20120719 - Marketing claims and the nutritional balance of yogurt - 2011

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[<Normal page] [PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011). Marketing claims and the nutritional balance of yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 184-199.]

Table of Contents

Marketing claims and the BNI of yogurt

Generalization potential

Marketing claims and the BNI of yogurt

Perezgonzalez assessed the nutritional balance of yogurt in 2011 (see b²,c³,d⁴,e⁵,f⁶,g⁷,h⁸,i⁹). The same data can be analysed further, to ascertain whether marketing claims may (unintentionally) inform about the overall nutritional balance of above products. The claims of greatest interest are nutrition-related claims (such as low-sodium, low-sugar, high-fiber, and low-fat), as well as more generic claims related to health or wellbeing (such as wholegrain, heart-health -eg, the Heart Foundation's "Tick"-, and overall health -eg, Pams' "Pick Me sun" logo).

Illustration 1 collates descriptive information for each relevant claim grouped according to whether such claim is present or absent. Illustration 2 collates inferential information.

Illustration 1: Group size, median & interquartile range per claim group
Claims¹³	'No'			'Yes'
	n	median	( IQR )	n	median	( IQR )
High fiber	331	90.50	( 16.66 )	11	76.93	( 13.32 )
Low sugar	293	90.50	( 16.78 )	49	92.19	( 30.06 )
Low fat	95	96.76	( 9.64 )	247	89.62	( 16.31 )

Heart health	233	93.59	( 19.51 )	109	89.62	( 12.32 )
(Medians closer to 0.0 indicate greater balance.)

According to these results, it can be concluded that:

Yogurts grouped according to 'high fiber' claims show ranked group distances so extreme that, by chance alone, they would occur less than 1 time in 1000. As these yogurts have a lower U (480) than otherwise (3161), it can be inferred that yogurts with a 'high fiber' claim are more balanced nutritionally. This can be easily observed as the median for yogurts with a 'high fiber' claim is lower (76.93) than that of yogurts without such claim (90.50). Such claim alone would identify some 23% of more nutritionally balanced yogurts (see rho values in illustration 3).
Yogurts grouped according to 'low sugar' claims show ranked group distances so extreme that, by chance alone, they would only occur about 1 time in 1000. As these yogurts have a lower U (4982) than otherwise (9375), it can be inferred that yogurts with a 'low sugar' claim are more balanced nutritionally. However, this is not so easily observed when looking at the medians, as the median for yogurts with a 'low sugar' claim is higher (92.19) than that for yogurts without such claim (90.50¹⁴). Such claim alone would identify some 19% of more nutritionally balanced yogurts.
Yogurts grouped according to 'low fat' claims show ranked group distances so extreme that, by chance alone, they would occur less than 1 time in 1000. As these yogurts have a lower U (8355.5) than otherwise (15109.5), it can be inferred that yogurts with a 'low fat' claim are more balanced nutritionally. This can be easily observed as the median for yogurts with a 'low fat' claim is lower (89.62) than that of yogurts without such claim (96.76). Such claim alone would identify some 22% of more nutritionally balanced yogurts.
Yogurts grouped according to 'heart health' claims (namely the Heart Foundation's 'Tick' logo) show ranked group distances so extreme that, by chance alone, they would occur less than 1 time in 1000. As these yogurts have a lower U (9374) than otherwise (16023), it can be inferred that yogurts with a 'heart health' claim are more balanced nutritionally. This can be easily observed as the median for yogurts with a 'heart health' claim is lower (89.62) than that of yogurts without such claim (93.59). Such claim alone would identify some 21% of more nutritionally balanced yogurts.

Illustration 2. Mann-Whitney U tests
Claims	U 'no'	U 'yes'	Z	( p )
High fiber	3161.0	480.0	-4.16	( .000 )
Low fat	15109.5	8355.5	-4.12	( .000 )
Heart health	16023.0	9374.0	-3.90	( .000 )
Low sugar	9375.0	4982.0	-3.43	( .001 )
(Smaller Us indicate greater balance; sig < 0.05, 2-tailed.)

