1. General questions about Mountain High Yoghurt
What makes Mountain High Yoghurt different from other yoghurts?
To start with, Mountain High Yoghurt is all natural, with NO artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, starches, or preservatives. It's also made only from rBST-free milk. Perhaps more importantly, it contains live, active, and probiotic cultures. Most commercial brands only contain the "starter cultures" L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus. These cultures make milk into yoghurt. But Mountain High's unique blend of the live, active and probiotic cultures L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, and L. casei support your overall wellness. Click here to learn more.
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Why is Mountain High Yoghurt so great for pregnant women?
During pregnancy, your diet choices affect both Baby and you, so it's important to load your caloric intake with nutrients. Mountain High Yoghurt helps you do that while also avoiding any artificial ingredients. Click here to learn more.
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Can lactose intolerant people enjoy Mountain High Yoghurt?
The live and active cultures in yoghurt actually aid in lactose digestion by producing the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose. So the lactose in yoghurt is mostly broken down, making it less problematic for lactose-intolerant people. Click here to learn more.
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Why does Mountain High spell "Yoghurt" with an "h" instead of yogurt?
Yogurt or Yoghurt--both spellings can be found in the dictionary. "Yoghurt" is more similar to how the word is spelled in many European countries. Since it was first produced back in the 1970s, Mountain High Yoghurt has been made the Old World, all natural way, so our founders spelled yoghurt with an "h." Today we consider the "h" stands for healthy or for the hundreds of ways you can use Mountain High Yoghurt to add nutrition to any recipe or meal!
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Can I freeze Mountain High Yoghurt?
Mountain High Yoghurt can be frozen to make a smooth, creamy treat. When frozen, however, the live, active, and probiotic cultures go dormant. After thawing the yoghurt, just a small amount of the cultures don't come back to life, so you maintain most of the benefits of the live, active, and probiotic cultures when you freeze it. The texture may be affected when the product thaws, bu the nutritional value is the same.
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Can I use Mountain High Yoghurt in my recipes?
Yes! You can substitute Mountain High Yoghurt for all or some of the high-fat dairy ingredients, oil, or shortening in just about any recipe, including baked goods. Click here to learn more.
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What is the shelf life/expiration date of Mountain High Yoghurt?
On our 6-oz., 32-oz., and 64-oz. cups you will find a "BEST BY" date printed on each lid, which refers to the expiration date. If refrigerated properly, we guarantee the yoghurt's quality up to this date. If opened before the expiration date, please keep the yoghurt refrigerated and consume it within 10 days. After those 10 days or after the expiration date, the yoghurt is past its expiration and should be discarded. We recommend writing the date you opened it on the lid so that you know.
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Can I recycle Mountain High Yoghurt containers?
Most Mountain High Yoghurt containers are made of Polypropylene #5, which is recyclable in some towns, but unfortunately not all. So why do we use it? Actually, #5 plastic uses less material than other plastics because it can maintain its structural integrity even with thin walls. That means containers can be 30% lighter, so every year we use 60 tons less plastic for our packaging. In addition, polypropylene is manufactured without the use of chlorine, which releases hazardous dioxins during manufacture and incineration. So #5 plastic is less polluting. It's also highly reusable, so we encourage you to find other uses for these handy tubs. They are great for craft projects and for storing odds and ends.
Mountain High Yoghurt's 64-oz. tub is made of #2 plastic because it is a much larger cup holding a greater weight. It needs to be made of thicker plastic to maintain its structural integrity. Additionally, because the plastic lids of our 32-ounce and 64-ounce yoghurt tubs need to be more stretchable, they are also made of #2 plastic.
While virtually all recycling centers accept #2 plastic, the reality is that wide-mouth containers made of #2 plastic, such as our 64-oz. yoghurt tubs, are often pulled back out of the recyling stream because they have a different melting point than narrow-mouth #2 containers. That is why we recommend you reuse your 64-oz. containers as much and as long as possible, to maximize their lifespan and usefulness. We use ours as dog dishes, for craft projects, storage, home improvement chores, and much more. How do you use yours?
Like you, we are committed to the careful management of our natural resources, as well as to food safety. So to reduce the overall amount of plastic we use as a company, Mountain High replaced the plastic lids on our 6-ounce cups with a coated foil lid. This small change alone helped us eliminate over 11 tons in plastic each year!
