Is Yoghurt Ultra-Processed?

Why Yoghurt scores It depends

The NOVA classification of yoghurt depends entirely on what has been added beyond milk and live cultures. We checked 249 yoghurt products at Tesco and the split is stark.

Plain yoghurts are among the simplest products in the dairy aisle. Fage Total 0% Greek Yoghurt lists just 'pasteurised skimmed milk, live active yogurt cultures'. Tesco Greek Style Natural Yoghurt is similarly clean: milk, cream, live cultures. Yeo Valley Organic Natural Yoghurt is 'organic whole milk, live yogurt cultures'. These are textbook NOVA 1 — the milk is fermented, which is one of the oldest and most minimal forms of food processing.

Flavoured yoghurts are a different story. Actimel Strawberry contains flavourings, oligofructose (a fibre bulker used as an industrial ingredient), and dextrose — three clear NOVA 4 markers. Activia Peach No Added Sugar swaps sugar for sucralose and acesulfame K (artificial sweeteners), and still includes flavourings — all NOVA 4 markers. Muller Corner products typically contain flavourings and colours, pushing them firmly into NOVA 4.

The '0% fat' question comes up frequently. Fat content has absolutely no bearing on NOVA classification. A 0% fat Greek yoghurt made from skimmed milk and cultures is NOVA 1. A 0% fat flavoured yoghurt with sweeteners and flavourings is NOVA 4. It is the additives that matter, not the fat.

Nutritionally, plain yoghurt is a strong source of protein (typically 5-10g per 100g for Greek style) and calcium, with no additives. Flavoured variants often add 10-15g of sugar per pot or replace it with artificial sweeteners.