Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find the answers to frequently asked questions. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Reach out to us via our contact form.

  • We do not ship directly to consumers. Transporting and distributing our fresh products is a delicate process, and we’ve found that direct shipping can be too rough on the product and compromise its integrity. Please visit our store locator to find our products at a store near you.

  • We often hear from people in Canada who request our goat milk dairy products. Unfortunately, we are not able to export or ship to Canada, due to their strict quotas on dairy products.

  • Our fluid, powdered and evaporated milk products are kosher certified for year-round use, exclusive of Passover, by The Scroll K, Vaad Hakashrus of Denver. Our butter, yogurt and kefir products are kosher certified for year-round use, exclusive of Passover, by the Orthodox Rabbinic Certifiers of San Francisco. We undergo annual inspections of our facility in order to maintain kosher certification.

  • We design all of our packaging with food safety, product integrity, and sustainability in mind. To find out where you can recycle our packaging, visit www.earth911.org. Simply enter your zip code and the type of material you want to recycle. We also encourage you to reuse your containers for art projects, food storage, or to start plants for the garden.

General

Products

  • Our products are wonderful substitutes for other dairy products in recipes and we encourage you to bake and cook with them. For recipe ideas, please visit the Recipes section of our website.

  • All of our products are sold nationwide in natural, specialty, and conventional food stores. Visit our store locator to find our products at a store near you.

    If you can't find a store via the store locator, we suggest trying a grocery delivery app, such as Instacart, that allows you to shop from multiple retailers that normally might be out of our normal range. We have found some customers had success with this and finding more of our products then previously at their regular store.

    Lastly, you, the vocal customer, can hugely influence the availability by talking directly with the dairy buyer at your local store. If a store is not able to place the products on their shelves, it is oftentimes possible to special order a whole case.

  • Our fresh carton milks and goat butter can be frozen in an airtight container for up to six months.

    Reconstituted evaporated or powdered goat milk can also be frozen up to six months in an airtight container, but please allow enough head room for expansion when freezing.

    Our yogurt and kefir can also be frozen for later use.

    Always thaw products in the refrigerator, which can take up to 24 hours. The texture of yogurt and kefir products may be affected and they will not be as creamy, but the probiotics and nutritional benefits will not be compromised.

  • Our evaporated goat milk can be slightly tan or pink colored depending on the time of the year. This is especially true of evaporated milk canned during the spring when proteins are higher in goat milk. There is occasionally a creamy substance at the bottom of the can. This is a simple separation of protein solids. We recommend giving the can a shake before opening.

  • There is a printed “best by” date on every container. We recommend all of our products be consumed on or before the “best by” date to ensure quality and freshness.

    For our fresh milk, yogurt and kefir products, once opened, we recommend consuming within 5-7 days. These products will last longer if stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less. By smelling, tasting, and looking at the appearance, you can use your best judgment to determine the product’s freshness.

    Our butter should be refrigerated and consumed by the best by date printed on the package.

    For our powdered milk products, once the pouch is opened, we recommend use within 8 weeks. Reconstituted powdered milk should be consumed within 7 days. For optimum quality, store in an airtight container and place at the back of the refrigerator.

    For our evaporated milk, once the can is opened, we recommend use within 5 to 7 days. Store at the back of the refrigerator for optimum storage quality and keep in an airtight container.

  • Goat milk yogurt and kefir are similar in taste, but differ slightly in texture. Goat milk yogurt is more firm than kefir, like a custard. We use a small amount of pectin and tapioca starch to thicken our yogurt, and culture it with a blend of 7 probiotics.

    Our goat milk kefir has a naturally creamy, pourable consistency. We culture it with a blend of 11 probiotics. Both are delicious and contain billions of probiotics in every serving.

  • Yes, it is normal for a bit of liquid (whey) to separate from our yogurt. It occurs when there’s been pressure applied to the yogurt or when it has undergone a temperature change. This liquid contains many of the important vitamins and nutrients in the yogurt, so we recommend delicately folding it back into the yogurt.

  • The composition of goat milk changes seasonally due to goats’ natural lactation cycles. In the winter and early spring they tend to produce milk that is denser and higher in butterfat content, which can result in thicker, more robust kefir and yogurt. In the summer and fall, goat milk has less butterfat, which leads to a slightly thinner consistency. We see a lighter, more delicate texture in our yogurt and kefir during these months.

    We do our best to maintain consistency so that our customers are able to enjoy our products year round. During certain months, we slightly increase the amount of tapioca starch used in our yogurt and kefir to achieve a consistent thickness. Some seasonal variation is to be expected.

  • We use different pasteurization methods for various products to ensure both safety and quality:

    • Kefir, Yogurt, Butter, Powdered Milk, and Evaporated Milk are pasteurized using the High Temperature Short Time (HTST) method. The milk is heated at high temperature for few seconds using metal plates and hot water, followed by rapid cooling.