Illustration 3 collates information about three multiple regression models which explore combinations of claims. Overall, when considering all four claims at once (regression model 1, R1, 'enter' procedure), the nutritional balance of 35% of yogurts in the sample can be identified correctly (ie, more claims predict a more balanced product even if not all claims appear on the same product). The second regression model (R2, 'enter' procedure) is able to identify the nutritional balance of about 35% of yogurts in the sample by attending to just three claims: 'high fiber', 'low sugar' and 'low fat', after manually eliminating the less relevant claim from model 1. The third regression model (R3, 'stepwise' procedure) results in a solution similar to that of the second regression model. Thus, each model is able to predict the nutritional balance of yogurts in approximately the same proportion, but the latter models allow to do so by attending to a lesser number of claims, thus being more efficient. Indeed, the 'usability' of each regression model for predicting the nutritional balance of yogurts not in the sample is, approximately, 34%, and 35%, respectively (adjusted Rs).

Illustration 3. Multiple regression models on the ranked BNI
			R1		R2 / R3
Claims	rho	( p )	β	( p )	β	( p )
High fiber	-.225	( .000 )	-.213	( .000 )	-.219	( .000 )
Low fat	-.223	( .000 )	-.161	( .004 )	-.180	( .001 )
Heart health	-.211	( .000 )	-.048	( .445 )
Low sugar	-.186	( .000 )	-.159	( .007 )	-.176	( .001 )

		R1 =	.352	( .000 )
				R2 =	.349	( .000 )

		Adj.R1 =	.336	Adj.R2 =	.349
(Dependent variable = BNI; sig < 0.05, 2-tailed.)

Methods

Research approach

Exploratory study.

Sample

The research sample included 342 yogurts (ie, soy and cow's milk yogurts, natural and flavored yogurts, and fat-free, low-fat, standard and creamy yogurts). Although the research aimed for a stratified sampling procedure, products were nonetheless collected in a convenient manner (see Perezgonzalez, 2011j¹⁰).

Materials

The main (or dependent) variable was the BNI classification for each food as assessed using the Balanced Nutrition Index™ (BNI™) technology (see Perezgonzalez, 2011a¹).

Grouping (or independent) variables were four nutrition-related or health-related claims: high fiber, low sugar, low fat, and heart health. A claim was considered valid for research independently of whether the claim was a broad statement (eg, low fat) or a specific one (eg, 98% fat free). Other claims deemed less relevant were not considered for this research (eg, high protein, low GI, etc). (Illustration 4 identifies the products that fell within each group.)

