Yogurt and Your Health
Benefits of Yogurt What is Yogurt What's in Our Yogurt Dannon Info Center


There are three types of yogurt: yogurt, lowfat yogurt and nonfat yogurt. The main difference between them is the fat content before addition of the flavors:

  • Yogurt made from whole milk has at least 3.25% milk fat. DANNON® products that fall into this category include Plain and Natural
  • Lowfat yogurt made from lowfat milk, reduced-fat milk or part-skim milk has between 0.5 and 2% milk fat. DANNON has several lowfat yogurts, which include Fruit on the Bottom, Plain Lowfat Natural Flavors and Fruit Blends.
  • Nonfat yogurt must contain less than 0.5 percent milk fat. DANNON has several nonfat yogurts, which include Plain Nonfat and Light & Fit.
Additionally, all of these products must have at least 8.25% of milk solid nonfat before the addition of the bulky flavors.


Yogurt traditionally contains the following:
  • Milk: Fresh milk is received directly from local dairy farms.
  • Fruit/Flavors: Fruit, natural and artificial flavors can be added to some of our yogurts.
  • Live and Active Yogurt Cultures: Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are added to the milk. In addition, some DANNON cup yogurts contain a third culture called Lactobacillus acidophilus. These cultures are carefully cultivated in DANNON laboratories by expert yogurt technologists.

Besides milk, fruit and live and active cultures, some DANNON yogurt varieties may contain other ingredients that enhance the flavor, texture and appearance of the finished product:
  • Cornstarch: A natural starch extracted from corn, cornstarch helps give body and texture to yogurt. The Food and Drug Administration has deemed modified cornstarch as a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) ingredient, meaning that it can be safely added to foods under current good manufacturing practices.
  • Gluten: This protein is found in wheat, oats, rye and barley. DANNON yogurt products are not formulated to contain gluten, but they can't be considered gluten free. The natural system for stabilizing flavor might contain ingredients derived from gluten sources. Since there is a current lack of consensus on individual sensitivity levels to gluten, and there are no accurate tests to detect the presence and amount of gluten, DANNON yogurt cannot be classified as "gluten free."
  • Aspartame: A low-calorie sweetener, aspartame is made of two naturally occurring amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981, aspartame has been determined safe for the general population, as well as for people with diabetes.
  • Fructose: A simple sugar derived from fruit, fructose is added to several DANNON products for a natural-tasting sweetness.
  • Pectin: A fiber derived naturally from fruit, pectin helps thicken the yogurt and create the desired consistency and texture. Some DANNON yogurt varieties may contain a small amount of a pectin blend made from citrus fruits including lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit.
  • Gelatin: Some of our products contain gelatin to give them the desired consistency and texture. These varieties bear a "K" on the label indicating kosher certification by Rabbi Dr. David I. Sheinkopf.
  • Mineral Compounds: Calcium, potassium and sodium phosphate are mineral compounds that are present naturally in milk. These minerals can be added to our products for specific functions that improve quality. For example, calcium phosphate can be added to enhance the texture and consistency of fruit preparation. Potassium and sodium phosphate may be added, most commonly to Fruit on the Bottom, to prevent the naturally derived fruit color from mixing in with the white yogurt.