Ethical Yoghurt Brands
Which yoghurt brands are the most ethical and sustainable? For the answer, see our Ethical Yoghurt Ratings Table to compare brands’s scores.
So, is yoghurt ethical?
Some types of yoghurt are often recommended as part of a healthy and balanced diet; it’s high in protein and good for the gut. This food has become a popular way of keeping our bodies’ good bacteria happy. However, anyone looking to make sustainable and ethical choices should consider the animal welfare, intensive farming, dairy production and the use of GMOs in vegan products.
Is yoghurt healthy?
Yoghurt is often marketed as a kind of miracle-food. But problematic and ambiguous product information is rife. Brands will sometimes fail to identify genetically modified ingredients and will even publish misleading health claims. In fact, ‘low sugar’ and ‘lite’ products can contain the same sugar content or calories as their regular counterparts. This is because there are no regulations on how these terms can be used on packaging.
Is it vegetarian?
Dairy farming is a big concern for ethical shoppers who want to buy yoghurt made from cow’s milk. Conditions vary dramatically between dairy farms. Companies don’t make it easy to find out if the milk has been sourced from intensively farmed cattle. To make buying sustainable products even more tricky, sometimes packaging does not clearly distinguish if a product contains gelatin as a thickening agent. Some products might covertly contain animal bones! If animal welfare is a particular concern for you, opt for clearly labelled vegetarian and vegan alternatives.
However, even vegetarian or vegan yoghurt presents some ethical issues. Dairy-free alternative ingredients often contain additives, preservatives and filler ingredients. Even some vegan options are made from soy. (Soy is a crop that is sometimes genetically modified or grown using pesticides.)
It’s hard to find an ethical and sustainable vegan yoghurt! But ethical brands are out there…
Our research
Our independent research team has analysed the sector of brands selling yoghurt. Our research results found that 2/3 brands failed to meet the ethical benchmark to be considered an ethical yoghurt brand. These brands generally scored the poorest for Animal Welfare, Vegetarian/Vegan and Genetic Modification.
The brands that were recognised as substandard included Activia, Actimel, Alpro, Light & Free, Oykos and Provamel. These brands are all owned by Danone. Danone is renowned for having a bad ethical reputation. It is recognised as one of the lowest-performing publicly traded companies for human rights standards. Furthermore, Danone has also been identified as being one of the world’s top 10 plastic polluters, whilst also having been accused of misleading the public on their commitment to waste reduction. So these are the yoghurt brands you might want to give a miss!
See our Ethical Yoghurt Ratings Table to compare brands
The research team from The Good Shopping Guide has conducted in-depth analysis of hundreds of brands, including the most popular yoghurt brands. Click on any yoghurt brand name to read this exclusive research on individual brands’ policies on ethics and sustainability.
Nush, The Coconut Collaborative, Yeo Valley, Benecol, Onken, The Collective, Bio&Me, Bonne Maman, Nomadic, Woodlands Dairy, FAGE, Oatly, Arla, Skyr, St Helen’s Farm, Müller, Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Cadburys, Light & Free, Lindahls, Munch Bunch, Oykos, Ski, Rachel’s Organic, Frubes, Liberté Biotiful, GetPRO, Lancashire Farm, Tim’s Dairy, Yakult, Yoplait and Petits Filous.
What general ethical concerns are associated with yoghurt products?
Yoghurt shoppers concerned about ethics should consider animal welfare in dairy farming and environmental impacts, plus how ingredients are sourced. Labels can be misleading — terms like “low sugar” aren’t regulated, and some products don’t clearly identify genetically modified (GM) ingredients. Even some vegan and vegetarian yoghurts can still involve pesticides or additives in plant‑based bases.
Why is it hard to find genuinely ethical yoghurt options?
According to independent research, about two‑thirds of yoghurt brands examined don’t meet a basic ethical benchmark because they score poorly on factors like animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan transparency and genetic modification policies. This includes many well‑known mainstream brands, showing that a dairy‑free label alone doesn’t guarantee ethical practice.
What do ethical rating systems look for when evaluating yoghurt brands?
Ethical evaluations consider environmental reporting, use of GM ingredients, organic certification, energy policies, treatment of farm animals, vegetarian/vegan verification, and whether brands have any public record criticisms (e.g., human rights or pollution). Good transparency and clear policies across these areas typically lead to higher ethical scores.
