FAQ

Yogurt is a coagulated milk product obtained by lactic acid fermentation through the action of two lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, from milk and milk products.

All Liberté yogurts made from cow’s milk contain living lactic acid bacteria (Bifidobacterium lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus).

Under Health Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations, all of our products must be pasteurized.

Pasteurization is a preservation process in which foods are heated to a set temperature and for a set time and then quickly cooled.

Like all yogurt producers in Canada, Liberté must conduct analyses on the milk it uses to make yogurt and is prohibited from including milk that contains antibiotics or growing hormones.

The sugar in plain products is from lactose, a natural sugar found in milk. Flavoured products are sweetened with the fruits that they contain and with refined white sugar. Our organic products (Bio) are also sweetened with the fruits that they contain and with organic cane sugar.

The best before date is the date until which a product will maintain its freshness and quality if it is properly kept and handled. Past this date, the product should be consumed as soon as possible since its taste, texture and nutrient value will begin to deteriorate. It’s ultimately up to you to decide if you want to consume an expired product.

Liberté products do not contain preservatives, and you should therefore respect the best before dates to fully benefit from their nutrients and freshness. Once a yogurt has been opened, it should be consumed within five to seven days.

The liquid is actually an ingredient called whey. It contains most of the yogurt’s vitamins and nutrients, and it’s normal for a small amount to rise to the surface. To fully benefit from all of the whey’s nutritional benefits, mix it into the yogurt.

The termorganic refers to the way in which a product is made. An organic product must be manufactured according to specific regulations, guidelines and principles that are applied at every process phase (production, transformation, transport, distribution, etc.). To be certified organic, products must contain 95% organic ingredients. All of Liberté’s organic products are certified by Québec Vrai.

Though Liberté products do not contain gluten, our plants have not been certified “gluten free” because our providers are not certified. However, Liberté has implemented rigorous cleaning measures and processes to limit the spread of allergens. To have more information, please contact our consumer services at 1-888-340-9306.

Though Liberté products do not contain nuts, our plants are not certified “nut free” because certain products from our suppliers may have come into contact with nuts. Liberté has implemented rigorous cleaning measures and processes to limit the spread of allergens.

Lactose intolerance is a reaction that stems from an inability to digest lactose (a natural sugar found in milk) caused by an enzyme deficiency. People who are lactose intolerant are often able to properly digest small amounts of yogurt because the lactic acid bacteria contained in the yogurt transforms the lactose into lactic acid. People who are lactose intolerant may prefer our goat milk products, since they contain less lactose than those made from cow’s milk. We recommend that you speak with your nutritionist for more information.
 

Women who are pregnant require more calcium and proteins. Yogurt is a good source of calcium and protein, but, if you’re pregnant, it’s best to first speak with your doctor or nutritionist.

Nutritionists recommend integrating yogurt into a child’s diet at nine or ten months. Children need fat for growth and brain development, so it’s best to give them yogurt with a higher fat content. Speak with your pediatrician or nutritionist to learn more.

It’s best not to freeze yogurt. Its nutrient content won’t be affected but its texture will change.

Our containers were not designed to be heated or hold hot liquids.

Most Liberté containers are recyclable, because they are primarily made from polypropylene (number 5 plastic). Only the 100 g containers sold in multipacks are not recyclable because they are made from polystyrene (number 6 plastic), which is recycled in every province except Québec.

Yogurt container: number 5 plastic (polypropylene)
Yogurt container lid: number 4 plastic (low-density polyethylene)
Kefir container lid: number 5 plastic (polypropylene)
Foil: number 4 plastic (low-density polyethylene)
Milk cap: number 2 plastic (high-density polyethylene)
 

All Liberté products are kosher, except for the following:
• 2.5% yogurts (raspberry)

•  organic yogurts (pears)
• Méditerranée yogurts (moka, lemon and coconut)

•  Greek yogurts (not organic) (moka, raspberries, lemon, dates & figs, honey)
• Goat milk products
• Kéfir (454 ml)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency stipulates that a probiotic product must contain one billion active bacteria per portion at the best before date. All Liberté products are probiotic.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that yield health benefits when consumed in sufficient quantities.
Source: Health Canada
 

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, a probiotic product must contain one billion live active bacteria per portion until its expiry. All Liberté products contain probiotics and are tested by our quality control team on a regular basis.

