Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Cascade Fresh yogurt unique?
Is Cascade Fresh free of synthetic hormones and antibiotics?
What does "natural flavors" refer to in your ingredients listings?
Why does Cascade Fresh use fruit juice as a sweetener instead of sugar?
Why does the Cascade Fresh Plain yogurt list "sugars" under the nutritional facts?
Is the milk used to make Cascade Fresh homogenized?
Are the live and active cultures added after the milk is pasteurized and homogenized?
Are Cascade Fresh products gluten free?
If I'm lactose intolerant can I eat Cascade Fresh?
What is Pectin and why is it used it in Cascade Fresh yogurt?
Why is there occasionally watery liquid on the top when I open the container and what should I do with it?
What does the code date on the side of the container signify?
Can I freeze Cascade Fresh yogurt?
Does cooking with yogurt affect the live cultures?
Are Cascade Fresh containers recyclable?
Is Cascade Fresh organic?
How long do the live active cultures last after the container has been opened?
Is Cascade Fresh fortified with Vitamin D?
What is the actual culture count of Cascade Fresh products?
What is unique about culturing yogurt in the cup?
Why is it beneficial to eat live and active cultures with yogurt or dairy products?
What is a Marionberry?
What is a Blackcap?
What does "natural flavors" refer to in your ingredients listings?
The "natural flavors" listed on the ingredient statements include only concentrates of the fruit listed on the label, and essences of the fruit that are separated during the concentration process and later returned to the fruit for their flavor contribution. "Natural flavors" does not mean msg. The labeling laws require that these concentrates and essences be listed as "natural flavors" even though they are part of the same fruit already listed.
What makes Cascade Fresh yogurt unique?
Did you know all yogurts are not created equal? Cascade Fresh has EIGHT times the goodness by using eight active cultures, including acidophilus, bifidus and other probiotic cultures. These beneficial cultures have been shown to offer significant health benefits when they're included as a regular part of your diet.
Cultured in the cup - every cup is a separate batch of yogurt. No refined sugar-sweetened with peach and pineapple juice concentrates.
Made in small batches - more like homemade.
Cultured at a low temperature - acidophilus, bifidus and other probiotic cultures grow best at a low temperature. It takes more time and care but makes a more nutritious, tastier yogurt.
All natural with the highest quality ingredients. We use no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors or additives.
All Cascade Fresh products are gluten-free.
Certified kosher.
Family-owned and operated.
Is Cascade Fresh free of synthetic hormones and antibiotics?
At Cascade Fresh we use milk from cows not treated with rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) also known as rBST (recombinant Bovine Somatotropin) to make our products. Cascade Fresh purchases milk only from suppliers who have certified that their cows have not been treated with this genetically engineered hormone. Cascade Fresh also pays farmers a premium to not use hormones, steroids or antibiotics. Our carefully crafted products would not culture successfully if there were antibiotics in the milk.
Why does Cascade Fresh use fruit juice as a sweetener instead of sugar?
Because it's healthier and more natural. We have heard from many people who are sensitive to refined sugar that they do not react to the fruit juice sweetener in Cascade Fresh yogurt. Our fruit juice sweetener is made from peach and pineapple concentrate that has no added sugar. The sweetness comes only from the fruit. Our 6-ounce yogurts contain approximately three quarters of an ounce of fruit juice concentrate by weight, which is about seventy percent natural fruit sugar. This is half an ounce or about one tablespoon, considerably less sweetener than most other yogurt brands.
Why does the Cascade Fresh Plain yogurt list "sugars" under the nutrition facts?
The NLEA labeling laws require listing the total grams of all of the many compounds known as "sugars." This includes lactose, which is a natural milk sugar. Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar in milk.
Is the milk used to make Cascade Fresh homogenized?
Yes, the process of homogenizing the milk gives our yogurt a smoother texture. It prevents the fat globules from clustering and rising to the top.
Are the live and active cultures added after the milk is pasteurized and homogenized?
Yes, the live and active cultures are added after the milk is homogenized and pasteurized. This is to ensure that the live cultures will not be affected or diminished.
Are Cascade Fresh products gluten free?
Yes, all our products are gluten free. Each and every ingredient we use in our Cascade Fresh products is 100% gluten and wheat free. For stabilizer we use a small amount of tapioca, which comes from the cassava root, and pectin, which comes from citrus. The fruit juice concentrate is made from peach and pineapple juice concentrates.