For more information on both #5 and #2 plastics, please see the truth behind recycling a yoghurt cup. And please reuse and recycle as much plastic as you can!
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Why is there sometimes a yellowish liquid in my Mountain High Yoghurt?
The yellowish liquid you find in your Mountain High Yoghurt after scooping some out is whey, a natural milk by-product. When you "cut" into our thick, creamy yoghurt with live, active, and probiotic cultures, it releases this whey. That actually shows you that the cultures are truly alive and active. This whey is full of nutrients like protein, and therefore very healthy for you. Just stir it back into the yoghurt to make sure you get all the nutritional benefits or use as a liquid substitute to add protein to recipes that call for milk. Try this in our Cranberry Nut Muffins recipe!
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Why does the thickness of Mountain High Yoghurt sometimes vary?
Making all natural yoghurt is an art as much as it is a science. The yoghurt's texture and density are influenced by many variables which must be controlled to create a thick, creamy, and smooth yoghurt. Variations in temperatures, relative humidity, storage conditions, and even the cows' diet (winter feed versus summer feed) can affect the yoghurt's consistency. All Mountain High Yoghurt leaves our plants in prime condition, but we cannot strictly monitor its handling en route to or at your local store. The thickness of the yoghurt does not affect taste or nutritional value.
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What does the “Live & Active Cultures” logo on Mountain High containers mean?
The “Live & Active Cultures” seal is issued by the National Yoghurt Association to indicate that the yoghurt bearing this logo contains a “significant amount” of live and active yoghurt cultures. A “significant amount” means at least 100 million cultures per gram are present in the yoghurt at the time of production. An 8-ounce serving of Mountain High Yoghurt contains more than 22 billion cultures at the time of manufacture. Please visit www.aboutyogurt.com/lacYogurt for more information.
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What does “Cultured in the Cup” mean on the Mountain High packaging?
Because our yoghurt is “cultured in the cup” rather than in big vats, its texture is naturally thick and creamy throughout. Other brands produce yoghurt in huge vats, then stir it and pump it into little cups. The pumping changes the texture, so “vat set” yoghurt needs more starch and/or gelatin added to it to give it body. Because Mountain High Yoghurt is in liquid form when it’s poured into the cup, it needs much less starch and no gelatin to develop its beautiful texture.
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Does Mountain High make its yoghurt with organic milk?
As you may have noticed while shopping, organic milk usually costs more, so its exclusive use would increase our price significantly. At Mountain High, we strongly believe that good, nutritious food should be available for everybody, so we offer all natural yoghurt that is affordable and good for you.
The differences between organic milk and the milk used in Mountain High Yoghurt are fewer than you might expect. For example, organic milk production practices prohibit the use of antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones. The FDA prohibits the use of antibiotics in any milk, and all our milk is screened for antibiotics. If any traces of antibiotics are found, the milk is refused and reported to the State Dairy Commission & Milk Marketing Board. Additionally, Mountain High Yoghurt is rBST-free, meaning it does not contain any artificial growth hormones.
But what does it mean to produce milk with “no antibiotics”? It would be cruel (and is prohibited) to withhold medical treatment from a sick or ailing cow, so farmers of both organic and other milk treat animals as necessary for their health, but these cows are removed from production until all the medication is out of their systems. Their milk is not used for human consumption, whether it’s an organic farm or not.
On organic farms, cows must be fed 100% organic feed, and the addition of some vitamins is allowed. On the farms we buy milk from, our cows eat mainly corn and hay.
On organic farms, all cows must have access to the outdoors (although it is permitted to temporarily confine them to protect their health, ensure their safety, or to protect soil or water quality). Mountain High cows graze on beautiful fields throughout the West, enjoying plenty of sunshine, exercise, and fresh air and water every day.
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Do you offer a Mountain High Yoghurt cookbook?
We do not offer a published Mountain High cookbook at this time, but we do have hundreds of Recipes on our web site and we invite you to try them all! From appetizers to desserts, there’s something for everyone, even recipes for kids. In the future we hope to publish a cookbook for our customers who like to cook with Mountain High Yoghurt, so check back with us!
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I bought the wrong style/flavor by mistake.
