Rachel’s Organic

How ethical is Rachel’s Organic?

Rachel’s Organic is a brand of yoghurt which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Yoghurt Ratings Table. Although Rachel’s Organic has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Rachel’s Organic if it submitted itself for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement. Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Ethical Yoghurt sector.

What does Rachel’s Organic do?

Rachel’s Organic is a dairy brand which mainly makes yoghurt and is owned by Groupe Lactalis.

In which areas does Rachel’s Organic perform poorly?

We awarded a bottom rating to Rachel’s Organic for Animal Welfare, as Groupe Lactalis is rated amongst the worst performing companies in the 2020 Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare report. We also awarded a bottom rating for Political Donations, as Groupe Lactalis donated over our threshold amount in recent election cycles, and for our Vegetarian/Vegan criteria due to a lack of certification.

Rachel’s Organic gained a middle rating for its Environmental Report as its parent company. Groupe Lactalis, has published a fairly basic Sustainability Report 2022. It also receives a middle rating for our GM criterion, as it is not clear from its website whether GMOs are present in its food products. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Rachel’s Organic’s record

In 2022, President parent company, Groupe Lactalis, was found guilty of breaching the mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct in Australian Federal Court and fined 950,000 AUD. Groupe Lactalis had breached the code by failing to publish its milk supply agreements on its website.

Prosecutors brought criminal charges against Groupe Lactalis in February 2023 for serious fraud, involuntary bodily harm, and a failure to carry out a recall order after several babies were diagnosed with salmonella caused by tainted powdered formula milk in 2017.

In which areas does Rachel’s Organic score well for its ethics?

We found no public record criticisms of Rachel’s Organic relating to Nuclear, Fossil Fuels, or Armaments, so it scores well for these criteria. It is also certified by The Soil Association so gets a top rating for our Organic criteria.

How can Rachel’s Organic improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Rachel’s Organic is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Yoghurt Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Rachel’s Organic has many issues to resolve, including its lack of Vegetarian certification, and poor Animal Welfare record. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Rachel’s Organic some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our ethical mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.