Treasure Hunt... for new Dairy Free Co Yo Morello Cherry Yoghurt

Important update (21/02/18):

Due to a problem with a supplier, Co-yo has just announced a small amount of dairy has been found in one of their products. Please check out their Face Book page for further details, to see if any Co-yo you have bought has been affected. They have now cancelled this supplier.

'Stop the clock!'

Today, I'm Anneka Rice... and I've been hunting for treasure - dairy free of course!

Remember Anneka? Blonde, clad in (tight) bright jumpsuits, leaping from helicopters, following clues, in search of treasure, on behalf of studio-bound contestants. She was a presenter on that eighties TV programme - Treasure Hunt!!

Well, OK, I'm not blonde, clad in jumpsuit, enviable figure etc. and there's definitely no helicopter in sight, but I've found some treasure!

'What?' You may well be wondering...

It's this: 

My treasure!

For me, personally (and you may not agree with me), it is one of those 'Holy Grail' products - you know, akin to one you used to LOVE and haven't been able to eat ever since you've made the change (gone dairy free I mean - not the menopause, just in case you're wondering)!

My absolute fave yoghurt of all time in my pre dairy free days was a Morello Cherry Muller Fruit Corner. Have you ever tried one??

I didn't have it all the time - but now and again, I would allow myself one as a treat.

Well, now I have found my dairy free equivalent - the Morello Cherry version of Co Yo. It's thick and it's creamy with the delicious sweet, yet slightly tart, compote of cherry layered beneath.

Yummy!

I've enjoyed plain Co Yo for some time, and not just as a yoghurt. I love using it in place of sour cream in fajitas, or as an accompaniment to apple crumble, or some other fruit dessert, in place of cream or custard.

BUT this Morello Cherry Co Yo I can enjoy just for being itself, and believe me, all 125g of it can disappear pretty fast!

Now you know I rate it for flavour, what else might you need to know?

What's in it?

Ingredients:

Coconut Milk (87%), Morello Cherry (12%) (Cherries, Natural Fruit Etracts of Apple, Grape and Carob), Tapioca starch, Live Vegan Cultures.

And, crucially for me - what's not in it is: dairy, gluten and soya. The fact that there's no added sugar is a bonus!

What I would like to see in it is some added calcium - it's one of those things that dairy free peeps could really do with!

Where can I get it?

I first came across it at The Allergy and Free From Show in London, but obviously that's once a year and I couldn't transport any home with me, as I couldn't keep it cool. Although plain Co Yo is now available in  larger branches of Tesco, along with a few others, the cherry version has not yet made it onto the shelves. However, I gather that pretty soon it might become available through Ocado. 

For the time being, I've managed to persuade my nearest Health Food Shop to stock it - they're good like that - they're very open to suggestions. It seems to have paid off for them already, because it's been flying off the shelves of their fridge!! Consequently, I've had to wait a few weeks to get my hands on some, but today... today I managed it!!

If you want to get hold of some, I suggest you try the same!


How much is it?

This is the bit that is the hardest to talk about - especially with other Free From mums, who, I know, are trying to balance the budget. We all know, from experience, that Free From products come at a price. 

BUT, back to the actual cost... in my Health Food Shop it's £1.99 for 125g. I'm guessing this is probably more or less what you'd be charged elsewhere too!

It's true that Co Yo is a lot more expensive than 'normal' yoghurt, but bear in mind that this is the dairy free yoghurt equivalent of artisan bread or chocolate - it's not produced on the same commercial scale as 'normal' yoghurt, so it's going to cost!!

Co Yo is, in fact, the only completely dairy free fresh coconut probiotic yoghurt, that I know of, in the UK. Another firm makes coconut yoghurt that claims to be dairy free, but they produce their yoghurt in a factory where products made from cow's milk are also made. My daughter, being so sensitive to dairy, is unable to have this other yoghurt - it does NOT work for us! I have been assured that this is not so with Co Yo. 

