Mandarin Muller - Fresh & Summery Light Yoghurt (Muller Yoghurt Light Mandarin)

Member Name: Hishyeness

Product:	Muller Yoghurt Light Mandarin
Date:	20/06/09 (175 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice taste and consistency. Fat free.

Disadvantages: Aspartame

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INTRODUCTION
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Muller Light fat free yoghurt used to be one of the first things on our weekly shopping list when we first started Slimming World. It's "free" on the plan (which means you can eat as much of it as you want - in moderation) and given how often it's advertised and mentioned by their consultants, it's practically in a food group of its own.

However, ever since I discovered the potential dangers of aspartame (one of the sweeteners used in it), I have cut right back on them, opting for organic, natural products (like Yeo Valley) which manage to use non-artificial sweeteners.

I still have them on occasion, as they have some great flavours, and one of my favourites is Mandarin. This flavour is sold on its own in a 200 gram pot, as well as part of the "tropical" six pack that also includes two each of Mandarin, Peach and Pineapple, and Apricot. They usually retail for around 50p a pot when bought separately, but most supermarkets usually have them on a multi-buy deal (5 for £2.00 seems to be the most popular).

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PACKAGING & INGREDIENTS
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Unsurprisingly, the predominant colour on the foil sealed pot is a pleasant orange. The sell by date is clearly stamped on the foil top. The plastic pot does not appear to be made from recyclable materials, which is a shame, but we have solved this problem in our household by using them for arts and crafts materials and as jelly moulds.

One pot provides you with 31% of your calcium RDA and weighs in at just over 100 calories (104 to be precise). Most of the carbohydrates in a 200 gram serving (16.4 grams overall) come from the milk used in making the yoghurt, and the fruit content. The rest are from added sugar, and my current nemesis - aspartame. Mandarin juice (6%) and actual mandarin (4%) make up 10% of the volume.

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THE YOGHURT
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After ever so carefully peeling off the foil top (it has a tendency to "spit"), I gave it a good thorough lick. Some people do, some don't, but I am an incorrigible lid licker. If the Queen were sat opposite me I would still probably do it - it's that compulsive. The colour of the yoghurt looks like vanilla, with specks of orangey mandarin throughout.

The consistency is thick, but pour-able, which is great because occasionally, I like to slurp the contents straight out of the pot. My wife calls me a peasant when I do this, not realising that I rather enjoy the idea of being a bit rustic and every so slightly uncouth.

The yoghurt is quite creamy, and it has great "mouth feel" with a nice citrus tang to it. There is no chemical aftertaste like you sometimes get with artificial sweeteners, and I have to admit, they seem to have got the sugar vs. citrus balance right in this product. The yoghurt can be a bit lumpy in appearance, but it is not lumpy in texture.

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LONGEVITY
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One thing I noticed, by accident, was that these seem to keep in the fridge for quite some time. I recently opened one that got lost in the back of the fridge, without realising it was two weeks past the date stamped on top. It was only when I had finished it and went to throw it away that I realised my mistake, but there didn't seem to be any appreciable deterioration or change in taste.

Now, being a lawyer, and being rather fond of a bit word play, I noticed the packaging says "no artificial colours or preservatives" are used in making the product. I wasn't sure whether that meant they didn't use artificial preservatives, or ANY preservatives and a thorough read of the ingredients left me none the wiser. However, I was a little suspicious given its unfeasible longevity.

Then I twigged - it's a "best before" date, and not a "use by" date. The former means you can still eat it after the date indicated, but the latter means it should be chucked because it gets dangerous to consume.

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VERDICT
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I rather like the Mandarin variety. It has a nice "tang" to it that lingers on the taste buds for quite a while and all things considered, is a fairly satisfying eat. Concerns about aspartame aside, I would recommend giving it a try.

© Hishyeness 2009 - Previously published on ciao.co.uk under the same user name.

Summary: A fresh and citrusy yoghurt