We have designed our 32-ounce packaging so that you can clearly see what style (Original, Lowfat, Fat Free) of Mountain High Yoghurt you are purchasing by looking at the front of the tub or the lid. Original Style features red lettering, Lowfat features blue lettering, and Fat Free features green lettering. Unfortunately, due to production logisitics, we cannot print the flavor name on the lid.
The different flavors are illustrated with different artwork on the front as well. If you accidentally purchased the wrong flavor yoghurt, you can always return it to your grocer. Or better yet, try something new! For example, if you bought Plain Mountain High Yoghurt instead of Vanilla, you can try it as a substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream in your favorite recipes or one of our Recipes. We also have many dessert recipes that use Vanilla yoghurt, so if you bought Vanilla instead of Plain, try it as a dessert ingredient or as a substitute for whipped cream or ice cream. You will be pleasantly surprised!
Our Classic Lowfat yoghurts all have the same lid (again, due to production logisitics, we cannot print the flavor name on the lid), but the front of every cup is clearly marked with a colored picture of the fruit that gives it its flavor (i.e., strawberries, lemons, peaches). If you grabbed the wrong flavor, please return it to your grocer for an exchange or refund…or better yet, give it a try, you might like it!
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When will you offer more flavors in convenient 32-ounce containers?
Many consumers asked us to provide more flavors in our convenient, multiple-serving size tubs, and we listened. You can now buy Lowfat Raspberry and Lowfat Lemon Mountain High Yoghurt in 32-ounce tubs. They are placed right next to the Plain, Strawberry, and Vanilla quart-size tubs you love. If your favorite grocery store doesn’t carry them yet, print out and complete our handy Retailer Request Form and give it to your grocer. They should be happy to place an order for you!
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Can I get Mountain High Yoghurt in more flavors than I see on my grocer’s shelf?
Absolutely! Mountain High Yoghurt comes in many natural fruit flavors as well as Plain and Vanilla. (If your grocer doesn’t carry all the flavors and sizes shown in our Products section, you can give the store a completed Retailer Request Form to order the ones you want.) You can also make your own custom flavors by mixing in different ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. See our Mix-In Party page to learn more and to get some great recipes! The only limit is your imagination.
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What happened to my favorite flavor?
Unfortunately, some of our earlier flavors have been discontinued due to limited sales (for example, our Apple Strudel, Chocolate, and Espresso flavored yoghurts). Fortunately, you can make these flavors—and many others—with Plain or Vanilla Mountain High Yoghurt and mix-in ingredients. For recipes for these flavors and more, see our Mix-In recipe page.
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Can I order Mountain High Yoghurt online?
Due to its need for constant refrigeration, you cannot purchase Mountain High Yoghurt online. Food-service and other commercial enterprises, however, can order large quantities of Mountain High Yoghurt from our plant for delivery or pickup. Click here to learn more.
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Can Mountain High donate to my event or fundraiser?
Mountain High has sponsored or participated in various sporting events and fundraisers over the years. To inquire about your event and donations, please contact us by email and include the words “For the marketing department” in the "reason" section of the email form. Thank you!
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How can I get Mountain High Yoghurt coupons?
To get coupons and other special offers, sign up for Mountain Mail, our monthly newsletter.
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Why do you no longer put plastic lids on your single-serving Mountain High 6-oz. cups?
Like you, we are committed to the careful management of our natural resources, as well as to food safety. So to reduce the overall amount of plastic we use as a company, Mountain High replaced the plastic lids on our 6-ounce cups with a coated foil lid. This small change alone helps us eliminate over 11 tons in plastic each year! Best of all, you get the same fresh, wholesome product inside those cups, because our coated foil lids are durable and food safe. If you would like a single plastic lid to keep unused portions fresh, just contact us and we’ll send you one.
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2. Questions about Ingredients in Mountain High Yoghurt
Does Mountain High Yoghurt contain any allergens?
Mountain High Yoghurt does not contain any nuts or gluten, and no food containing nuts or gluten is produced in our facilities. Our yoghurts do not contain eggs, but other products with egg ingredients are produced in the same plant during certain seasons (i.e., eggnog during the winter holidays). The egg products are on completely different production lines, but eggs are stored in the same coolers as Mountain High Yoghurt ingredients and products.