So I reckon I'm paying for peace of mind - that there's no risk of cross-contamination. 

As a special dairy free treat... I think it's worth it!


Related Post:




Heaven in a mouthful? Co Yo Coconut Yoghurt

Why we're all stirred up about... The Coconut Collaborative 'Dairy Free' Yoghurt

Cue drum roll!!

Ta da!

Here it is, the long-awaited Coconut Collaborative, coconut-based dairy and soya free yoghurt.

'Woo hoo!' Thought I, when first I heard, 'another string to the dairy free, soya free bow!'

Ta da!

Whaddya think, then?

Must admit, it's a real departure for the firm behind this yoghurt. Originally known as Bessant and Drury, I first came across this company at the Allergy Show and immediately fell in love with their ice cream, which I reviewed here. I particularly loved their packaging, which really seemed so much better than most free from branding. Just recently, Bessant and Drury have rebranded themselves as The Coconut Collaborative, complete with a groovy new website, see here. I love the look of the website, but so far it's pretty light on information - you'll find out more by looking at their Face Book page. 

As for the re-branded packaging, it's no doubt funky and groovy, I'm not so in love with their new packaging, but you can't judge a book by it's cover, so let's move on!

The yoghurt retails at £1.49 for a 120g pot, in some branches of Waitrose. The list of stores can be found on their Face Book page. 

The Waitrose I visited sold two flavours: natural and natural with a raspberry compote. There are two other flavours, one which comes with a packet of berries and seeds and the other with a compote of mango and passionfruit.

The yoghurts come in a plain pot, which is about the right size for a lunchbox. They are completely plain - all the decorative element is in the cardboard sleeve.

The Natural


Ingredients:
Live coconut milk: coconut milk (96%), natural thickeners (starch,tara gum), water, selected dairy-free cultures.

This yoghurt is smooth, thick and creamy in consistency - in fact so thick that you can pretty much stand your spoon up in it. Like all natural yoghurts it has a certain tartness to it. It is certainly an acceptable alternative to natural dairy yoghurt. For this reason, it may be suited more to adult tastes.

Thick and creamy

Personally, although I love natural yoghurt, perhaps because of the thickness, I found one whole pot a bit much for me. The rest ended up going back in the fridge for later!

As for the other...

The Raspberry

Ingredients:
Live coconut milk: coconut milk (96%), natural thickeners (starch,tara gum), water, selected dairy-free cultures. Raspberry compote: raspberry (19%), grape extract, water, corn flour, raspberry juice concentrate (2%) citric acid, natural colour (anthocyanins, from grapes).

As you can see, the yoghurt and compote come in two distinct layers.

Voila!

It didn't stay that way for long! 'Baby' couldn't wait to open up the pot and give it all a good stir!

Stirred up!

Just before she did get her spoon in, I did just about manage to get a spoon in edge ways and give 'Baby' a quick taste of the top layer, but she wasn't too keen. She much preferred it with the raspberry all mixed in... that was until she realised there were pips in it! 

'Baby' doesn't like 'pipsies'!

Brought up on my Dad's home made jam, pips don't bother me! So maybe this is another one for me, then!

In fact I must admit, for someone whose favourite yoghurt used to be Muller Fruit Corners, the raspberry added a lovely flavour to the yoghurt. I really loved it! 

In fact, I demolished the whole of the rest of the pot in one go!

The packaging states that it is 'dairy free'

Will I be buying it again? 

Well, it's still a lot more expensive than 'normal' yoghurt, so it wouldn't be a regular purchase, especially as I had to go out of my way and make a special trip to buy it. I can get Co-yo yoghurt much more easily from Ocado and from my local health food store.

However...

More importantly, the packaging states boldly on the front that it is dairy free. In fact it states it on the top too!

BUT, in smaller writing, near the ingredients, well, actually nearer their contact details, to be precise, I note a small statement:

'Allergy advice: Made in a factory that uses dairy ingredients.'