Illustration 4: Yogurts with nutritional or health claims
Product 100g	BNI	Low sugar	High fiber	Low fat	Heart health
Fresh'n Fruity plain unsweetened	33.12	No	No	Yes	No
Symbio Probalance natural unsweetened	34.26	No	Yes	Yes	No
Naturalea plain unsweetened yogurt	55.81	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Yoplus natural	56.33	Yes	No	No	No
Yoplait natural style	56.49	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity My First 6+ apricot & custard	57.43	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity My First 6+ pear & custard	57.46	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity My First 6+ mango & custard	58.15	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Delite vanilla	60.76	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Dessert Sensations French cheesecake	60.76	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Vanilla Berry vanilla	60.76	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Biofarm acidophilus	62.01	No	No	No	No
Symbio Probalance mixed berry	62.76	No	Yes	Yes	No
Biofarm bush honey	62.80	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity My First 12+ mango	62.83	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Greek Style Lite natural	63.21	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity My First 12+ apple	63.32	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity My First 12+ peach	63.36	No	No	No	No
Biofarm natural	63.94	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Delite Fruit Fussion peach, pomegranate & green tea	64.54	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Kiwi Tango apricot feijoa	65.16	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Kiwi Tango passionfruit	65.26	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite passionfruit	65.26	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite berry bliss	65.74	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Berry Favourites berry bliss	65.74	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Fruit Fussion cranberry, raspberry & roship	65.74	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Dessert Sensations rhubarb custard	66.30	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Vanilla Berry raspberry & vanilla	66.31	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Berry Favourites blueberry	66.76	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite blueberry	66.76	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Fruit Fussion acai mixed berry	66.77	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Yoplus trim	67.16	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Elivae natural style	67.18	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity low fat Greek	67.28	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity natural Greek	67.28	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Delite Berry Favourites strawberry classic	67.32	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Dessert Sensations strawberry pavlova	67.32	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite Vanilla Berry strawberry & vanilla	67.32	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite vanilla custard	67.34	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Delite peach mango	67.35	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Symbio Probalance vanilla bean	68.89	No	Yes	Yes	No
Yoplait Delite Kiwi Tango peach nectarine	69.56	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Symbio Probalance passionfruit	70.98	No	Yes	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity natural	73.12	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Twins simply natural	73.12	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Kiwi Favourites apricot feijoa	74.67	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Kiwi Favourites passion mango	75.85	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait passion mango	75.85	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Kiwi Favourites peach nectarine	76.31	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait peach nectarine	76.31	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Elivae rhubarb & apple	76.93	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Dessert Favourites strawberry pavlova	77.01	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Creamy Berries red berries	77.23	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Creamy Berries raspberry strawberry	77.68	No	No	Yes	No
Mammoth Supply Co. apple pie with cinnamon yoghurt	77.95	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Creamy Berries blueberry	78.70	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Custard Corner banana custard	78.70	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Elivae prune	78.91	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Greek Style natural	79.47	Yes	No	No	No
Yoplait Elivae fig & honey	79.50	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Yoplait berry bliss	79.64	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Berry Delights berry bliss	79.64	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Custard Corner rhubarb custard	79.72	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Custard Corner vanilla custard	79.72	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Berries Galore berries & cherries	79.94	No	No	Yes	No
Clearwater's natural yogurt	80.27	No	No	No	No
Cyclops European-style low-fat yoghurt	80.44	No	No	Yes	No
DeWinkel Greek plain unsweetened	80.66	No	No	No	No
Yoplait passion peach	80.74	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity simply apricot	80.75	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Peachy Apricot simply apricot	80.75	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Twins simply apricot	80.75	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Berry Delights strawberry	80.88	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait strawberry	80.88	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait passionfruit	81.22	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Berry Delights forest berry	81.28	No	No	Yes	No
Anchor CalciYum Choc Twist choc caramel	81.37	No	No	Yes	Yes
Mammoth Supply Co. berry black forest yoghurt	81.49	No	No	No	No
Anchor CalciYum wicked chocolate	81.83	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Movie Pack 1 wicked chocolate	81.83	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Movie Pack 1 choc	81.83	No	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity vanilla hazelnut	81.87	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Antioxidant Fruits boysenberry, cranberry & blueberry	82.06	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lemon Passion passionfruit cheese cake	82.24	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Elivae strawberry	82.44	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum original chocolate	82.76	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Choc Twist choc	82.76	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Choc Twist choc banana	82.76	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Movie Pack 1 choc banana	82.76	No	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Elivae triple berry	83.65	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lemon Passion apple crumble	83.85	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Greek Style Lite mango passion	84.09	No	No	Yes	No
