Oikos Triple Zero is a high-protein yogurt brand owned by Danone. The company claims their yogurt has no fat, no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners.
But what's actually in Oikos Triple Zero, and is it unhealthy? Does the brand use any questionable additive ingredients? Is Oikos Triple Zero healthier than other popular yogurt brands like Chobani? And why was the company sued?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Oikos Triple Zero based on clinical studies, to give our take on whether or not the brand is healthy.
We'll compare the healthiness of Oikos Triple Zero to other yogurt brands like Chobani and Fage, and explain why the company was sued in 2019.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in the Mixed Berry flavor of Oikos Triple Zero are shown above.
Cultured grade A non fat milk is unsurprisingly the first ingredient, but the brand fails to clarify on their product page whether this milk is sourced from grass-fed or conventionally-raised cows.
This is important from a nutritional perspective, because dairy from grass-fed animals is richer in vitamins and minerals than dairy from conventionally-raised animals, as we documented in our review of Noosa Yogurt.
Stevia leaf extract is used as a sweetener, and we consider this to be a healthier sweetener than refined sugar, because stevia is clinically shown to have an anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effect.
Vegetable juice concentrate is an excellent choice for a colorant, and much healthier than synthetic food dye.
S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus are the two probiotic species included in this yogurt, and these two species were shown in a 2018 clinical trial to support gut barrier function.
Natural flavors is the only ingredient we take issue with, because this may include chemicals such as solvents and preservatives, according to a 2009 medical review.
Overall, we don't consider Oikos Triple Zero to be unhealthy, but we don't currently recommend it due to the inclusion of natural flavors and the failure to clarify milk sourcing.
Oikos vs. the Competition
Here's our take on the healthiness of Oikos Triple Zero compared to other popular yogurt brands:
Chobani
Like Oikos, Chobani yogurt contains natural flavors and fails to clearly publish whether their dairy is from grass-fed or conventionally-raised animals.
However, Chobani uses refined cane sugar, as we documented in our article on is Chobani healthy. We consider refined, added sugar to be less healthy than stevia extract (the sweetener in Oikos).
Winner: Oikos
Activia
Contains natural flavors and same issue with dairy ingredient sourcing.
Also contains citric acid, which is clinically shown to cause inflammation in some individuals.
Winner: Oikos
Oui
This brand, owned by Yoplait, uses added cane sugar and has the same issue with dairy ingredient sourcing, making it functionally similar to Chobani.
However, Oui uses glass bottles, which is a healthier choice than the plastic bottles used by Oikos, because plastics used in food manufacturing are clinically shown to leach into food and become ingested, posing health risks.
Winner: Tie
Does Oikos Cause Weight Loss?
A YouTube creator named Gabriel Dunkin claims that Oikos Triple Zero yogurt helped with his weight loss and fitness journey:
Why Was Oikos Sued?
In 2019, the manufacturer of Oikos was sued due to allegations of false advertising.
According to Truth in Advertising, the plaintiffs alleged that one flavor of the yogurts contained more of an isolated flavoring compound than whole vanilla, which made it false advertising to claim that the yogurt was flavored with "Vanilla and other Natural Flavors."
The lawsuit has since settled.
In our opinion, this is a relatively weak argument and fails to uncover any ethical violations on the part of Danone.
The ingredient list was accurate, and consumers should be using that information to make healthy purchase decisions.
We do not consider this a cause for concern about the brand.