All Liberté organic products are certified by Québec Vrai.

http://www.quebecvrai.org/home

The Liberté kefirs differ in texture and in the number of bacteria they contain. The authentic kefir contains lactic acid bacteria, probiotics and yeasts. In fact, the yeast gives the kefir its effervescence. The authentic kefir also contains some 33 billion live active bacteria per 100 ml.

The non-effervescent kefir is made with lactic acid bacteria and probiotics, but contains no yeast. It has a smoother texture, like a yogurt drink, and a billion bacteria per 100 ml.

Of all the Liberté products, our authentic kefir contains the most probiotics, so it’s an excellent idea to include it in your diet. It’s best to consume kefir on a regular basis to make the most of its digestive health benefits. Start with small amounts and progressively increase the portions.

Besides milk, milk powder and milk protein concentrate, no other products of animal origin are used to make Liberté products.

No, Liberté prefers to make yogurts with natural fruit flavours with less added sugar developed in collaboration with nutritionists. To cut the sugary taste, we suggest that you add plain yogurt to your fruit yogurt or buy plain yogurt and add the flavours you prefer. Sweetening agents are not natural sweeteners.

Note: You may also choose to eat only some of the fruits in our yogurts with fruit on the bottom.

Liberté does not add gelatine to its yogurts. Instead, we add skim milk powder and milk protein concentrate for creamy and delicious products that are high in protein.

Skim milk powder and milk protein concentrate undergo few transformations. The milk used to make them meets the same standards as the milk we use in our yogurts. The filtration and low-temperature drying processes to make the powders preserve all of the original goodness of the milk’s proteins and minerals.

The cost of the kosher certification process is low, and it is not reflected in the prices of our products. The communities that consume kosher foods prefer certain products that are major sellers. These sales alone cover the certification costs.

The kosher certification guarantees the quality of the dairy product production process since it prohibits the addition of products such as gelatine and carmine. Liberté shares this philosophy.

Our yogurt multipacks are made from polystyrene (plastic number 6), which is recyclable. However, certain municipalities in Canada and more specifically in Québec do not possess the infrastructures required to collect and recycle this type of plastic.

Various economic and political reasons explain the situation. Because polystyrene is very light, a significant amount is required to ensure the cost-effectiveness of operations to transport and recycle it. The amount of number 6 plastic does not justify these activities at this time.

Even so, polystyrene has two ecological advantages: it is very flexible and can be used to make thin-wall containers that hold the same amount of product but require less plastic. Also, polystyrene production consumes less energy than other types of plastic manufacturing processes.

If polystyrene recycling facilities were developed, the life cycle of polystyrene would be more ecological than the life cycles of other plastics.

Liberté uses BPA-free plastics to make its yogurt containers. The containers are certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

We use a date to indicate a product’s expiry date. We print the year (two digits), the month (two letters) and the day: year, month, and day. Here are the abbreviations used:

January: JA

February: FE

March: MR

April: AL

May: MA

June: JN

July: JL

August: AO

September: SE

October: OC

November: NO

December: DE

The AGRT acronym stands for the plant number. The time is the time at which the product was manufactured. This information is very helpful for product follow-ups.

Yes

Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Liberté does not own dairy farms. Instead, we purchase fresh milk from different dairy producer federations. Visit their Web sites: Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec at www.lait.org (French and English), Fédération d’agriculture biologique du Québec (organic milk) at www.fabqbio.ca (French), Syndicat des producteurs de chèvres du Québec (goat’s milk) at www.chevreduquebec.com (French) and the Ontario Dairy Goat Co-Operative at http://www.ontariodairygoat.com (French and English).

Our tofu products are produced in a plant that is certified gluten, nut and GMO free.

