Size

500ml

Ingredients

Full Cream Raw Cow’s Milk, Kefir Cultures

Contains: Cow’s milk.

Free From

• Added preservatives
• Added thickening agents
• Added artificial flavours
• Added synthetic additives
• Added growth hormones
• Routine antibiotics
• Animal by-products in feed

Made with raw full cream milk from pasture-raised cows.

Directions to Use

Enjoy Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir chilled on its own or use it:

• In breakfast smoothies
• With fresh fruit and berries
• Poured over muesli or granola
• With oats and other breakfast cereals
• In cold sauces and dressings
• As a base for dips
• In overnight oats
• As a cultured dairy ingredient in recipes

Natural separation may occur during storage. Shake gently before use if desired.

What Is Milk Kefir?

Milk kefir is a fermented dairy drink traditionally made by culturing milk with a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeasts.

Traditional kefir cultures are particularly interesting because fermentation isn’t performed by just one microorganism.

Instead, multiple microorganisms coexist and interact.

The bacteria and yeasts metabolise components within the milk, including some of its naturally occurring lactose. As fermentation progresses, the milk becomes more acidic and develops the fresh, pleasantly tart flavour associated with kefir.

The result is a cultured dairy food that differs substantially from the milk with which it began.

Kefir Grains Aren’t Cereal Grains

The traditional cultures used to make kefir are commonly called kefir grains, but they have nothing to do with wheat, oats, barley or other cereal grains.

Traditional kefir grains are small structures containing communities of bacteria and yeasts embedded within a matrix of proteins and polysaccharides.

They essentially function as tiny microbial ecosystems.

This diverse community is one of the characteristics that distinguishes traditional kefir fermentation from conventional yoghurt production.

An Ancient Fermented Food from the Caucasus

Kefir has a long history associated particularly with the Caucasus region, where communities fermented animal milk long before anyone understood the microorganisms responsible for the process.

Like many traditional fermented foods, kefir developed centuries before refrigeration, microbiology or modern food manufacturing.

People didn’t know that communities of bacteria and yeasts were transforming their milk.

They simply learned that under particular conditions, fresh milk could become a tangy, cultured drink with entirely different characteristics.

Today, science allows us to look inside that traditional process and understand some of the remarkable microbiology taking place.

What Happens to Lactose During Kefir Fermentation?

Cow’s milk naturally contains the carbohydrate lactose.

During kefir fermentation, microorganisms use some of this lactose as an energy source and transform it into other compounds, including organic acids. As a result, the finished kefir differs from the fresh milk from which it was made.

There is also human evidence suggesting that kefir may be better tolerated than ordinary milk by some people with lactose intolerance.

In a small controlled human study involving adults with lactose maldigestion, both kefir and yoghurt improved lactose digestion and tolerance compared with milk.

That doesn’t mean kefir is lactose-free. The amount of lactose remaining depends on the milk, microorganisms, fermentation conditions and fermentation time.

Lactose Intolerance vs Cow’s-Milk Allergy

These are also two very different things.

Lactose intolerance involves difficulty digesting lactose, the naturally occurring sugar in milk.

Cow’s-milk protein allergy involves an immune response to proteins in cow’s milk.

Fermentation can change the amount and digestion of lactose, but it does not make this product free from cow’s-milk proteins.

More Than Milk Plus Cultures

Fermentation does more than introduce microorganisms into milk.

Those microorganisms actively transform the food around them.

During kefir fermentation, microbial activity can produce:

• Lactic acid and other organic acids
• Peptides
• Carbon dioxide
• Small amounts of fermentation-derived compounds
• Polysaccharides
• Numerous microbial metabolites

One particularly interesting substance associated with traditional kefir is kefiran, an extracellular polysaccharide produced by certain microorganisms found within kefir cultures.

Kefiran and other kefir-derived compounds have been investigated experimentally for various biological properties.

Kefir vs Natural Yoghurt

Kefir and yoghurt are both fermented milk products, but they aren’t interchangeable.

Natural yoghurt is traditionally fermented primarily by specific lactic acid bacteria.

Milk kefir generally involves a more complex microbial community containing multiple bacteria and yeasts.

Natural yoghurt generally has a soft, spoonable consistency, while milk kefir is typically thinner and more drinkable.

Their flavours differ too, with kefir often developing a particularly fresh, tangy character.

Why Can Fresh Kefir Vary Between Batches?

Fermentation is a biological process.

The activity of microorganisms can be influenced by factors including temperature, fermentation time, culture activity and the composition of the milk itself.

Fresh farm milk can also vary naturally according to season, pasture, feed and stage of lactation.

Consequently, one batch of Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir may be slightly thicker, thinner, milder or tangier than another. Some natural separation may also occur during storage.

This isn’t necessarily a problem.

It reflects the fact that you’re dealing with a fresh fermented food rather than an industrially standardised flavoured dairy drink.

Storage & Handling

Keep refrigerated at all times.

Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir is a fresh, living fermented dairy product and should remain properly chilled.

Return it to the refrigerator promptly after serving.

Natural separation may occur during storage. Shake gently before serving if desired.

Because fermentation is a biological process, some natural variation in taste, acidity and consistency may occur.

Why Organic Choice Chose Mooberry Farms

Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir brings together several qualities we value at Organic Choice:

pasture-raised dairy + minimal processing + traditional fermentation + local small-scale food production.

It begins with raw full cream milk from pasture-raised cows.

Kefir cultures then transform that milk through fermentation.

The resulting food needs no artificial flavouring to create character, no thickening agents to manufacture texture and no preservatives added to make it something it isn’t.

The ingredient list tells the story remarkably well:

full cream raw milk + cultures.

Sometimes the most interesting foods have the shortest ingredient lists.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir?

Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir is a naturally fermented dairy drink made from raw full cream cow’s milk and kefir cultures. It has a fresh, tangy flavour and thinner consistency than yoghurt.

Is Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir made with raw milk?

Yes. It is made with raw full cream milk from pasture-raised cows.

Is the kefir pasteurised after fermentation?

No. Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir is not pasteurised after fermentation, allowing live kefir cultures to remain in the finished fresh product.

Does Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir contain live cultures?

Yes. It is a fermented product that has not been pasteurised after culturing and therefore contains live kefir cultures.

Is kefir the same as yoghurt?

No. Both are fermented dairy products, but traditional kefir generally contains a more diverse community of bacteria and yeasts. Yoghurt typically relies primarily on specific lactic acid bacteria.

Does kefir contain lactose?

Yes. Kefir microorganisms ferment some of the lactose originally present in milk, and some people with lactose maldigestion may tolerate kefir better than ordinary milk. However, Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir should not be considered lactose-free.

Is the milk from pasture-raised cows?

Yes. The milk comes from pasture-raised cows raised on Mooberry Farms and a small number of other farms following the same farming principles.

Where can I buy Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir 1L?

Mooberry Farms Milk Kefir, 1L, is available from Organic Choice in Centurion, Gauteng, subject to fresh-stock availability.

Because it is a fresh refrigerated product, it is available for collection from our store or delivery within Gauteng only.