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?

Exactly.
There are foods which are more likely to cause stomach upsets in anybody. Factor in immunocompromised and that (small, but present) risk increases.
Not an active "forbidden because dangerous", just a "more likely to irritate than others, especially if you're already compromised".

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancerexperiences/askktheexpert-forum/askkanurse/f/askkanurse/258907/live-yoghurts-while-on-chemotherapy#:~:text=As%20probiotics%20are%20living%20micro,large%20amounts%20of%20these%20probiotics.

I did a search and as others have mentioned I think OP is confusing live cultures with pasteurized vs non-pasturized products. Here's an excerpt on foods to avoid while being treated for cancer.

Foods for Cancer Patients to Avoid

• Unpasteurized juice, cider, milk, yogurt or backyard eggs.
• Refrigerated duck, chicken liver or other meat pate, since the organs used are not always cooked through and may harbor campylobacter or other bacteria.

www.cityofhope.org/patients/living-with-cancer/dealing-with-cancer-side-effects/foods-avoid-while-undergoing-cancer-treatment&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiijdXM5uGFAxUEPUQIHbbnBp4QnLoEegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0umaWqhbkyZQU0qxrvEFuj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More items... www.cityofhope.org › patients Foods to Avoid While Undergoing Cancer Treatment - City of Hope

I didn't say "feel a bit sick".
I said "be sick"
Which, I agree, is awful for anyone. Food poisoning is deeply unpleasant.

Live yogurt is fine for babies and young children

https://www.tinyhealth.com/blog/when-can-babies-have-greek-yogurt-and-more-a-probiotic-yogurt-guide-for-mom-and-baby

This, although getting severe deja Vue re food labelling complaints!

Oh wow- I take it back, the ‘normal’ one here says ‘live yoghurt cultures’ - op I wonder if they mean specific ones? Because the bio ones have a list a mile long whereas the other just has ‘live yoghurt cultures’

yoghurt is not part of our western culture at all, it is certainly not "traditional" here. What is is is a way of lactose intolerant populations being able to benefit from the other nutrients in milk after bacteria have digested the lactose. The bacteria are not added for any "gut benefit" but because in many parts of the world, adults are lactose intolerant. it is only a mutation in white westerners that means most people can tolerate lactose and dont need milk fermented.

I cant have lactose though

The fact that the Marsden and Macmillan say opposite things tells you what you need to know.

TLDR: too many probiotics can cause sickness.

To get back to the initial point: the OP is complaining that a food item she wants to not have in her diet wasn't labelled. Yet it was.

It was on the label.
It's probably only little but so is the yoghurt pot.
Make yourself a cuppa and do your shopping online so you can read the ingredients easier before you buy.
You've spoken to two specialists, one said yes and the other said no. So my guess is the jury is out on this one and it's going to take more research before they start changing labels.
But i thought all yogurt was live too. So in your shoes i wouldn't have eaten it.
Best of luck with your treatment

Huh. I am also on chemo atm. I had awful cravings for greek yoghurt, among other things, and was told by my oncologist to tuck in. The only time I was told not to was when I was neutropenic.

Live cultures aren't a major allergen, they don't need to put a big warning on the label. In the same way that chilli pepper isn't, but I can't have anything with chilli in atm due to the effects of chemo. I wouldn't expect either to listed anywhere except in the small print on the back.

Annoying if you get caught out with it though. I hope your CNS can reassure you that everything is fine, and I hope the rest of your treatment goes well.

OP, I am sorry for what you are going through with your health. With respect though, you seem very misinformed on this issue. Live cultures are beneficial for gut health, and definitely not dangerous to a significant portion of the population! 🙄

Maybe you should mention this to your doctor so he/she can reassure you. Fwiw my father has colon cancer and it is one of the foods he has been recommended.

in my culture too, yogurt is widely eaten and often made freshly at home too.

The milk is pasteurised before being made into yogurt.

From Zoe: “ To make regular yogurt, manufacturers add Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus to warm pasteurized milk and let it ferment for a number of hours.
The probiotic bacteria multiply and will stay alive in the yogurt unless it’s heat-treated”

https://zoe.com/learn/best-yogurt-for-probiotics#

Aaaaand I'm tapping out of the crazy.

@awayandaway I am sorry you are going through cancer treatment. Contact your health team however, it is very clear on NHS guidelines that yoghurt with live cultures is ok but yoghurt that says bio or probiotic is not ok.

I have seen this link has been posted earlier. It is very clear on foods to avoid and foods that you can have.

www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Food-safety-for-people-having-chemotherapy.pdf

Any yoghurt that does not describe itself as bio or probiotic Including live, plain, Greek and fruit, yoghurts.

The above was in the section for food that you can have.

yoghurt is not part of our western culture at all

It's been a staple in Central Europe for a very long time.

You want Gogo Squeeze yogurt.

Yogurt that is shelf stable, not from the chiller section. It’s heat treated after being made.

Hey, check out this product
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/297754799

Yoghurt and fermentation - The difference between probiotics and live cultures

Whilst all yoghurts (and other fermented foods) contain live bacteria, only some yoghurts also contain added probiotics. By law, a yoghurt with added probiotics must show the type and amount of probiotic on the food label.

https://www.activia.com.au/healthcare-professionals/probiotics-and-live-cultures/

Or Danayo yogurt from Amazon.

But it’s good bacteria. Our stomached are (or should be) full of this bacteria. Is it not beneficial for people who are on chemo to eat fermented foods? Yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi? I make a point of eating these everyday.

yoghurt is not part of our western culture at all

And yet you are eating it and demanding clearer labels when the label is in fact very clear. You are just upset you didn’t read it properly. You seem very misinformed on this topic.

You’ve not been to Greece then?

No. Pps are right it is not safe for immunocompromised as it is for people with normal immunity.

There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that fermented foods are beneficial for us and for gut health.

I am very sorry to hear you have cancer and wishing you all the best. You have got things way out of proportion though and have got very confused. I think you need to speak to someone about how your condition is affecting your mental health.