    • Fluid Milk products are pasteurized using the Ultra High Temperature (UHT) method, which raises the milk temperature for few seconds to even higher levels, then cools quickly.

    In summary, both pasteurization methods effectively produce extended shelf-life and safe products by rapidly heating the liquid and then cooling it quickly, killing harmful microorganisms while preserving nutrition and quality.

Ingredients

  • All of our products are gluten-free. We’ve gone an extra step with our yogurt and kefir products which are Certified Gluten-Free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) and are made in a facility that does not contain any products with gluten as an ingredient.

  • To make our kefir and yogurt, we ferment milk with live and active cultures that contain potent probiotics. Probiotic literally means “life giving,” and the live, active cultures help our digestive system break down food and absorb nutrients. We use a blend of cultures in our kefir and yogurt selected for their unique and complementary roles in flavor and probiotic development.

    Our kefir includes the following cultures: Bifidobacterium Lactis, S. Thermophilus, L. Casei, L. Rhamnosus, L. Acidophilus, L. Delbrueckii Subsp. Lactis, L. Delbrueckii Subsp. Bulgaricus, Lactococcus Lactis Subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus Lactis Subsp. Lactis, Lactococcus Lactis Subsp. Lactis Biovar Diacetylactis, And Leuconostoc Mesenteroides Subsp. Cremoris.

    Our yogurt includes the following cultures: S. Thermophilus, Bifidobacterium Lactis, L. Acidophilus, L. Casei, L. Rhamnosus, L. Delbrueckii Subsp. Lactis, L. Delbrueckii Subsp. Bulgaricus.

  • We use a small amount of tapioca starch and pectin to thicken the yogurt, create its delicate texture, and minimize excess whey (the liquid that separates from yogurt). We use a non-GMO tapioca starch, derived from the root of the Cassava plant. Our pectin is citrus-based, derived from lemon and lime peels. Our kefirs do not contain any tapioca or pectin.

    If you are highly allergic to potato, we suggest you ask your physician if consumption of tapioca is advisable.

  • We don’t add sugar to our plain goat milk kefir or yogurt. The sugar content on the label reflects the milk sugar (lactose), which is naturally occurring in the milk.

  • Our kefir does not contain alcohol. Traditionally, kefir was made with kefir grains, which produce a small amount of alcohol during the fermentation process. Since we wanted to make a product that allows our customers to enjoy cultured dairy without having to worry about alcohol in the finished product, we use a blend of live and active cultures instead of kefir grains. We carefully picked this specific blend because it produces billions of probiotic bacteria in every serving, and creates the kefir flavor we were looking for, without creating alcohol as a byproduct.

Farming & Sustainability

  • Our products are not certified organic, however we take great care to use humane and environmentally sensitive practices, including using renewable energy at our creamery and requiring that all our supplying farms in the U.S. be Certified Humane®.

    There are very specific reasons that make organic certification challenging for goat dairies. First, under the organic “Pasture Rule,” animals must receive at least 30% of their nutrition from grazing on pasture. This rule was developed with cows in mind, but is applied to all ruminant dairy animals. Because goats are by nature browsers (like deer) and not pasture grazers (like cows or sheep), it is not feasible for farms meet this standard. While our goats do have ample access to pasture, given the choice they will eat bushes, brush, hay, and leafy branches.

    And second, we are unable to source GMO-free feed for our goats at this time, due to the limited availability and oftentimes cost prohibitive nature of this feed. However, we do make a point to ensure that none of the ingredients we use in our products contain GMOs. We require that our suppliers provide us with specifications that ensure the ingredients’ non-GMO status.

  • At Meyenberg we are concerned with the widespread use of GMOs in our food system, and we support efforts to provide GMO transparency through labeling. None of the ingredients we use in our products contain GMOs. We require that our suppliers provide us with specifications that ensure the ingredients’ non-GMO status.

    Unfortunately, we are unable to source non-GMO feed for our goats at this time, due to the limited availability and cost prohibitive nature of this feed. The goats receive most of their nutrition (approximately 70%) from hay and brush. The other 30% of their diet comes from a nutritious, vegetarian grain formula that typically includes safflower meal, oats, barley, cottonseed, corn, and soy depending on the mix. The feed contains no hormones, antibiotics, animal by-products, or preservatives.

    Some of the farms we work with are very small and located in remote areas and they rely on the availability of feed at their local feed stores. The composition of the grain mix varies from farm to farm, depending on price and seasonal availability, and purchasing non-GMO feed is not always an option.

  • We work with over twenty five different Certified Humane® family farms to source goat milk for our products. The farms primarily raise Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, and Saanen goats, breeds known for being well suited to milk production.