'Oh! Hang on!' I gasped, when I spotted this, 'wait a minute! I thought you said 'dairy free'?????'

You may be surprised, and I was, but now I've thought about it, I am now not so surprised, although I am certainly disappointed. 

To put it in context, I suddenly remembered that the brand that created this yoghurt was originally created by people who were concerned with natural healthy alternatives, rather than allergies. 

Now I don't know where you stand on this, but personally if some thing says 'free' boldly all over it, then I expect it to be absolutely free. I think it is mis-leading to later add in small print a statement that says that it might not be as dairy free as I thought!

After all, as I have a little one who is, or certainly has been (we really need to conduct another controlled challenge, I think), susceptible to the slightest traces, I need to be careful and would not have bought it, had I known.

What I am is confused! I was under the impression (from something I was told, a while back) that 'dairy free' is a legal statement.

I'm also confused - as I'm not sure just how dairy free this yoghurt is now. It's something I need to check out, especially as 'Baby' is susceptible to the tiniest traces, and she did have a bit of tummy ache, a little while after her taster... when I say a 'bit' I mean painful enough for her to make a fuss about it, in the way that she does when she has mistakenly been given something that 'may contain'.

Was it a taste of dairy?? I can't be 100% sure, BUT I will not be taking the risk again, as I am pretty certain. There was no other likely cause of her having a tummy ache that day.

They claim their equipment is cleaned and the product batch-tested, BUT I know that not all parts of machinery can be cleaned as thoroughly because they are in hard to reach places. AND allergenic proteins are notoriously sticky!

I am also aware of a few other people who have reactions to another product that claims that it is safe because it is batch-tested, so I am not convinced of the thoroughness of batch-testing - especially as only a tiny amount of a batch is tested.

Something else, of which to be aware is that although there are a lot of claims on the sleeve of the yoghurt, regarding the health benefits of coconuts, I am aware of at least one dietitian who has cautioned against eating too much coconut based yoghurt. 

Despite all the 'healthy fat' claims of people who love the properties of coconut, it does contain a lot of saturated fat. I have been advised to partake sparingly. So it may not be as healthy as we thought.

Also, please note, that unlike some other dairy free yogurts, it does not have any added calcium, so it will not provide a great deal of your daily calcium requirements - except perhaps a little from any 'added nuts'.

Let's be clear - I'm not saying don't eat it...   

Just be careful, is all I'm saying...


Update July 2014:

The Coconut Collaborative are still assertively marketing their product as 'dairy free' despite the cautionary note about the factory. They say (sic):

feedback welcomed. Let us host you at our producers you will 100% be reassured as all our retailers are.

For those of you who are aware that since I wrote this post, 'Baby' has been undergoing a 'baked milk challenge,' I still would not buy her this yogurt. Anyone who has seen a copy of the Milk Ladder which covers the reintroduction of milk will know that baked milk is safer than unbaked milk and that the dose and length of time the milk is baked also has a bearing on how well tolerated the milk may be.

In fact, on a similar thread, I was interested to hear from registered Dietitian, Julia Marriott (@AlimentaryBites on Twitter) that if a product is not heated above 180 degrees, then it is not suitable for anyone undergoing a baked milk challenge. This information was provided in relation to a conversation on Twitter regarding ice lollies with 'may contain' warnings.

Update November 2014:

Interesting article about food allergy labelling and traceable amounts of allergens detected in foods here: Do foods with precautionary labels really contain allergens?

The above article was based on this report by the FSA: Survey on 'May Contain' labelling


Stay safe and be well!


Related Posts:


Wot no dairy! Wot no soya!



Xotic - another dairy and soya free yoghurt



Heaven in a mouthful - Co-yo Coconut Yoghurt



Are you getting enough... calcium??

Getting enough... Vitamin D for you and me!

Heaven in a mouthful? Co-yo Coconut Yoghurt

Important update (21/02/18):

Due to a problem with a supplier, Co-yo has just announced a small amount of dairy has been found in one of their products. Please check out their Face Book page for further details, to see if any Co-yo you have bought has been affected. They have now cancelled this supplier.

