the yoghurt. Many people make their own yoghurt and kefir, it's not dangerous for most people or babies from weaning age.

If even the experts in gastroenterology aren't aligned, it can hardly be a confirmed, common or critical risk.

It would therefore be a complete overreaction to insist all food labelling is overhauled because of an unknown and unproven risk to a subsector of the population. At what point do you draw the line and say that individuals need to take responsibility for their own food intake. For much of the population, yoghurt containing live cultures are a good thing, putting a big warning on them would distort that message.

My advice is to get this in perspective and let it go. I can understand your fears but they aren't really about the yoghurt.

Pasteurisation has nothing to do with making yoghurt. I come from a culture of making homemade yoghurt, the two are not connected. In any case, the label did say it contains live cultures despite the small font, if you had been that concerned you would have actively looked for it to make sure before consuming it.

I googled non-live yoghurt, and the results were to cancer forums and hospital advice given to chemo patients, so I now get where OP is coming from. And yes, some yoghurts are heat treated to kill off the bacteria that were needed to make it.

I have never seen anything to say children shouldn’t have live yoghurts.

Have you spoken to anyone about your mental health?
Must be a difficult time for you can you self refer for talking therapies to help with your anxiety?

Very few are heat treated. I can't find any common brand in UK which heat treats? Is there a list? Afaik it should say on label?

Because of the potential sickness as immuno suppressed people by definition are more likely to be plagued by gastro issues.
But there's no actual "danger" and for most people it would be fine.
"Avoid things that might make you throw up" is very different to "this product is actively dangerous for your particular situation".

um, no it isn't. I think you have been a bit of an advertising victim here. particularly advertising from abroad with different advertising standards.

I agree.

It absolutely is.
Good yoghurt should be in everyone's daily diet. From an early age. And in the UK is recommended as part of a toddler's diet.

I am very surprised at people who genuinely beleive that this is good for your gut. If you are adding live bacteria to your gut, ( which you normally aren't- but if you were) then there are over 500 species to be considered. Why would overloading your gut with a couple of species help with anything? What about the effect on the other 498 species that you need, but are going to crowd out?

That makes no sense.

I am quite surprised that seemingly intelligent and informed posters are falling for this faddy woo.

@Icanseethebeach M&S have yoghurts that kids under 4 shouldn't eat. I'm not sure what that is about though

What?

Youghrt is brilliant for kids.

The more I read, the more I'm convinced OP doesn't know the difference between yoghurt and probiotic.

Agreed

Yeah I think op is pulling our leg here.

You better contact the NHS to let them know so they can update the guidance on their website and all the literature they publish for parents.
This all sounds a bit “I’ve done my own research”

My DM was advised live culture yogurt was on the "dont eat" list during chemo too, like unpasteurized cheese, meat that hasn't been fully cooked so no pink left, runny eggs etc. It's because their virtually zero immune system means they're more at risk from contracting associated food poisoning...in the same way pregnant people are, but worse. In fact during treatment, despite best efforts, my mum picked up campylobacter from a pork product (that the rest of the the family had eaten with no issues) and developed sepsis.

Yeah.
I think I'm out.

We must be different here in Ireland- there’s definitely a split of live/ non live (I was surprised people think they all are) and the live ones have it in big writing on the front are the ones eg activia and all that claim to help your gut- non live are the everyday ones you’d buy eg for the kids (I know kids can have live yoghurts but we wouldn’t get those ones for them, dh does just for a healthy breakfast)

This is incorrect. It can make people very unwell, not just feel a bit sick!! It's definitely on for list of a good not to eat during chemotherapy, due to the risk of contracting illness due to lack of immune system.

On a side note - Breastmilk contains probiotic bacteria. Naturally occurring probiotics are fine even for the smallest of humans.