Mammoth Supply Co. apricot manuka honey yoghurt	84.25	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity simply strawberry	84.37	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Twins simply strawberry	84.37	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Elivae vanilla	84.50	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Greek Style Lite berry coulis	84.77	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Forbidden Fruits rhubarb with a hint of ginger	84.83	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Forbidden Fruits caramalised pear	84.83	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy mango papaya passion	84.90	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Paradise Fruits pineapple & coconut	84.90	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Paradise Fruits mango papaya passion	84.90	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Paradise Fruits strawberry & pomegranate	84.90	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Dessert Favourites French cheesecake	84.97	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait French cheesecake	84.97	No	No	Yes	No
Puhoi Valley Greek yogurt	85.27	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Antioxidant Fruits pear, blackcurrant & acai	85.29	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Dessert Favourites lemon meringue	85.42	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Vanilla Basket vanilla bean	85.42	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Vanilla Berries blackberry, blueberry & vanilla	86.17	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Passionfruit Paradise peach passionfruit	86.78	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity peach passion	86.78	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Custard & Fruit Delight banana pear custard	86.81	No	No	Yes	No
Anchor CalciYum Sponge Bob & Friends caramel	87.16	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Sponge Bob & Friends milk chocolate	87.16	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Sponge Bob & Friends strawberry	87.16	No	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Vanilla Basket vanilla spice	87.40	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Wild Forest Fruit bavarian berry	87.40	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Vanilla Deluxe French vanilla	87.46	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Vanilla Deluxe vanilla bean	87.46	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Greek Style honey	87.85	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Forbidden Fruits fig & honey	87.88	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Summer Fruits strawberry & cream	87.95	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Berries Galore berry combo	87.98	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Summer Fruits peaches & cream	87.98	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Berries & Cream boysenberry & cream	87.98	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Peachy Apricot peaches and cream	87.98	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Antioxidant Fruits strawberry & pomegranate	88.30	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Passionfruit Paradise passion pineapple	88.32	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity fruit of the forest	88.35	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Wild Forest Fruit fruit of the forest	88.35	No	No	Yes	No
Anchor CalciYum Movie Pack 2 banana	88.61	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Movie Pack 2 caramel	88.61	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Sponge Bob & Patrick banana	88.61	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Sponge Bob & Patrick caramel	88.61	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Sponge Bob & Patrick milk chocolate	88.61	No	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Greek Style sweet chilli	89.39	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Vanilla Deluxe maple vanilla	89.57	No	No	Yes	No
Anchor CalciYum Triple Delight cookies & cream	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Triple Delight berry	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Triple Delight vanilla custard	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Movie Pack 2 vanilla custard	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum strawberry	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Favourites milk chocolate	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Favourites banana	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Favourites strawberry	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum caramel	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Tripalicious milk chocolate	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Tripalicious banana	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Anchor CalciYum Tripalicious caramel	89.62	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Vanilla Berries black cherry & vanilla	90.01	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait vanilla	90.26	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Vanilla Basket French vanilla	90.26	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Mango Passion mango passionfruit	90.32	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Passionfruit Paradise mango passion	90.32	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Summer Fruits raspberry & cream	90.48	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Berries & Cream raspberry & cream	90.48	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Berries & Cream blackberry & cream	90.49	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Live Lite vanilla bean	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Vanilla Trio vanilla toffee	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Vanilla Trio vanilla bean	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Vanilla Trio vanilla spice	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite strawberry	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite strawberry & raspberry	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite strawberry vanilla	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Strawberry Trio