"yoplait" news and stories

Oh, man. So this squirrel was caught on film with its head stuck inside a Yoplait yogurt container.

The squirrel attempts to do all of its usual running, jumping, and generally squirrelish activities against the majestic backdrop of a white, elegant gazebo at South Carolina's Furman University -- all while wearing the container on its head. Apparently the videographer, a WYFF photographer, helped the squirrel remove his cap after filming this footage.

Click and come back to tell us:



[YouTube via Serious Eats]

Yoplait, one of the largest yogurt manufacturers in the U.S., has announced that it will now only use milk products from cows that have not been treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone, or rbGH, reports Civil Eats. All of Yoplait's dairy products will be rbGH-free by August of this year. Yoplait says it's the first major yogurt manufacturer to go rbGH-free, though companies like Stonyfield, Nancy's, Cascade Fresh and Brown Cow have been using rbGH-free milk for years.

The use of rbGH has been linked to increased rates of infections in dairy cows, necessitating greater antibiotic use and furthering cycles of antibiotic-resistant disease. Some studies have shown that rbGH raises the level of a hormone called IGF-1 in cows's milk; higher than normal levels of IGF-1 in humans may raise the risk of breast cancer, though the link is far from clear.

Consumer demand has forced major grocery chains like Wal-Mart and Safeway to phase out the hormones in their own dairy products - some 70 percent of consumers say they are concerned about consuming synthetic growth hormones.

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Two food recalls in one post (no waiting)!

Dairy State Foods has recalled their Minnie's Bake Shop Chocolate Chunk Cookies (7 oz.) because they might contain macadamia nuts, which could be dangerous for people who are allergic to nuts. The cookies went to Florida stores and have the UPC 400136148117 and a date of March 2008.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Yoplait has recalled several flavors of their yoghurt, including Yoplait vanilla, vanilla and banana, and peach and pear, as well as Elivae fig and honey, vanilla, and strawberry flavors. The yoghurt might have pieces of metal inside. (Note: not sure if this a worldwide recall or just in Australia, but the two news sources I found are ABC News in Australia and AdelaideNow.

Out of all the food trends we heard about back in December and January, there was one that is clearly becoming a big deal on th packaged food scene: miniature packaging, aka 100-calorie packs. "100 calories!" seems to be the hot new slogan on food products these days. The past three years have seen the market for portion-controlled packets go from 0 to more than 25 different foods. USA Today reports that 18 of the new products were introduced in 2005 alone. With more coming along this year, there is no indication that this trend is slowing.

Some of the newer products include 100-calorie sodas from brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Shasta. These sodas have a mere 8-ounces per can, fewer than the more standard 12-ounces, and are marketed as being more portable than their full-sized counterparts. Coco-Cola says that they're marketed at consumers who wish to "improve their snacking and drinking opportunities."

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Revamping frozen novelties, like ice cream bars and ice cream sandwiches, into more health-conscious variations seems like a natural thing to do with summer coming up in just a few short months. After all, it is the time of year that people start to remember that they are going to have to put on a bathing suit at some point. Yoplait is releasing a line of Frozen Yogurt & Cereal Bars and Sandwiches. Though the name sounds like it might be breakfast food, the bar is actually an ice cream-like frozen yogurt rolled in a crushed cereal coating. This gives the bar a tasty crunch to contrast with the cool, creamy yogurt. For those people who can't help indulging at breakfast time, it is refreshing to know that the bars are low fat and contain as much calcium as a glass of milk, have the same live-active culture as yogurt and all the vitamins and minerals that dry cereals are typically fortified with, including vitamins A, C, D, B6 and B12, as well as zinc and iron. The bars come in three flavors: Strawberry, Vanilla & Wildberry, and Vanilla & Raspberry. Look for them in your local supermarket this month!

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