Chances are, if you buy Greek yogurt in an American grocery store, it will not be real Greek yogurt. I cannot speak for other countries, but in the United States, Greek Yogurt has no legal definition. That is, the FDA doesn’t have a specific standard of identity for yogurt made in the Greek way. It can be hard to tell at a glance which products are authentic. In this article, I will explain, in simple terms, the difference between traditional Greek yogurt and fake products and how to easily tell them apart.
Real vs. Fake Greek Yogurt: The Main Differences
Keep in mind that by real Greek yogurt, I mean yogurt made in the traditional Greek way, not yogurt made in Greece. There is no official standard of identity for Greek yogurt in the U.S. Therefore, there are no labelling requirements for yogurts that are made to imitate Greek yogurt but not made in the authentic way. Whether traditional or fake, they can all be called “Greek Yogurt.”
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The Traditional Process
The traditional way of making Greek Yogurt is to strain it multiple times until almost all of the whey has been removed. Whey is the liquid portion of the milk protein. This means that the yogurt will be almost entirely composed of casein protein, resulting in a much thicker and creamier texture and a higher protein amount for a given volume.
Fake Greek yogurt is not strained. Instead, thickeners are added to make its consistency more like an authentic product. As well, protein is added so that the resulting product has a protein amount similar to strained yogurt. This often takes the form of milk protein concentrate, but sometimes, whey protein is added. Yogurt made this way will not have the same consistency as strained Greek yogurt.
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Greek Yogurt Ingredients: Red Flags for “Fake” Products
Let’s compare two Greek yogurt ingredient listings from brands sold in the United States. They are both plain, unflavored and unsweetened, to make things easier.
Fage Plain Greek Yogurt Ingredients
(Often misspelled as Faje or Faie yogurt).
Grade A Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Live Active Yogurt Cultures: L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casei.
Yoplait Plain Greek Yogurt Ingredients
Milk Non-Fat Grade A Pasteurized Cultured, Milk Protein Concentrate, Gelatin Kosher, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3.
The first listing has no thickeners. So, if we accept that it is “Greek yogurt,” it must be strained. And yes, Fage Greek Yogurt is strained to make it thicker. It’s also excellent.
The second listing contains two ingredients I’ve bolded. Milk protein concentrate is used to increase the protein content, and gelatin is used as a thickener. So the YoPlait product is probably not strained, and instead, added ingredients are used to simulate the protein amount and thickness of Greek yogurt. It also contains less fat than the Fage Greek Yogurt. These types of ingredients are the red flags you need to spot fake Greek yogurt.
When fruit ingredients are in the yogurt, this can complicate matters as the component itself may contain thickeners. That is why I showed you plain, unflavored yogurt, to keep things simple. And as for the yogurt itself, if it contains anything like milk protein concentrates, whey protein concentrates to increase the protein amount, and thickeners like gelatin or modified cornstarch, it’s not real Greek Yogurt.
The “Frozen Dessert” Trap: Just as some yogurts aren’t technically “Greek,” many famous ice creams are no longer legally allowed to be called ice cream. Find out why Breyers is now labeled a “Frozen Dairy Dessert” and what that means for your bowl.
Is “Fake” Greek Yogurt Bad for You?
Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean the “fake” products are terrible or bad for you. They may taste good, although not as tangy, and be a good source of protein and live cultures, etc. They are also cheaper since the straining process is a more expensive way to make it.
Fage: The Gold Standard for Strained Yogurt
Among the leading brands of Greek yogurt sold in the United States, Fage is the absolute gold-standard. It is traditionally strained, has consistent quality, and contains no added thickeners. There is no thicker Greek-style yogurt readily-available. If I had a gripe, I’d say that the fruit on the side containment is very difficult to eat. There is not enough room to stir the fruit into the yogurt without the yogurt and fruit sloshing over the sides. However, Fage wants you to be able to choose the amount of sweetness and to therefore choose your consistency.
Chobani vs. Fage: Why Consistency Matters
You’ll also notice that Fage carefully differentiates the yogurt ingredients and fruit ingredients in their ingredient listing. Chaboni does not, making it hard to know whether thickeners are added to some of its flavored yogurts. For consistent quality, I’d recommend Fage. It’s much thicker and more consistent than any Chaboni product I’ve ever tasted.
By grouping all ingredients together, brands can hide thickeners in the fruit mix, making it impossible to know if the yogurt base was truly strained or just chemically thickened. While this “Ingredient Blurring” or “Sub-Component Masking” is perfectly legal, it does not scream “we are completely transparent.” This makes Fage a clear winner in both quality and labelling.
It would be easy to think that Chaboni is not strained because of the difference in consistency between one batch and another that seems to routinely occur with this brand. Chaboni can seem quite runny for an authentic strained yogurt made in the Greek style. Some of this has to do with the differences in fat content between their different lines. They sell, perhaps needlessly, low-fat, nonfat, and whole-milk yogurts. However, most of the variability will be in the production process and straining, indicating inconsistencies during production.
The Comparison: Fage vs. Chaboni
Further Reading, Dairy or Not-So-Dairy
- Is There Really Seaweed in Your Ice Cream? From carrageenan to kelp, learn why the ocean might be hiding in your favorite frozen dessert.
- Why Coffee-Mate Isn’t Actually Dairy-Free: If it says “non-dairy,” it should be safe for allergies, right? Think again. Here’s the labeling loophole you need to know.
- The Great Pink Margarine War: Before “fake” yogurt, there was “fake” butter—and the law once forced it to be dyed a bright, unappetizing pink.