FAQ

1. Are Rachel’s yogurts made from pasteurised milk?

Yes - all Rachel’s products are made with pasteurised milk.

Here at Rachel’s, simplicity and care are at the heart of all we do. We take care to ensure that all of our delicious products go through the pasteurisation process - a heat treatment that removes 99.9% of micro-organisms that may cause ill-health.

In fact, our team go the extra mile by heat treating all of our organic yogurts to temperatures in excess of the legal requirement of 71.7ºC. The result? Gorgeous tastes made with TLC.

2. Do you use homogenised milk?

Yes - all Rachel’s organic yogurts are created with homogenised milk, which is milk without the cream layer traditionally found in glass-bottled milk of old.

Here at Rachel’s, we are proud of the uniquely thick and creamy texture of our yogurts. To ensure such a consistency, it is important to use milk without the ‘cream line’ - ie: homogenised milk.

By using homogenised milk, we can also be sure that the fat content of our products is consistently as it should be, helping you to select your favourite Rachel’s organic yogurt with all of the nutritional information at your fingertips.

3. Can I freeze Rachel’s organic yogurts?

Whilst it is entirely possible to freeze yogurts, we do not recommend that you do.

The freezing and thawing process can have an undesirable effect on the texture of yogurt. One of the best things about our delicious organic yogurts is their uniquely thick and creamy texture, which we think is best enjoyed fresh.

Many of our products can, however, be used as versatile ingredients in your favourite sweet and savoury recipes, some of which require the yogurt to be frozen, and this is absolutely fine.

Another exception is our Taste Explorers Yogurt Squeezies, which are perfect for your little ones to enjoy as a frozen dessert.

4. I have an allergy – can I eat Rachel’s products? (Nuts & Gluten)

Here at Rachel’s, we believe that simple is best. That’s why our recipes contain only the few essential ingredients needed to achieve our gorgeously pure tastes. All of our products are, therefore, completely free from nuts and nut derivatives.

Rachel’s yogurts are also free from gluten. Only the Granola section of our Breakfast pot contains gluten but this comes in a sealed "top hat" that does not come into contact with any of our other gluten-free products.

5. Do Rachel’s products contain artificial additives?

Absolutely not.

All Rachel’s organic products are made with love and care using only the highest quality pure, organic ingredients. We do not add any artificial additives to any of our products.

Not only are additives not permitted under the strict organic guidelines that we passionately believe in, here at Rachel’s we are committed to creating recipes that are full of real, natural flavour. You can rest assured, therefore, that you will never see a list of chemicals on our packs.

6. Where do you source your milk from?

All of the fresh, organic milk used at our Aberystwyth dairy is sourced from the very best family run organic dairy farms in Wales, most of which are within 50 miles of the dairy.

7. Have the cultures in your yogurts changed?

All of our yogurts contain the health-giving probiotic cultures Lactobacillus acidophilus & Bifidobacterium to help improve and maintain a healthy digestive system.

Our yogurts also contain Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus cultures, which are essential yogurt producing bacteria in our delicious recipes. To avoid confusion, these cultures are no longer listed on our packaging, though, as they are not probiotic.

8. Are Rachel’s products suitable for children?

Here at Rachel’s we are dedicated to creating gorgeously pure tastes for everyone to enjoy – including your little ones.

Made simply and with care using the very best locally sourced organic milk and finest organic ingredients, the delicious recipes in our children’s range are the perfect way to help little people of all ages to enjoy organic dairy products.

Our ‘My First Yogurts’ multipack is perfect for weaning from 4-6 months, whilst the Taste Explorers range is ideal for older children with more adventurous taste buds.

Click here for more information.

9. Where can I buy Rachel’s products?

Our delicious range of organic dairy products can be found in the chilled aisles of most supermarkets including Waitrose, Morrisons, Asda and Tesco, as well as a number of smaller shops such as Spar and Nisa. We also supply to a variety of independent health and whole food stores around the country. Click here and scroll down the page to find out which stores stock your favourite products.

Shopping online? You can also buy Rachel’s products from Ocado - the online store for Waitrose – and even arrange for home delivery in some areas.

If you prefer to buy in bulk (and who could blame you?!) below is a list of websites for some of our distributors and wholesalers. These suppliers may also be able to let you know which independent stores stock Rachel’s products in your area:

www.simplesimon.co.uk

www.goodness.co.uk

www.rainbowwholefoods.co.uk

www.suma.co.uk

www.juniperfoods.co.uk

www.jwmunro.co.uk

www.greencity.co.uk

www.thehealthstore.co.uk

www.makro.co.uk

10. Is your packaging recyclable?

Yes – much of our packaging is recyclable. In fact, in 2009 Rachel’s was the first yogurt brand to use both recycled and recyclable packaging in our yogurt pots.

The story of Rachel’s began 25 years ago on the UK’s very first certified organic dairy. Just as it was then, working in harmony with nature to create gorgeously pure, natural tastes in a sustainable way remains at the heart of all we do. That’s why we are always trying to find new ways to reduce our environmental impact. Our delicious range of dairy products is produced organically to help protect the long term viability of the soil and local ecology but packaging has traditionally been a much trickier problem to solve.

Despite this, the team at Rachel’s remained dedicated to finding a solution and, in 2007; we launched a new 2-layer pot - a combination of a recyclable card outer sleeve and a thinner plastic inner pot. This helped us to reduce the amount of plastic used and we managed to save 240 tonnes of plastic a year!

