FAQ

General Questions

What makes Mountain High Yoghurt different from other yoghurts?

To start with, Mountain High Yoghurt has NO artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. It’s also made only from rbST-free milk. Perhaps more importantly, it contains live & active cultures. Most commercial brands only contain the “starter cultures” L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus. These cultures make milk into yoghurt. Mountain High’s unique blend of the live and active cultures L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, and L. casei can help support you!

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 get key ingredients. Dairy foods are an important source of bone building nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and protein - for both of you! Pregnant women should continue to eat at least three cups of yogurt, milk or other dairy foods daily to support bone health. Mountain High Yoghurt helps you do that with simple and wholesome ingredients.

Can lactose intolerant people enjoy Mountain High Yoghurt?

For those with lactose intolerance, 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.

Why does Mountain High spell 'Yoghurt' with an 'h' instead of yogurt?

Yoghurt or Yogurt–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 way (it slowly turns into yoghurt while sitting in the cup) so our founders spelled yoghurt with an “h.” Today we consider the “h” stands for healthy lifestyle or for the hundreds of ways you can use Mountain High Yoghurt to add nutrition to any recipe or meal!

Can I use Mountain High Yoghurt in my recipes?

Yes! You can substitute Mountain High Yoghurt for all or some of the higher-fat dairy ingredients, oil, or shortening in just about any recipe, including baked goods.

What is the shelf life/expiration date of Mountain High Yoghurt?

On our 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.

Can I recycle Mountain High Yoghurt containers?

Yes, at certain facilities, and you should! But first we encourage you to reuse them if you can. For great ideas about how to reuse and recycle Mountain High Yoghurt tubs and lids, check out our Facebook page to get and share creative ideas! And thank you for caring about the environment!

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, it releases this whey.This whey contains nutrients like protein, and is therefore very nutritious 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!

Why does the thickness of Mountain High Yoghurt sometimes vary?

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.

What does 'Cultured in the Cup' mean on the Mountain High packaging?

It means that we put milk and cultures in the cup, seal it and put it in warm temperature conditions. Yoghurt bacteria converts milk into yoghurt while in the cup, making Mountain High yoghurt that has a thick and creamy texture.

How can I cook with Mountain High Yoghurt?

Check out our recipes and ideas here.

Your packages used to say Made in California. Real California Milk. The new packages do not say that. Does that mean these are no longer made in California with real California milk?

Unfortunately, we no longer make Mountain High yogurt with milk exclusively from California, so that’s why it was removed from the label. Be assured that we have high quality standards for our milk and treatment of animals. To learn more about our Animal Welfare policy, please visit our website: https://www.generalmills.com/en/News/Issues/animal-welfare-policy

What is your affiliation with General Mills? I noticed your package says “Distributed by General Mills.”

General Mills purchased the brand from Dean Foods in 2011. Though our ownership changed in 2011, we have stayed committed to making our yogurt the same way as when we started – cultured in the cup the way you would at home. This process creates the thick, creamy texture that our fans love so much.

Did you change the recipe of Mountain High Yoghurt?

No, we have not changed the recipe of Mountain High Yoghurt. It is the same simple recipe you have always loved!

Will it still work in my recipes if it isn’t made with California milk?

It certainly will but as always, the yogurt will not stand up well to heating. We hope you will find it will mix in smoothly and add more body to your dips and sauces.

Questions About Ingredients

Allergens?

Mountain High yoghurt only contains the allergen Milk.

No Antibiotics?

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.

Calcium?

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, check out our nutrition info.

Cultures: Which Kinds?

Since we started making Mountain High Yoghurt over 30 years ago, it has always contained our unique blend of live & active cultures: L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, and L. casei.

What does the 'Live and Active Cultures' logo 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 at least 100 billion viable cultures at the time of manufacture.

Is there sugar in Plain?

The "sugars" listed in the nutrition label on our Plain yoghurt refers strictly to lactose, or naturally occurring milk sugar.

Gluten-free?

Yes, all Mountain High Yoghurt products are 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.

Gelatin/kosher?

No, it does not contain gelatin. All Mountain High Yoghurt items are 'Certified Kosher.'

Milk—Pasteurized and homogenized?

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!

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 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 packaging. 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 rbST-free premium yoghurt!

Pectin?

Pectin is naturally found in fruit. Mountain High adds pectin as a stabilizer to give the yoghurt holding power so that the whey is not so easily released.

Potassium?

Potassium, a mineral that helps normalize blood pressure occurs naturally in the milk we use for our yoghurts. For specific amounts, check out our product nutrition info.