strawberry	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Strawberry Trio strawberry & raspberry	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Strawberry Trio strawberry vanilla	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Mixed Berry Trio boysenberry	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Mixed Berry Trio berry crème	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Mixed Berry Trio mixed berries	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite passion mango	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Passionfruit Trio passion mango	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Passionfruit Trio passion peach	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Passionfruit Trio passionfruit	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite peach & apricot	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Apricot Trio peach & apricot	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Apricot Trio apricot passion	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Live Lite Apricot Trio apricot crème	90.50	No	No	Yes	Yes
Cyclops thick & creamy yoghurt	90.67	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Pre-bio Vanilla Berries strawberry & vanilla	90.86	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Mango Passion mango pineapple	91.45	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity vanilla bean	91.74	No	No	Yes	No
Mammoth Supply Co. lemon passionfruit yoghurt	92.14	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Berry Burst lite berries & cherries	92.19	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Wild Forest Fruit autumn duet	92.36	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh 4 Kids Calci Strong strawberry	92.50	Yes	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh 4 Kids Calci Strong tropical	92.50	Yes	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh 4 Kids Calci Strong raspberry	92.50	Yes	No	No	No
King Land Soy Yogurt apricot	92.90	No	No	No	No
King Land Soy Yogurt blueberry & mulberry	92.90	No	No	No	No
King Land Soy Yogurt strawberry	92.90	No	No	No	No
King Land Soy Yogurt mango & peach	92.90	No	No	No	No
Mammoth Supply Co. apple blueberry yoghurt	93.05	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite boysenberry & vanilla	93.11	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Vanilla Berries lite boysenberry & vanilla	93.11	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Vanilla Berries lite raspberry n' vanilla	93.11	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite apricot crumble	93.39	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Apricot Blast lite apricot crumble	93.39	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Custard & Fruit Delight rhubarb custard	93.55	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective natural yogurt	93.59	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Smooth strawberry	93.63	No	No	No	Yes
Meadow Fresh Smooth mixed berries	93.63	No	No	No	Yes
Meadow Fresh Smooth french vanilla	93.63	No	No	No	Yes
Mammoth Supply Co. mango coconut flakes yoghurt	93.64	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Apricot Blast lite apricot	93.78	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Custard & Fruit Delight apricot custard	94.59	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Fruit Corners spiced apple	94.73	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite vanilla dream	94.74	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
DeWinkel Greek boysenberry & blackcurrant	94.82	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Vigueur Choc Heaven dark chocolate fudge	95.00	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Apricot Blast lite apricot, peach & pear	95.06	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Vigueur Choc Heaven chocolate cheesecake	95.17	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Vigueur Choc Treats cookies n cream	95.17	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Vigueur Choc Treats chocolate mud cake	95.17	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Vigueur Choc Treats caramel chocolate	95.17	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Vigueur classic choc	95.43	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Mango Passion mango, apricot & vanilla	95.47	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Peachy Apricot apricot vanilla	95.47	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Fruit Corners strawberry	95.89	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite mango passion	96.36	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Passion Tango lite mango passion	96.36	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Passion Tango lite peach passion	96.36	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Strawberry Splash lite strawberry & raspberry	96.36	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
The Collective Russian fudge yogurt	96.52	No	No	No	No
The Collective nommy choccy yogurt	96.52	No	No	No	No
The Collective luscious lemon yogurt	96.52	No	No	No	No
The Collective lime sublime yogurt	96.52	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity dreamy lemon	96.70	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lemon Passion dreamy lemon	96.70	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Twins dreamy lemon	96.70	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh natural sweetened yogurt	96.76	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Fruit Corners mango passion	97.15	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Strawberry Splash lite strawberry & vanilla	97.68	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Vanilla Berries lite strawberry n' vanilla	97.68	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Fruit Corners peach apricot	97.74	No	No	No	No
The Collective nz brown turkey fig yogurt	97.90	No	No	No	No
The Collective christmas sticky date pud yogurt	97.90	No	No	No	No
The Collective raspberry choccy yogurt	97.90	No	No	No	No
The Collective raspberry + goji yogurt	97.90	No	No	No	No
The Collective passion fruit yogurt	97.90	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective mango yogurt	97.90	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective rhubarb + strawberry yogurt	97.90	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective black plum yogurt	97.90	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective apple crumble yogurt	97.90	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective pomegranate + cherry yogurt	97.90	No	No	Yes	No
DeWinkel Greek peach & passionfruit	97.91	No	No	No	No
Puhoi Valley carrot cake	98.06	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Petit Miam Golden Surprise vanilla	98.90	No	No	No	No
Farmers Union strawberry	99.02	No	No	No	No