In 2009, Rachel’s got even greener when we became the first yogurt brand to introduce new recycled plastic yogurt pots to supermarket aisles (known as rPET). Click here for more information.

Unfortunately we are unable to use this packaging for our multipacks right now as PET plastic does not ‘snap apart’ - essential for a multipack – but we’re working on it!

11. Is rPET safe to use as food packaging?

Yes - the new rPET plastic that we use is fully food-safe.

12. What are the nutritional benefits of organic dairy products?

Here at Rachel’s, we believe that our organic dairy products not only taste delicious but, because they are made with care using only the very best organic ingredients, they are also better for you and your family.

The Soil Association reports that, on average, organic foods contain higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium, as well a variety of antioxidants.

What’s more, the delicious organic milk that we use in our products is naturally higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, Vitamin A and some other antioxidants than conventional non-organic milk.

Omega 3 fatty acids are believed to be essential for maintaining a healthy heart, supple and flexible joints, healthy growth, strong bones and teeth, as well as improved brain function and memory. It is also believed that a diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids can help children with learning and behavioural difficulties.

The benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids are at an optimum when they are obtained directly from foods making our range of delicious organic dairy products an ideal source of Omega 3.

13. How do you ensure the animal welfare of the cows you source your milk from?

All of the farms that we source our milk from are certified by the Soil Association so you can rest assured that the cows are cared for in accordance with the highest standards of animal welfare.

The organic philosophy of rearing animals, which all of our cows benefit from, is designed to meet their natural needs.

This means no routine use of drugs, antibiotics or wormers commonly used in intensive livestock farming; lower stock density levels than traditional non-organic farming methods; access to the freedom of the great outdoors (weather permitting) and an appropriate diet.

14. Do you use genetically modified ingredients in any of your products?

Here at Rachel’s, we take care to ensure that we use only the very best, natural ingredients to bring you our delicious range of gorgeously pure tastes. We do not, therefore, add any GM ingredients to any of our products.

Furthermore, the addition of GM ingredients is not permitted under Soil Association Organic Standards and we feel it should stay this way. In fact, we feel so passionately that organic products should be 100% GM free that Rachel’s is currently working with the Soil Association to lobby both the British Government and the EU to prevent a regulation being passed that would allow <1% of ingredients in organic foods to be of GM origin.

15. Do you use milk from cows that have been subjected to hormone treatment?

Here at Rachel’s we are dedicated to making gorgeously pure tastes. All of our products are made simply and with care - using only the very best organic ingredients - and so we can guarantee that the milk used in our products does not come from cows that undergo hormone treatment to increase milk production.

What’s more, the use of hormones (commonly referred to as rBST or rBGH) is not permitted under Soil Association standards or, indeed, within the EU.

16. I do not own a microwave is there an alternative way of heating the Divine Rice before eating?

Our delicious Divine Rice desserts are made from pure, fresh milk from organic farms. Slow cooked for a traditional creamy taste, they are delicious eaten hot or cold.

As an alternative to microwave heating, we recommend that you decant the Divine Rice into a saucepan and heat for approximately 3 -5 minutes, dependant on the amount of rice to be heated.

17. How long can I consume your yogurts for after opening?

If you can resist finishing off the whole pot in one sitting, we would recommend that our yogurts are consumed within 3 days of opening to ensure that they are enjoyed at their very best. Don’t forget to reseal the lid between sittings!

18. What does organic mean?

Organic farming is a modern, sustainable agriculture system which maintains the long-term fertility of the soil and uses less of the earth's finite resources to produce tasty healthy food. It is a balanced system that ensures soil, plants and animals enjoy the best conditions for development and growth.

Here at Rachel’s we are dedicated to using only the very best natural ingredients to create gorgeously pure tastes and we believe that the organic ingredients we carefully select are the best way to achieve this.

19. How is organic food different?

Pure and free from chemicals and artificial additives, we believe that food produced using organic methods of agriculture is safe, nutritious and wholesome. Not only that, by using only the very best organic ingredients, there is nothing to detract from the gorgeously pure tastes of Rachel’s – making them delicious too!

20. How is organic food regulated?

The integrity of organic food is safeguarded by international legislation and organic food must be certified by an official body.

The United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) is the British control body for the organic sector and the Soil Association is the largest and most respected of the UKROFS validating bodies. Its symbol is widely regarded to be the ultimate assurance of the very best organic quality.

All Rachel’s products are made with care to the highest organic standards that we are so passionate about and this is reflected in our Soil Association accreditation.

21. Is organic farming better for the environment?

We passionately believe that our organic dairy products not only taste delicious but, because they are made with only the best pure, organic ingredients, they are also better for the environment.

Organic farming helps to protect wildlife and ensures the health of the land so that future generations can continue producing food for years to come. Organic farmers use natural resources rather than artificial fertilizers to replenish and enrich the soil. They grow a mixture of grasses, clover and herbs for biodiversity and animal nutrition. Good husbandry, including crop rotation, ploughing and hedgerow care, avoids the use of weed killers and allows natural predators such as insects and birds to control pests without chemicals.

If your query has not been answered by any of the questions above, or you require further information please feel free to contact us using the form below and we’ll be delighted to help