Well, the inscription on the lid proclaims it: 'Heaven in a Mouthful'. Wow! That's  a bold statement isn't it? I actually didn't need that statement to persuade me to dive in. I've been after this stuff for a good few months now - ever since I got wind of it somewhere online. 

Thick and creamy - yum!

Originating, in Australia, I was overjoyed to discover that Co-yo  coconut milk yoghurt had made it over here, but getting hold of it has been somewhat trickier than I imagined!

No supermarket over here seems to sell it yet (now widely available see update below). Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose etc. you're missing a treat! Ocado doesn't have it listed... yet - I'm going to suggest this one! Goodness Direct had it listed, but it wasn't in stock when I ordered it. I finally got my hands on it the other day, however, when I paid a visit to the Whole Foods Market in Clapham Junction (there's another in Kensington).

They had four flavours, in stock: natural, mixed berry, pineapple and some kind of chocolate version. Now, if you know me well, you'll know how much I love chocolate, but on this occasion, I passed that over and (mindful of The Hub's wallet) I chose just the first two. This was partly because I wasn't sure that this much anticipated concoction was going to taste just as wonderful as it made out, and I didn't want to waste money on it if it wasn't up to much.

Having now sampled, in fact, demolished both tubs, I can report the following:

I thought it was delicious! It's one of the tastes I've been missing since going dairy free and I'm delighted to have found it.

If you like the flavour of natural yoghurt (and I do) this is the nearest I have come to it - bear in mind that I can't tolerate soya milk, so I've no idea whether there are any soya yoghurts out there that can compare. However, unlike many natural yoghurts, it is not quite as sour (good in my opinion) but every bit as creamy!! There is a hint of coconut in the flavour (not as obvious in the mixed berry flavour) more so, than in coconut milk, but I like the taste of coconut, so that's fine by me!

I enjoyed both flavours, but the mixed berry was my favourite - a fine layer of blueberries  and blackberries nestle at the bottom of the tub, under a thick blanket of coconut yoghurt. The sweetness tempers the tartness of the yoghurt really well, without being sickly, or cloying, in any way.

Now I know that many of you will be wanting to know, what's in it. The ingredients list is refreshingly short. It contains:

Coconut milk (98%)

Tapioca Starch

Vegan probiotic cultures

So, it's dairy free (therefore lactose free), soya free, gluten free and contains no added sugar. There are also no added flavours or colours, yet, if not actually my idea of 'Heaven in a Mouthful,' it does come pretty close!

Yippee! 

I'm definitely going to get some more! However, at £1.99 for a tub (125 g) it is rather pricey, so I might not be eating it everyday!

Updates: 

Ocado does now sell Co-yo and it is now also sold in selected branches of Waitrose and Tesco!

Plain Co-yo also works great as a replacement for sour cream!


New Flavours: 
I've since tried the Chocolate flavour of Co-yo and I'm afraid I'm not a fan. I'm not sure how I expected it to taste, you may think differently, but it didn't work for me. 

I've also tried the Mango flavour. The layer of mango purée was fairly runny - it could perhaps have benefited from a few lumps of actual fruit, but... it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely buy that one again!

A new Morello Cherry flavour came to the market (see here), which I absolutely loved! Sadly I've only seen it in health food stores. I've not seen it recently and I miss it!

There's a new Vanilla flavour and a Salted Caramel flavour around, both yummy, but the vanilla is my fave!

If you found this post helpful, you may also be interested in the following posts:

There are alternatives - dairy substitutes

Have you tried Hemp?

Happy with Hazelnut?

Anyone for Almond Milk?

There are alternatives, but it's certainly not butter!

Wot no dairy! Wot no soya!

Ice - a - cream - oh!

Bessant and Drury's Dairy Free Ice Cream

Ice, Ice Baby

Are you getting enough... Calcium? 

Getting enough? Vitamin D for you and me.