Dessler mocha	99.46	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite wildly berry	100.39	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Berry Burst lite strawberry	100.39	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Berry Burst lite wildly berry	100.39	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite strawberry	100.39	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Strawberry Splash lite strawberry	100.39	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Petit Miam Berry Surprise strawberry	100.69	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Greek honey	100.84	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Petit Miam Berry Surprise raspberry	100.85	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh 4 Kids Wobble Tops strawberry smash	100.91	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh 4 Kids Wobble Tops tropicool	100.91	No	No	No	No
Farmers Union peach & mango	101.08	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Petit Miam Golden Surprise peach	101.22	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Petit Miam Golden Surprise banana	101.48	No	No	No	No
Cyclops European-style with chocolate	101.53	No	No	No	No
Medow Fresh Drinking Yoghurt apricot & peach	101.58	No	No	Yes	Yes
Medow Fresh Drinking Yoghurt boysenberry & cream	101.58	No	No	Yes	Yes
Medow Fresh Drinking Yoghurt strawberry	101.58	No	No	Yes	Yes
Farmers Union summer fruits	101.75	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy raspberry & cream	102.00	No	No	Yes	No
Kapiti buttersotch swirl	102.01	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Baby banana	102.09	Yes	No	No	No
Yoplait Petit Miam Berry Surprise apricot	102.14	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Petit Miam Vanilla peach	102.77	No	No	No	No
The Collective Yogurt Drink malt + honey	103.20	No	No	Yes	No
DeWinkel Greek honey	103.23	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Petit Miam Vanilla strawberry	103.67	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Vanilla Delights vanilla spice	103.80	No	No	Yes	No
Fresh'n Fruity Fruit Corners mixed berry	103.85	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Citrus Fruits plump apricot	103.92	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Petit Miam Vanilla	104.13	No	No	No	No
Yoplait Baby vanilla	104.24	Yes	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Berries & Cream strawberry & cream	104.29	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Vanilla Delights French vanilla	104.53	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy vanilla bean	105.02	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Vanilla Delights vanilla bean	105.02	No	No	Yes	No
Bulla Fruit'n Yogurt strawberry	105.89	No	No	Yes	Yes
Yoplait Vigueur Choc Heaven mocha	105.90	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Berries & Cream raspberry & cream	105.90	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Citrus Fruits zesty lemon	105.90	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Citrus Fruits juicy orange	105.92	No	No	Yes	No
Kapiti champagne rhubarb	106.62	No	No	No	No
Kapiti passion mango	106.62	No	No	No	No
Fresh'n Fruity Lite Passion Tango lite pineapple passion	106.83	No	No	Yes	Yes
Meadow Fresh Passionfruit Trio passionfruit & peach	106.95	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy blackberry & cream	106.98	No	No	Yes	No
Bulla Fruit'n Yogurt mango	107.36	No	No	Yes	Yes
Kapiti vanilla bean	107.58	No	No	No	No
Bulla Fruit'n Yogurt wildberry	107.94	No	No	Yes	Yes
Piako Gourmet Yoghurt passionfruit	108.20	No	No	No	No
Piako Gourmet Yoghurt natural	108.31	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh mixed berries yogurt	108.49	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Berry Trio mixed berries	108.49	No	No	Yes	No
Piako Gourmet Yoghurt mango	108.84	No	No	No	No
Piako Gourmet Yoghurt mixed berry	109.44	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh apricot yogurt	109.63	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Berry Trio blackberry	109.63	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Creamy Berries raspberry & cream	110.20	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Passionfruit Trio apricot, orange & passion	110.20	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective Yogurt Drink vanilla + honey	110.87	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Berry Trio boysenberry	111.31	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective Yogurt Drink berrystart	111.60	No	No	Yes	No
Cyclops European-style with coffee	111.68	No	No	No	No
Meadow Fresh boysenberry yogurt	111.89	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Creamy Berries boysenberry & cream	111.89	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh strawberry yogurt	113.43	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh strawberry & cream yogurt	113.43	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Creamy Berries strawberry & cream	113.43	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh strawberry yogurt	113.43	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh passion peach yogurt	113.53	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Thick & Creamy Berries & Cream blackberry & cream	113.97	No	No	Yes	No
Kapiti lemon meringue	114.04	No	No	No	No
The Collective Yogurt Drink passion	114.04	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Go-Gurt Spiders Lime & Strawberry lime	114.37	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Passionfruit Trio mango & passion	114.79	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Go-Gurt Spiders Lime & Strawberry strawberry	115.55	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Go-Gurt Strawberry & Fruit salad strawberry	115.97	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Smackers strawberry	115.97	No	No	Yes	No
Yoplait Go-Gurt Strawberry & Fruit salad fruit salad	116.31	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Custard Trio banana custard	118.23	No	No	Yes	No
Meadow Fresh Custard Trio apple & cinnamon custard	119.15	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective Yogurt Drink mango	120.05	No	No	Yes	No
The Collective Straight Up	122.48	No	No	Yes	No
DeWinkel Acidophilus pear & manuka honey	122.60	No	No	No	No
DeWinkel Acidophilus plain unsweetened	125.72	No	No	Yes	No
Slimmer's choice yogurt natural	125.94	No	No	Yes	Yes
Piako Gourmet Frozen Yoghurt feijoa	127.32	No	No	No	No
DeWinkel Acidophilus orchard apricot	128.38	No	No	No	No
DeWinkel Acidophilus garden strawberry	128.58	No	No	No	No
DeWinkel Acidophilus berry, blackcurrant & echinacea	129.89	No	No	No	No
DeWinkel Acidophilus plum & cinnamon	130.87	No	No	No	No
DeWinkel Acidophilus blueberry & elderflower	131.04	No	No	No	No
(All yogurts with a 'heart health' claim did so under the Heart Foundation's 'Tick' logo. Source: Perezgonzalez, 2011a¹)*