Can you name some yoghurt brands that score relatively well ethically?
Brands like Nush and The Coconut Collaborative receive high ethical scores because they combine good vegetarian/vegan verification with solid performance on animal welfare and some environmental criteria. Benecol and Yeo Valley also rank above many others through stronger ethical policies, even if they lack full organic certification.
Why do some mainstream yoghurt brands score poorly on ethical criteria?
Many familiar brands, including those owned by large companies like Danone, score below average because of weak vegan/vegetarian transparency, lack of organic ingredients, poor genetic modification policies, or broader criticisms of their parent companies. These corporate and sourcing concerns then affect their ethics ratings.
How can consumers make more ethical yoghurt choices?
To make more thoughtful choices, look for yoghurts with clear vegan or vegetarian certification, strong environmental reporting, and minimal use of genetically modified or highly processed ingredients. Smaller brands focusing on organic or plant‑based ingredients tend to be more transparent and score better on ethical evaluations than many big‑brand options.
Is Yeo Valley an ethical yoghurt brand?
Yeo Valley sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table and is therefore regarded as an ethical brand. It performs well in areas such as organic and GMO-free production, fossil fuels, animal welfare, political donations and armaments, and also earns top marks for Ethical Innovator Status, although it has not yet pursued Ethical Accreditation. If the brand were to apply for formal accreditation, this would further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Benecol an ethical yoghurt brand?
Benecol sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table and is therefore considered ethical, performing well in areas such as environmental reporting, opposition to GMOs, fossil fuels, animal welfare and absence of political donation or armament criticisms, although it scores poorly on Organic and has not yet obtained Ethical Accreditation. If Benecol were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further highlight its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Liberté an ethical yoghurt brand?
Liberté sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table, indicating it is considered an ethical brand. It scores well in areas such as environmental reporting, organic sourcing, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and absence of political donation or armament concerns, although it performs poorly for vegetarian/vegan verification and has not yet secured Ethical Accreditation. If Liberté were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Nush an ethical yoghurt brand?
Nush sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table and is therefore regarded as an ethical brand. It performs strongly in areas such as Organic and Vegan certification, fossil fuels, animal welfare, political donations and armaments, although it has not yet obtained Ethical Accreditation. If Nush were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is FAGE an ethical yoghurt brand?
FAGE sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table and is therefore regarded as ethical. It performs well in areas such as non-GMO verification, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification, fossil fuels, political donations and armaments, although it scores poorly for Environmental Reporting and Organic certification and has not pursued Ethical Accreditation. If FAGE were to seek formal Ethical Accreditation, this could further underscore its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is The Collective an ethical yoghurt brand?
The Collective sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table, indicating it is considered an ethical brand. It performs well in areas such as environmental reporting, genetic modification policy, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and political donations and armaments, although it has not obtained Ethical Accreditation. If The Collective were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Tim’s Dairy an ethical yoghurt brand?
Tim’s Dairy sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table, indicating it is regarded as ethical. It performs well in areas such as environmental reporting, genetic modification policy, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and absence of political donation or armament issues, although it scores poorly on Organic certification, vegetarian/vegan verification and Ethical Accreditation and thus has not yet received formal endorsement. If Tim’s Dairy were to seek Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Bio&Me an ethical yoghurt brand?
Bio&Me sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table and is therefore regarded as ethical. It performs well in areas such as detailed environmental reporting, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and the absence of political donation or armament issues, although it scores poorly for Organic and vegetarian/vegan verification and has not yet obtained Ethical Accreditation. If Bio&Me were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Frubes an ethical yoghurt brand?
Frubes sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table and is therefore regarded as ethical. It performs well in areas such as environmental reporting, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and the absence of political donation or armament issues, although it scores poorly on Organic and genetic modification criteria and has not obtained Ethical Accreditation. If Frubes were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Onken an ethical yoghurt brand?
Onken sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table and is therefore regarded as an ethical brand. It performs well in areas such as environmental reporting, opposition to GMOs, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and political donations and armaments, although it scores poorly for Organic and vegetarian/vegan verification and has not yet obtained Ethical Accreditation. If Onken were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Petits Filous an ethical yoghurt brand?