In May 2002 Cascade Fresh was added to the 7th edition of the Celiac Sprue Association's (CSA/USA, Inc) Commercial Products Guide as being a company that provides gluten-free products. Here is more information on this organization:
Celiac Sprue Association
PO Box 31700
Omaha, NB 68131-0700
Phone: (402) 558-0600
Fax: (402) 558-1347
Email: celiacs@csaceliacs.org
Web: csaceliacs.org
If I'm lactose intolerant can I eat Cascade Fresh?
Dietitians have been recommending yogurt to lactase-deficient patients for years, but they did so under the mistaken assumption that the milk lactose had been "predigested" by the bacteria in yogurt. Now, research has provided a more complete explanation. It is now believed that the process happens in the intestine and not in the yogurt. The live active cultures aid in lactose digestion and are generally tolerated by most lactase-deficient people.
We recommend that you consult with your doctor to get the best advice for your situation.
What is Pectin and why is it used it in Cascade Fresh yogurts?
Pectin is a natural occurring stabilizer obtained from fruit. We use a small amount of citrus pectin to help keep the yogurt from separating in transit.
Why is there occasionally watery liquid on the top when I open the container and what should I do with it?
The liquid you described is whey, as in curds and whey, which are components of milk. The whey contains many of the live and active cultures used to change the milk into yogurt and we recommend stirring the liquid back into the yogurt. The liquid occurs if the product is bumped or shaken in transit. This causes some separation of the whey. Cascade Fresh doesn't use gelatin, artificial thickeners or starches, just a small amount of a gentle natural stabilizer, so a little bit of liquid is a normal occurrence.
What does the code date on the side of the container signify?
The code date on the container is the sell by date. This is the date when the cultures slowly start to diminish. To get the maximum benefit from the live cultures our products should be eaten by the code date and should be refrigerated until eaten. However, because of the live cultures, yogurt is also a very safe food. All our Cascade Fresh products are good to eat past the sell by date. Traditionally cultures were used to preserve milk and cultured products are not like milk or meat that can spoil by their expiration date. Live active cultures retard colonization of putrefactive bacteria, such as E. coli and Salmonella that can make you ill.
Can I freeze Cascade Fresh yogurt?
Yes, you can freeze Cascade Fresh yogurt but the consistency and texture changes when thawed. The yogurt may separate. The live cultures become inactive when frozen but freezing alone does not kill them.
Does cooking with yogurt affect the live cultures?
Temperature plays an important role with live active cultures. If yogurt is used in a recipe that requires even moderate heating the living yogurt bacteria may be detrimentally affected to some degree. However, the yogurt still is an excellent low calorie substitute for sour cream in recipes and offers valuable calcium, phosphorus, potassium and protein nutrients.
Are Cascade Fresh containers recyclable?
Cascade Fresh yogurt containers are made from Polypropylene #5. Cascade Fresh is always actively looking for the most environmentally friendly packaging alternatives available. One of the advantages of Polypropylene #5 is that it can be made into thinner walled cups and, therefore, uses less plastic than any available alternative. In fact 30% less plastic is used. In addition Polypropylene is manufactured without chlorine, which is harmful to the environment.
Polypropylene #5 is not recyclable in all areas. HDPE #2 is recyclable in more communities but we have the dilemma of more plastic per container etc. We encourage people who live in communities that don't recycle the Polypropylene #5 containers to lobby their city councils. You can also send your Cascade Fresh containers for recycling to
Fibres International
Re: Cascade Fresh
9205 Airport Road
Suite 100
Everett WA 98204
Is Cascade Fresh organic?
Cascade Fresh has just launched two Organic Plain quarts. A Fat Free Plain quart and Lowfat Plain quart. Our challenge has been finding a reliable supply of organic fruit juice concentrate. Over the years Cascade Fresh has heard from so many devoted customers that they prefer their yogurt sweetened with fruit juice concentrate instead of sugar. We hope to be able to accommodate them soon.
At Cascade Fresh, even for our non-organic products, we use milk from cows not treated with rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) also known as rBST (recombinant Bovine Somatotropin) to make our yogurt. Cascade Fresh purchases milk only from suppliers who have certified that their cows have not been treated with this genetically engineered hormone. Cascade Fresh also pays farmers a premium to not use hormones, steroids or antibiotics. Our carefully crafted products would not culture successfully if there antibiotics in the milk.