Analysis

The distribution of the BNI variable deviated from normality in a statistically significant manner (see illustration 5) and at least one group was too small in size. Regarding correlation, the independent variables related linearly with the dependent variable (BNI) (see illustration 6). In any case, and considering that related studies (eg, Perezgonzalez, 2012¹¹) used a non-parametric approach , such approach was also used here for statistical analyses¹².

Illustration 5. Assessment of normality of the BNI variable
Variable	Mean	Median	Skew.Z	( p )	Kurt.Z	( p )	K-S	df	( p )
BNI	90.98	90.50	-1.98	( .047 )	2.89	( .004 )	.073	342	( .000 )
(Sig ≤ 0.05, 2-tailed)

Illustration 6. Curve estimation for individual claims on the BNI
Variable	Claim »	High fiber	Low sugar	Low fat	Heart health
BNI	Linear fit (p)	(.000)	(.000)	(.003)	(.000)
BNI ranked	Linear fit (p)	(.000)	(.001)	(.000)	(.000)
(Sig ≤ 0.05, 2-tailed)

Main analyses: tests of significance (Fisher-Perez's approach) based on sig ≤ 0.05 (ie, results with 5% or more extreme probabilities), 2-tailed.
Main tests: Mann-Whitney U tests for equality of ranked distributions of independent groups, Spearman's rho correlations, and multiple correlations on ranked data.
All analyses were carried out with SPSS-v18 (PASW Statistics 18).

Generalization potential

Most yogurts were produced locally or imported and exported from or to Australia, respectively. Thus, the results of this study may be generalizable to the following populations (in order of decreasing generalization power):

Australia.
Internationally, assuming yogurt products to be of approximately similar nutritional composition anywhere.

References

1. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011a). Balanced Nutrition Index™ (BNI™). Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2011, pages 20-21. Also retrievable from Wiki of Science.

2. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011b). Nutritional balance of low-fat natural yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 34-36.

3. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011c). Nutritional balance of standard natural yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 37-39.

4. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011d). Nutritional balance of creamy natural yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 40-42.

5. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011e). Nutritional balance of fat-free flavored yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 43-48.

6. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011f). Nutritional balance of low-fat flavored yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 49-56.

7. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011g). Nutritional balance of creamy flavored yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 57-60.

8. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011h). Nutritional balance of standard flavored yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 61-68.

9. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011i). Nutritional balance of fat-free natural yogurt. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 69-71.

10. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2011j). Yogurts galore. The Balanced Nutrition Index (ISSN 1177-8849), 2012, issue 1.

11. PEREZGONZALEZ Jose D (2012). Marketing claims and the nutritional balance of breakfast cereals. Journal of Knowledge Advancement & Integration (ISSN 1177-4576), 2012, pages 97-104.

+++ Footnotes +++

12. 'Parametric' regression analyses were carried out on ranked data, thus approaching non-parametric analyses.

13. Other relevant claims such as low-sodium, wholegrains and overall health do not commonly appear on these products.

14. The Mann-Whitney U test uses the sum of ranks for each group and not the medians when testing for statistical significance. However, such sum of ranks is difficult to describe in practice while medians are more straightforward and, thus, preferred. Occasionally, however, apparent contradictory results similar to these may occur.

Want to know more?

BNI™ journal (2012, issue 1) - Yogurts galore: This issue of the Balanced Nutrition Index™ journal collates all BNI™ nutrition information about the original sample in a single book. You can also access information about individual yogurts on the BNI™ database and aggregated information on Wiki of Science (nutritional balance of food).
Wiki of Science - Nutrition topics: This Wiki of Science page provides access to a variety of nutrition topics, including research related to the one described above.