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Are there antibiotics or penicillin in Mountain High Yoghurt?
No! It is prohibited by Federal law to add any antibiotics or penicillin to dairy products. All our milk is screened for antibiotics. If any traces of antibiotics are found, the milk is refused and reported to the State Dairy Commission & Milk Marketing Board. Of course, withholding antibiotic treatment from sick cows is in-humane. In the case of illness, a sick cow is isolated and her milk is not used for dairy products.
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What does "all natural" mean?
There are absolutely NO artificial ingredients added to Mountain High Yoghurt. It does not contain any Aspartame (Nutrasweet), Splenda, or any other artificial sweetener. We use Crystalline Fructose to sweeten our yoghurt, which is a natural, low glycemic fruit sugar. Mountain High is does contain any artificial growth hormones, either. Click here to learn more.
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What is the calcium content of Mountain High Yoghurt?
Every 8-oz. serving of Mountain High Yoghurt contains at least 30% of the Daily Value recommended by the FDA for calcium. For specific amounts, please look up your favorite Mountain High Yoghurts in the Products section of this web site! To learn more about calcium, click here for Products and here for Calcium.
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Is Mountain High Yoghurt a low-cholesterol food?
With the exception of our Original Style Yoghurt-a whole milk product that contains 10% of the Daily Value (DV) recommended by the FDA for cholesterol-our yoghurt products contain 5% or less of the DV per serving and are therefore low-cholesterol foods. Furthermore, the live, active, and probiotic cultures in Mountain High Yoghurt inhibit the re-absorption of cholesterol in the body. Click here to learn more.
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Why does Mountain High Yoghurt contain crystalline fructose? What is it?
Mountain High uses only crystalline fructose, a naturally occurring fruit sugar made from corn, in all our flavored varieties (our Plain Yoghurt is not sweetened). Fructose has the advantage of being absorbed into the blood stream at a slower rate than other sugars, and is thus metabolized more slowly in the body (see "low glycemic" question below). It does not cause an insulin "crash" (blood sugar levels spike, then drop suddenly) like sugar can. Additionally, fructose has a higher sweetening effect than sucrose or high fructose corn syrup, which means we can use less for the same sweetening effect. The result is there are fewer calories in foods with fructose than those that contain sucrose and/or corn syrups. Click here to learn more.
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What kinds of cultures does Mountain High Yoghurt contain?
Since we started making all natural Mountain High Yoghurt over 30 years ago, it has always contained our unique blend of live, active, and probiotic cultures: L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, and L. casei. Click here to learn more.
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How much of each probiotic culture does a serving of Mountain High Yoghurt contain?
The amount and proportions of each culture used in our proprietary formulation is a trade secret, but we can assure that when you take Mountain High Yoghurt off the dairy case shelf, there are literally billions of live, active, and probiotic cultures in every serving. Click here to learn more.
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What does "low glycemic" mean?
The glycemic index (GI) is a way to measure blood sugar (glucose) levels. A low GI (55 or less) tells you that the food breaks down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream. A high GI (70 or more) means that the food breaks down quickly after digestion, causing blood glucose to rise quickly and insulin levels to surge. Chronic high levels of insulin may increase appetite, create sugar cravings, and promote fat storage, making it difficult to lose weight. A low glycemic food keeps you full much longer, prolongs physical endurance, can improve diabetes control, and can ultimately help people lose weight.
Crystalline Fructose has a glycemic index of 23, making it a low glycemic sweetener. Compare that to 65 for table sugar and 58 for honey. Even though it would be cheaper to use other sweeteners in our yoghurt, we think our customers' health calls for the best: Crystalline Fructose. With the exception of Plain Mountain High Yoghurt, our yoghurts are sweetened with Crystalline Fructose.
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If Plain Mountain High Yoghurt is unsweetened, why does it contain 15g sugar per serving?
The "sugars" listed in the nutrition label on our Plain yoghurt refers strictly to lactose, or naturally occurring milk sugar.
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Is Mountain High Yoghurt gluten-free?
Yes, all Mountain High Yoghurt products are gluten free. By Federal Drug Administration (FDA) standards, all Mountain High Yoghurts are free of any wheat, rye, oats, and barley, therefore "gluten-free." If you are interested in learning more about gluten intolerance, please contact the Celiac Sprue Association (CSA), check out www.csaceliacs.org, or call 877-272-4272.
