Many drinks marketed as ‘kefir’ - a form of fermented yoghurt or milk - in France do not actually include the key bacteria needed for the product’s much-vaunted health claims, a new consumer study claims.
The report by UFC-Que Choisir, published on November 22, states that many drinks that claim to be kefir do not actually contain any kefir grains. These are the grains needed for genuine and traditional kefir production, and the main source of the drink’s apparent health effects.
The traditional fermentation process breaks down the dairy’s lactose into lactic acid, which acidifies the drink. Real kefir grains generate gas, and when drunk regularly, are claimed to offer health benefits including improved gut health, improved cholesterol, better-controlled blood sugar, and improved bone health.
A range of drinks and dairy products sold as ‘kefir’ in France, as highlighted by UFC-Que ChoisirUFC-Que Choisir / Alexis Lecomte
They can produce a ‘fizzy’ effect when drunk, which is somewhat of an acquired taste and not especially popular in dairy products in Western Europe (the drink originates from Eastern Europe and Asia). This may also be a reason that producers deviate from traditional methods.
According to international food standards code the Codex Alimentarius, authentic kefir must contain at least 10,000 yeasts per gram.
But the new investigation found that many drinks sold as ‘kefir’ do not do this. As a result, they are closer to ‘ribot milk (buttermilk)’ or ‘leben’ (fermented milk pudding), which are typically sold at much lower prices.
Inflated prices
Many of these ‘fake kefir’ drinks are still sold at prices more akin to the more expensive genuine kefir, and can reach as much as €7 a litre, says UFC-Que Choisir.
“Many brands use only lactic acid bacteria, just like any other fermented milk,” the report states, with several brands admitting that they do not use the ferments required to ensure their product is genuine kefir.
This includes products from the brands Beautiful Immunity, Naturalia, and Carrefour Sensation, all of which admitted that their products do not contain any kefir grains, and only use lactic acid.
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“It seems to be about marketing exploitation, rather than a genuine food innovation,” UFC-Que Choisir adds.
Disputed health benefits
Similarly, products that are not made in the proper way are unlikely to offer the same health benefits as those promoted by genuine kefir producers.
The report also found that the ‘rapid’ fermentation process used by mass-producers such as Danone (for its Activia Kefir product) was far from optimal compared to the slow, traditional method. This is despite the Activia Kefir actually containing kefir grains.
“Even with the right ingredients, shortened fermentation alters the taste and properties of the product,” the report says.
Misleading practices
Yet, many manufacturers choose to eschew the traditional fermentation process for practical and safety reasons, one organic producer told Capital. ”Working with precise strains guarantees a stable result and limits microbiological risks,” said Kerguillet, a Breton organic produce company, in a statement.
But UFC-Que Choisir says these practices are misleading, and can cause consumers to pay inflated prices for products that are neither genuine, nor offer the health benefits claimed.
UFC-Que Choisir adds that in its blind tasting tests, none of the volunteers were able to distinguish authentic kefir from the industrial, non-genuine alternatives.
The consumer association laments that there is currently no legislation in France that protects the use of the term ‘kefir’ on products. Yet, it does state that the Code de la consommation requires that “no manufacturer should mislead the consumer on the ingredients or manufacturing method of a product”.
It adds that when it contacted consumer and fraud office the DGCCRF about the issue, the office declined to reply.
Skyr scepticism
The study comes after the consumer group made similar criticism towards yoghurts marketed as ‘Icelandic Skyr’.
The genuine item is a traditional fermented yoghurt from Iceland, similar to Greek yoghurt but thicker and creamier, and with the added claimed health benefits of fermented and high-protein products.
It is made by heating skimmed milk and adding old skyr cultures to the mix, and draining the whey.
Yet, last year (2023), UFC-Que Choisir took issue with many producers’ health claims about skyr-style yoghurt, and said that it offers “no extra benefit to most people”.
In many cases, it has the same protein content as other much cheaper yoghurts, despite selling for up to six times the price of a normal fromage blanc, the association said.