Petits Filous sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table, indicating it is considered an ethical brand. It performs well in areas such as environmental reporting, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and political donations and armaments, although it scores poorly on Organic, genetic modification criteria and has not obtained Ethical Accreditation. If Petits Filous were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Woodlands Dairy an ethical yoghurt brand?
Woodlands Dairy sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table, indicating it is considered ethical. It performs well in areas such as vegetarian verification, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and absence of political donation or armament issues, although it scores poorly on Environmental Reporting and Organic criteria and has not obtained Ethical Accreditation. If Woodlands Dairy were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Yoplait an ethical yoghurt brand?
Yoplait sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table, indicating it is considered an ethical brand. It performs well in areas such as environmental reporting, fossil fuels, animal welfare, and the absence of political donations or armament criticisms, although it scores poorly on Organic and vegetarian/vegan verification and has not obtained Ethical Accreditation. If Yoplait were to pursue Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Bonne Maman an ethical yoghurt brand?
Bonne Maman sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It scores well on GMO‑free products, fossil fuels, animal welfare, political donations and armaments, but falls short on its environmental reporting and lacks organic and vegetarian/vegan certifications, leading to a below‑benchmark result. As it does not meet the ethical benchmark, consider exploring the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for brands that do.
Is Lancashire Farm an ethical yoghurt brand?
Lancashire Farm sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It earns positive marks for its use of free‑range milk, fossil fuel policies, animal welfare and stances on armaments and political donations, but it falls short in environmental reporting, organic and vegetarian/vegan verification and lacks Ethical Accreditation, so it does not meet the ethical standard. Readers seeking higher‑rated options can refer to the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for brands that do.
Is Nomadic an ethical yoghurt brand?
Nomadic sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It gains positive recognition for its fossil fuel policy, animal welfare criteria and positions on political donations and armaments, but it falls short on environmental reporting, organic attributes, vegetarian/vegan verification and lacks Ethical Accreditation, so it does not reach the ethical benchmark. Readers seeking brands that meet the standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is St Helen’s Farm an ethical yoghurt brand?
St Helen’s Farm sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It performs well on fossil fuel policy, animal welfare and positions on political donations and armaments, but falls short on organic and vegetarian/vegan certification and lacks Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers seeking brands that meet the ethical benchmark can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Yakult an ethical yoghurt brand?
Yakult sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It performs well in areas such as environmental reporting, fossil‑fuel policy, animal welfare and positions on political donations and armaments, but falls short in organic and vegetarian/vegan verification and lacks Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers looking for brands that meet the ethical standard can refer to the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated options.
Is Biotiful an ethical yoghurt brand?
Biotiful sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It scores positively for environmental reporting, organic status, fossil fuel policy and positions on political donations and armaments, but falls short notably on animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification and lacks Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers interested in yoghurt brands that achieve the ethical standard should consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Oatly an ethical yoghurt brand?
Oatly sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It performs well on environmental reporting, non‑GMO policy, fossil fuels, political donations and armaments, but falls short on organic certification, animal welfare and has notable public criticisms, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers seeking brands that meet the ethical benchmark can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated options.
Is Müller an ethical yoghurt brand?
Müller sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It scores well for environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy and its stance on political donations and armaments, but falls short on organic certification and animal welfare and lacks Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark assessment. Readers interested in ethical yoghurt brands that meet the standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Arla an ethical yoghurt brand?
Arla sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It scores positively for its environmental reporting and shows solid policies on fossil fuels, armaments and political donations, but falls short on organic certification, animal welfare and vegetarian/vegan verification, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers wanting brands that meet the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Skyr an ethical yoghurt brand?
Skyr sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It performs relatively well on environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy and its stance on armaments and political donations, but falls short on organic certification, animal welfare and vegetarian/vegan verification and lacks Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers wanting brands that meet the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Rachel’s Organic an ethical yoghurt brand?
Rachel’s Organic sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It earns positive recognition for environmental reporting, organic status and policies on fossil fuels and armaments, but falls short on animal welfare, political donations and vegetarian/vegan verification and thus does not meet the ethical benchmark. Readers seeking brands that achieve the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Alpro an ethical yoghurt brand?