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Does Mountain High Yoghurt contain gelatin? Is it Kosher?
No, it does not contain gelatin. All Mountain High Yoghurt items are 'Certified Kosher.'
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Is Mountain High Yoghurt made with pasteurized and homogenized milk?
Yes, all the milk we use in our products is both pasteurized and homogenized before we add the cultures. We also use only Grade A milk in all our products, so you know you’re getting the best!
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Pectin
Pectin is a natural soluble fiber found in fruit. It regulates intestinal function and can help to lower blood cholesterol levels. Mountain High adds pectin derived from apples and citrus fruits as a stabilizer. A stabilizer is needed to give the yoghurt holding power so that the whey is not so easily released. Without this natural stabilizer, the yoghurt would get runny as it gets older.
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Potassium
The mineral potassium is a vital nutrient that helps regulate blood pressure and muscle contractions, maintains water balance in body tissues and cells, and supports nerve and kidney function. The Daily Value (DV) recommended by the FDA for potassium is 3500 mg. Every 8-oz. serving of Mountain High Yoghurt contains at least 10% of the DV. All the potassium in our yoghurts occurs naturally in the milk we use to make them. It is not added to our yoghurts. For specific amounts, please look up your favorite Mountain High Yoghurts in the Products section of this web site.
A study in the Journal of Neurology reported that people with the least potassium in their diets were one and a half times more likely to have strokes as those with the most potassium. Other studies have shown that people who regularly consume high-potassium foods (such as yoghurt, avocados, and bananas) tend to have lower blood pressure than those who do not. Additionally, potassium-rich foods are recommended for active people to help prevent muscle cramping during physical activity.
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Sodium
Mountain High does not add any sodium or salt to our products. The sodium listed in the Nutrition Facts comes from the milk.
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What is meant by "with other natural flavors" on the Mountain High container?
The "other natural flavors" used in Mountain High Yoghurt refer to added fruit juice of the flavor noted in the product name. Strawberry Mountain High Yoghurt, for example, contains not only strawberry pieces, but also strawberry juice as "other natural flavors" to enhance the flavor of the yoghurt.
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Does Mountain High Yoghurt contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, or Vitamin D?
No, our yoghurt is not fortified. The milk we use comes straight from the cow, without any artificial growth hormones, and without added vitamins. Any vitamin A, C, or D that you might see on our nutrition facts panel comes from other ingredients in the yoghurt. For example, our Peach Classic Lowfat yoghurt contains 2% of the RDA for Vitamin A, but that amount comes from the peaches.
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What do the terms "probiotic" and "prebiotic" mean?
Probiotic is derived from a Greek word that literally means "pro-life," i.e., life-sustaining or life-supporting. Probiotics are live microorganisms capable of exercising a positive influence on the health of those who consume them. Such live microorganisms include Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidus, and Lactobacillus casei, which are all found in Mountain High Yoghurt.
Prebiotics are a food source for probiotic microorganisms. These dietary fibers feed the beneficial cultures in your digestive tract, thereby supporting and even boosting the health benefits you get from probiotics.
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What is rBST? Why is Mountain High rBST-free?
Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) is an artificial growth hormone that some dairies inject into their cows to increase a cow’s daily milk production by up to 10%. All pregnant and lactating cows naturally produce bovine somatotropin (BST) through their pituitary glands, but rBST is a synthetic version of this hormone. Although the FDA and other groups, including the primary manufacturer of rBST, have concluded through studies that “no difference can be shown between milk from rBST-treated and untreated cows,” we know that many consumers prefer products with NO artificial growth hormones. As a producer of premium-quality yoghurt loaded with billions of live, active, and probiotic cultures—and as consumers ourselves—Mountain High has always made every effort to use only rBST-free milk in our yoghurt. Unfortunately, we occasionally faced supply issues.
Now we are proud to announce that all our yoghurts are rBST-free! Look for the “No artificial growth hormones” announcement on our new lid. When you see it, you’ll know the yoghurt inside is rBST-free! With improved animal husbandry practices, we hope the use of rBST will continue to decline. In the meantime, we are proud to offer you all natural, rBST-free premium yoghurt!
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