Pinkberry's Outing Raises Questions for Tasti

As chains like Tasti D-Lite and Pinkberry have become increasingly popular, there have been concerns about what exactly is in the "yogurt" that makes it taste so good without calories. The drama surrounding the class-action lawsuit continues, now forcing Pinkberry to reveal its exact ingredients, and the results showed why they were so hesitant to do so. Even though Pinkberry markets itself as "all natural," the truth does not lead to that conclusion:

The list includes at least five additives defined by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as emulsifiers (propylene glycol esters, lactoglycerides, sodium acid pyrophosphate, mono- and diglycerides); four acidifiers (magnesium oxide, calcium fumarate, citric acid, sodium citrate); tocopherol, a natural preservative; and two ingredients — starch and maltodextrin — that were characterized as fillers by Dr. Gary A. Reineccius, a professor in the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota and an expert in food additives.

The aftermath to the controversy has had interesting ramifications on Tasti. New York Magazine food blog "Grub Street"'s lede to their post about it has to scare Tasti:

Back in those heady days when the small-screen Sex and the City reigned over New York, it was all about skinny girlie-girl Miss Charlotte York and her tasteless Tasti D-Lite. Let’s hope that this summer’s big-screen SATC has caught up with the times, because any body fat–phobic New Yorker knows that today it’s all about that tangy frozen yogurt Pinkberry.

The revelation that Pinkberry is filled with all sorts of gross things has shaded opinion of Tasti as well. Grub Street asked Pinkberry devotees about the news and asked several of them about their opinion of Tasti (none were favorable). The most interesting answer came from Benny Tagliareni, 28, when he was asked if he eats Tasti D-Lite.

Uch, no. I don’t eat Tasti D-Lite. It’s all fabricated — disgusting. There’s nothing wholesome about it. You’re ultimately eating garbage. But I don’t expect any fast food to be healthy at all.

It seems clear that a) perception is that Tasti is composed of non-natural ingredients and b) that this Pinkberry law suit is going to shade opinion of Tasti. Tasti's doing its part with its fresh, very natural new image. Additionally, the "flavor + nutrition" page proclaims "Natural Ingredients." "Tasti Science" explains, "We use natural ingredients and just enough real sugar, because it just tastes better that way."

But, thanks to Pinkberry, the folks at Tasti have to reach out even more stringently to ensure customers that there's nothing unhealthy about eating Tasti D-Lite.

Pinkberry Is Not Frozen Yogurt

We're a little late on this news item, but Pinkberry settled a suit last week, which asserted their product isn't all-natural frozen yogurt as claimed.

In a class-action lawsuit filed last year, Pinkberry — which operates roughly 50 stores in California and New York — was accused of misrepresenting its product as “frozen yogurt” and making bogus health claims, including that the dessert (which comes in three flavors: plain, which is very sour; green tea, which is chalky; and coffee, uncommonly delicious) was “all-natural.”

In a preliminary settlement reached this week, Pinkberry denied any wrongdoing but agreed to pay $750,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Para Los Niños. The plaintiff, Lisa Sutton, who said she suffered injuries and undue loss of money spent on Pinkberry products, will receive legal fees and a $5,000 award for bringing the suit.

Under California law, a product cannot be marketed as frozen yogurt unless it is made from milk that is fermented with certain bacteria, mixed off-site rather than in stores, and sold with its ingredients prominently displayed. In the past, Pinkberry had been secret about its products’ ingredients, but it now lists them on its Web site, and it has begun to mix the product off-site.

It's also worth noting that Pinkberry is also considerably more calories than originally claimed. Of course, this isn't anything Tasti hasn't dealt with in the past. Tasti made the switch from "frozen yogurt" to "frozen dessert" a long time ago, and on last week's press release, the PR team finally found a great spin. They wrote, "Not a frozen yogurt because it doesn't contain yogurt and not enough fat to be ice cream, Tasti D-Lite is a uniquely perfect indulgence with just 70 to 100 calories per four fl. oz. serving." This spin still prevents Tasti from seemly unnatural, while clumping its lack of yogurt with a lack of fat.

In any case, it's interesting to see Pinkberry go through the same mistakes Tasti ironed out years ago. Maybe it's not the competitor we thought it might be. For more info on the ingredients in Tasti, check out Tasti Science.

Yalie Goes on Tasti D-iet

Freshman Christine Kwon recently documented her three-day Tasti-only experiment for the Yale Herald. The research was allegedly to "explore the social and gastronomic aspects of a dieting phenomenon; that [she] wanted to answer an essential question: What is Tasti and why does it matter?" The dieting phenomenon in question, apparently, is women who eat almost entirely on Tasti D-Lite and iced coffee. Nice. Unfortunately, the experiment provided little clarity:

The past few days have raised more questions than provided answers. The actual secrets of Tasti remain as elusive as ever. All I know is that it is “not frozen yogurt, because it does not contain any yogurt, nor is it ice cream, because it does not contain a significant amount of cream.”

The article's worth checking out. Christine's final conclusion:

I can see the appeal. There’s something perversely comforting about the idea of consuming something so synthetic. I don’t think anyone but someone who has actually stepped on the scale every morning on a Tasti D-Lite diet will understand. Even if a portion of Tasti has more calories than advertised, the “light” feeling that one gets is completely authentic, albeit mixed half-and-half with hysteria. If only for the experience of feeling that lovely, empty yet satisfying sensation alone, the whole thing was worth it. I still don’t know what’s in Tasti D-Lite, and no one probably ever will. Maybe this is the kind of thing we should just take at face value and just blindly accept. Maybe we’re all better off that way.

Tasti Raises Calorie Estimates Across the Board

It appears last night the folks over at corporate updated the "Products" section of the Tasti website, which lists every available flavor. The old site had an ugly old-fashioned table separated in groups by calories/ounce, while now the site features the image shown at all Tasti locations separated in groups by calories/serving (sections of both are attached to this post).

While visually the change is a good one, it is interesting to note that the calorie estimates for every flavor have been raised, which is troubling given the presumption that it is a scientifically measured number. Plus, low calories are obviously one of Tasti's biggest selling points.

For example, the old site listed Banana in the first category with 14-15 calories/ounce, meaning the 4-ounce small (making one serving) would be 56-60 calories. The new site still lists Banana in the first category, but with 70 calories/serving. Other flavors have an even bigger jump: Angel Food Cake moves from 56-60 calories/serving to 80 calories/serving.

While the caloric numbers are still low, it is worrisome that the estimates are still fluctuating so much (with little public acknowledgment), especially when the calorie numbers are a point of constant scrutiny and controversy ("Fewer Calories Than Ice Cream, But More Than You Think" - New York Times).

All past entries have been updated with the new caloric statistics.