    Each farm undergoes an annual inspection to maintain its Certified Humane® status, which includes an evaluation of the goats’ diet, social conditions, shelter and resting areas, access to outdoors, veterinary care, and milking procedures.

  • By nature, goats are browsers like deer, and not grazers like cows or sheep. Our dairy goats are fed a balanced, vegetarian diet, which is full of nutrients, and free of antibiotics, hormones, animal by-products, and preservatives. The goats eat alfalfa hay and other green forages, as well as a blend of grains including oats, barley, and corn. In addition, the goats receive almond hulls for fiber, salt blocks for digestion, and vitamin and mineral supplements for overall well-being. They also have plenty of fresh water on demand at all times.

  • Today, every farm that supplies goat milk to Meyenberg undergoes an annual audit in order to maintain Certified Humane® status. Certified Humane® is a rigorous animal welfare certification awarded by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), an independent, third-party nonprofit organization based in Virginia.

    The program is designed to empower consumers to buy food products with the confidence that they came from a farm with high standards for animal welfare. By certifying products with the Certified Humane® logo, consumers are given a choice. The goal is to improve the lives of farm animals in food production by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices.

    The animal welfare standards for Certified Humane® were created by a Scientific Committee comprised of 40 scientists and veterinarians from all over the world. For goats, requirements include:

    • Animals must receive a nutritious diet free of antibiotics or hormones. They must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space that are sufficient to support their natural behavior.

    • Goats, unlike sheep or cattle, do not tolerate rain or wind. Therefore, adequate shelter must be provided at all times to protect them from inclement weather.

    • Being social and gregarious animals, goats must be housed within sight or sound of goats or other animals.

    • Milking, shearing or and clipping procedures must meet HFAC standard.

    If you are interested in reading the complete standard for dairy goats, click here.

  • Yes! The goats are raised in an environment of care and they enjoy most days eating, napping, and their favorite pastime, socializing with fellow herd mates. The goats have access to clean shelter, ample open space, and are fed a well-balanced diet of hay, grain and natural vegetation they can browse on when available.

    Goat milk is unique and dependent on the well-being of the animals. Unlike other industrialized settings, goats can only produce milk in healthy, humane environments. Their well-being directly impacts milk production and product quality. Goats that are well taken care of produce superior milk, emphasizing the importance of humane treatment and a stress-free environment.

Nutrition

  • Casein is a natural protein found in all milk. Some people have an intolerance or allergy to casein—especially alpha s1 casein, which occurs in high levels in most cow milk. Goat milk is generally lower in alpha S1 casein and often contains a higher percentage of alpha s2 casein, depending on the breed. Casein comprises 70-80% of the proteins in goat milk; whey proteins account for the other 20-30%. Whey contains many of the important nutrients in yogurt and kefir that aid in muscle development and support the body’s immune response.

    If you have been diagnosed with a milk protein allergy, goat milk may not be right for you. It is important that you consult your physician or health provider before making any dietary changes.

  • All milks from mammals have lactose, a.k.a. milk sugar. However, goat milk contains slightly less lactose than cow milk and many people with symptoms of lactose intolerance may be comfortable with it. If you've been diagnosed with lactose intolerance or a cow milk allergy, be sure to check in with a medical professional before trying goat milk.

    We do produce lactose-free yogurt, kefir, sour cream, cream cheese, and butter made with cow milk under our sister brand, Green Valley. Visit greenvalleylactosefree.com to learn more.

  • These are the key nutritional differences between cow milk and goat milk:

    • Many people find goat milk easier to digest than cow milk. A key reason is that the average size of the fat globules in goat milk is smaller than in cow milk and forms a smaller, softer curd in the stomach. This allows stomach enzymes to break down the curds faster, making it more easily digestible.1

    • Approximately 7% of children in the U.S. have symptoms of cow milk allergy, which can be attributed to reactions to alpha S1 casein or whey proteins in milk. Depending on the breed, goat milk contains negligible levels of alpha S1 casein. Research studies suggest that 40% or more of patients allergic to cow milk tolerate goat milk well.

    • Goat milk contains significantly higher levels of short and medium-chain fatty acids than cow milk (this is also what gives goat milk its unique and delicious flavor). Research suggests that these fatty acids are more rapidly digested, providing quick energy for the body.

    • Goat and cow milk both contain many important vitamins and minerals. Goat milk is higher in calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin C than whole cow milk. It contains less vitamin B-12, folate, selenium, and riboflavin than cow milk.

    Many people also prefer the flavor of goat milk to cow milk. It has a grassy, earthy, sweet flavor that is simply delicious. We use only the freshest milk possible, resulting in a clean and mild flavor, without the “goatiness” some people associate with goat products. Give it a try and see why more people in the world drink goat milk than any other milk!