How long do the live active cultures last after the container has been opened?
As long as the product has had consistent refrigeration then the cultures stay active. However, to get the maximum benefit from the live cultures it should be eaten by the code date on the cup and it should be refrigerated until eaten. The culture counts diminish if allowed to warm up for any appreciable period of time. Letting the yogurt warm to room temperature for 3 to 6 hours, such as taking it to school or work for lunch is fine, but the product should be consumed at that time. If warmed yogurt is then refrigerated, to be eaten later, there is a possibility that the growth of organisms other than the yogurt cultures, stimulated by the warming, may cause the yogurt to spoil before the code date.
Is Cascade Fresh fortified with Vitamin D?
At Cascade Fresh we prefer an all-natural product with as little processing as possible. Vitamin D fortification is only required by law for retail fluid milk.
What is the actual culture count of Cascade Fresh products?
It is difficult to make precise claims about the amount of cultures at a given time because there are so many variables. Among them: gradual reduction in unit count over time, variations in total and relative amounts resulting from small time and temperature variations during incubation, and temperature and handling effects after culturing. Generally though, within the first few weeks, a serving of our yogurt should have about 227 billion colony forming units of Acidophilus, 2 billion of Bifidus and 920 billion total of all cultures.
What is unique about culturing in the cup?
Every cup of Cascade Fresh yogurt is a separate batch of yogurt, producing a true "culture set" in which the culture gives the yogurt it's body and produces a far superior taste, texture and mouth feel. Most modern yogurt plants set in large vats. They must then break the original set as the yogurt goes through the harsh turbulence of pumps and pipes to fill the cups after incubation. This requires the use of a large amount of a strong stabilizer (usually gelatin), and the resulting set is a "stabilizer set" only. The result is a less desirable "gelatinous" texture as well as a stabilizer-influenced taste.
Why is it beneficial to eat live and active cultures with yogurt or dairy products?
The milk proteins help to buffer and ensure better survival rates of the live and active cultures in the stomach where high acid conditions can be unfavorable to their survival. The milk proteins enable the live cultures to stay alive and travel through the digestive system.
What is a Marionberry?
Introduced by George F. Waldo in 1956 and adapted to Western Oregon, the Marionberry is named after Marion County, in Oregon where it was tested extensively. The berry is medium to large, round and somewhat longer than wide. The Marionberry is a trailing vigorous grower, generally producing only a few long canes, which grow up to 20 feet. The spines are large and numerous, and fruiting laterals are long and strong, with many fruit. Marionberries are known as the "Cabernet of Blackberries" for its complex, rich earthy flavor.
Health Benefits
- High in ellagic acid (5.83 mg/g), which is known to help prevent cancer.
- High in antioxidants - ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value equals 28 umole /TE/g, compared to 24 per gram in blueberries.)
- Contains high levels of strong antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Gallic acid and rutin that help promote circulatory health and fight against cancer.
- Contains high levels of anthocyanins (109-155 mg per 100g), which can also protect against cancer, heart and circulatory diseases and age-related mental decline.
What is a Blackcap?
Black Raspberries, affectionately known as "Blackcaps" by growers, are native to North America. The fruit is blue-black, round and small, and there's a whitish bloom on the exterior of the berry. Black raspberries have a distinct and moderately tart flavor, small seed and like the red raspberry, contain a hollow core. The Blackcap is called the "King of Berries" in terms of health benefits.
Health Benefits
- Have extremely high overall level of phenolic compounds compared to other berries. Phenolic compounds such as ellagic acid, gallic acid and rutin contribute to the healthful benefits of black raspberries.
- Contain high levels of anthocyanins, which give black raspberries their rich, dark color. Anthocyanins work as antioxidants to help fight free radical damage in the body.
- Antioxidant levels of foods are sometimes measured as ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity). The ORAC level of black raspberries is 77 umoles/TE/g, about three times higher than blueberries, a very powerful antioxidant.
- Rich in ellagic acid. Ellagic acid is a phenolic compound known to help fight cancer, viruses and bacteria.
- Studies at Ohio State University showed an 80% reduction in esophageal cancers in mice fed a 5-10% diet of black raspberries.
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