Alpro sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It performs well in areas like environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy and vegetarian/vegan verification, but falls short on animal welfare, political donations and public criticisms linked to its parent company, and therefore does not reach the ethical benchmark. Readers interested in more ethical yoghurt options should consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Actimel an ethical yoghurt brand?
Actimel sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It gains positive marks for its environmental reporting and fossil fuel policy and has no criticisms on armaments, but falls short on genetic modification transparency, organic status, animal welfare, political donations and lacks Ethical Accreditation, leading to a below‑benchmark result. Readers interested in more ethical yoghurt brands can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Activia an ethical yoghurt brand?
Activia sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It earns positive marks for environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy and lack of criticisms on armaments, but falls short on genetic modification transparency, organic status, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification and political donations, with no Ethical Accreditation, leading to a below‑benchmark result. Readers wanting brands that meet the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Cadbury an ethical yoghurt brand?
Cadbury sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It performs reasonably in environmental reporting and in having no criticisms around fossil fuels or armaments, but it falls short on genetic modification, organic status, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification and political donations, and lacks Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers wanting to find yoghurt brands that reach the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is GetPRO an ethical yoghurt brand?
GetPRO sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It gains positive marks for environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy and a lack of criticisms around armaments, but falls short on genetic modification transparency, organic status, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification, political donations and lacks Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers wanting to find yoghurt brands that reach the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Light & Free an ethical yoghurt brand?
Light & Free sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It earns positive marks for its environmental reporting and fossil fuel policy, but falls short in areas such as genetic modification transparency, organic status, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification, political donations and has notable public criticisms, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers looking for yoghurt brands that achieve the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Lindahls an ethical yoghurt brand?
Lindahls sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It scores well on environmental reporting and has no criticisms in areas like fossil fuels or armaments, but falls short in GMO transparency, organic status, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification and political donations, and lacks Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers seeking brands that reach the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Munch Bunch an ethical yoghurt brand?
Munch Bunch sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It earns positive marks for its environmental reporting and lacks criticisms on fossil fuels and armaments, but falls short on GMO transparency, organic status, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification and political donations, with no Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark result. Readers seeking yoghurt brands that achieve the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Oykos an ethical yoghurt brand?
Oykos sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It scores well for environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy and has no criticisms around armaments, but falls short on genetic modification transparency, organic status, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification and political donations, and has no Ethical Accreditation, resulting in a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers wanting brands that meet the ethical standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
Is Ski an ethical yoghurt brand?
Ski sits below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table. It scores positively for its environmental reporting and has no criticisms on fossil fuels or armaments, but falls short in GMO transparency, organic status, animal welfare, vegetarian/vegan verification and political donations, leading to a below‑benchmark outcome. Readers seeking ethical yoghurt brands that meet the standard can consult the Yoghurt Ethical Ratings Table for higher‑rated alternatives.
How does The GOOD Shopping Guide's Ethical Accreditation complement other accreditations?
The GOOD Shopping Guide doesn’t replace existing certifications, it ensures your ethical credentials are clearly recognised so they are trusted by consumers. By appearing in our comparison tables, your brand reaches an audience that is actively seeking genuinely ethical options, while also being referenced by Google and AI search tools to enhance credibility and discoverability.
How is The GOOD Shopping Guide's Ethical Accreditation different from other accreditations?
Unlike many accreditations that focus mainly on compliance or internal audits, The GOOD Shopping Guide provides scored, research-led assessments across environment, people and animals. Our tables are consumer-facing and freely accessible, making it easy for shoppers and AI tools to compare brands based on verified performance, not just promises.
How does The GOOD Shopping Guide choose who is eligible for accreditation?
The GOOD Shopping Guide audits brands for their ethical impact across a variety of criteria in the human, animal and environment categories. We research the records of brands and their parent companies, and rate them across those criteria. If they are found to be above our benchmark, they are eligible to apply for Ethical Accreditation.
How can I apply for Ethical Accreditation?
You can apply for Ethical Accreditation if your brand is assessed as above our benchmark. Click on this link to fill out our online form, and our researchers will assess your brand’s viability for Ethical Accreditation.