The percent (%) daily value of calcium is based on an adult’s nutritional needs of 1,100 mg, and 30% is therefore equal to 330 mg. In addition, 5% of the daily value for sodium is a low-sodium content. For more information on the table, go to http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/label-etiquetage/using-utilisez-eng.php.

Liberté baby is a new line of yogurt specially formulated for infants aged 9 months or older. It is segmented into two steps: Liberté baby Step 1 for babies 9 months or older and Liberté baby Step 2 for babies 12 months and up.

Made from whole milk and cream, these yogurts provide the essential energy and fats that babies 9 months or older need for their development. Moreover, we have paid close attention to the amount of sugar in the recipe.

Liberté products do not contain preservatives, and you should therefore keep them refrigerated and respect the best before dates to fully benefit from their nutrients and freshness. Once a yogurt has been opened, it should be consumed within five to seven days

According to health experts, including the Institut national de santé publique du Québec you can introduce yogurt in your baby’s diet starting at 9 months of age.

Because regular plain yogurt has a somewhat sour taste that can be unappealing to babies, Liberté added a small amount of sugar to the recipe in order to cut the acidity. The quantities added are minimal, a mere 2 g. This plain yogurt tastes about as sweet as cow's milk and less sweet than breast milk.

If parents prefer to offer their baby a yogurt with no sugar added whatsoever, Liberté Méditerranée plain yogurt (10% M.F.) is another healthy option.

Liberté developed two phases of products in this line so that the baby is first introduced to the taste of yogurt on its own. As babies develop their sense of taste and discover new foods, it is preferable to allow them to learn the natural flavour of each food before starting to combine them. Hence, fruits are blended with yogurt in baby Step 2

Liberté baby yogurt Step 1 contains 4 g of sugar per 75 g, and Liberté baby yogurt Step 2 contains 7 g of sugar per 75 g.

In the 3 yogurts, 1.78 g of the sugar comes from lactose, a sugar found naturally in milk.
 

The milk fat content of Step 1 is 6%, and in Step 2, it is 5 %.

Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophillus.

Based on the nutritional needs of a child under 2 years old, a 75 g container holds 8 % of the Recommended Daily Intake in vitamin D for Step 1 and 6 % of the RDI for Step 2.

Based on the nutritional needs of a child 2 years old or older, a 75 g container holds 15 % of the RDI in vitamin D for Step 1 and 2. It is therefore a good source of vitamin D.

Based on the nutritional needs of a child under 2 years old, a 75 g container holds 25 % of the Recommended Daily Intake in calcium for Step 1 and 20 % of the RDI for Step 2.

Based on the nutritional needs of a child 2 years old or older, a 75 g container holds 10 % of the RDI in calcium for Step 1 and 2. It is therefore a source of calcium.

Liberté baby yogurt provides many nutritional elements that are essential to a baby's optimal growth and development.

• Calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus, which are needed for healthy bone and tooth development.
• Carbohydrates, protein, and fat, which provide the energy needed to grow.
• Vitamin B2, which helps the body use the energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
• Vitamin A, which promotes growth and good vision.
• Vitamin B12, which is involved in the formation of red blood cells and a properly functioning nervous system.

Probiotics that help maintain a healthy intestinal flora, which in turn, contributes to healthy digestion.

Liberté baby yogurt is fortified with vitamin D to comply with the recommended dietary allowance for this nutrient, which was increased in 2011.[1] In fact, the daily recommended intake of vitamin D has doubled for infants, and tripled for children aged 1 to 3 years. Milk is the primary source of vitamin D in children's diets, but it alone is not enough. By enriching its baby yogurt with vitamin D, Liberté is offering another good source of this crucial vitamin for babies.

Health experts, including the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, recommends introducing yogurt to babies at around 9 months,[1] which is the age when infants typically begin eating food from the four food groups listed in Canada's Food Guide.

Liberté baby yogurt is an excellent choice as a daily snack for your baby. Ideally, offer him or her one portion per day, to allow enough servings of all the foods needed for good growth and health.