US food giant General Mills has insisted it “stands behind” its products amid court action that claims its Yoplait Greek-style yoghurt is neither Greek nor a yoghurt.
A Chicago resident has sued General Mills claiming the product is not a yoghurt, accusing the firm of violating the Food and Drug Administration’s standard of identity for yoghurt and “knowingly mislabelling” its Yoplait Greek yoghurt, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
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According to the lawsuit, “Yoplait Greek does not comply with the standard of identity of yoghurt. Indeed, Yoplait Greek contains Milk Protein Concentrate (MPC) which is not among the permissible ingredients of yoghurt, non-fat yoghurt, and low-fat yoghurt (collectively yoghurt) as set forth under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act”, the publication noted.
“Standardised foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt must strictly conform to [their standard of identity] in order to be labelled, marketed and sold as those foods,” a plaintiffs’ court filing is understood to have said. Foods that don’t comply with identity standards must be labelled “imitation”, it noted.
In court filings, General Mills argues that “under the current standard of identity, it is the FDA’s official view that yoghurt may contain milk protein concentrate,” The Tribune wrote.
General Mills declined to comment on the court case, adding: “As a standing practice, we don’t comment on pending litigation. We stand behind our products, and the accuracy of the labelling of those products.”
General Mills recently launched a raft of yoghurt products, including Yoplait Greek 100, a 100-calorie Greek-style yogurt.
