Is Chobani Greek Yogurt Drink Pasteurized?

December 27, 2025 •

3 min read

According to Chobani's official statements, all milk used in their dairy products, including their Greek yogurt drinks, is pasteurized before culturing. This essential step ensures the safety of the final product by eliminating harmful bacteria while preserving the beneficial live and active cultures that are added later.

Quick Summary

The milk used to create Chobani Greek yogurt drinks undergoes a pasteurization process before fermentation. This ensures food safety while allowing the live and active cultures, which are added after the heat treatment, to remain viable and provide probiotic benefits. The final product is not pasteurized again, protecting the active cultures.

Key Points

Pre-Fermentation Pasteurization: Chobani Greek yogurt drinks are made from milk that is pasteurized before fermentation to eliminate harmful bacteria.
Live Cultures Are Preserved: The beneficial live and active cultures are added after the pasteurization process, ensuring they remain viable in the final product.
Safe and Probiotic-Rich: Chobani's method guarantees a safe dairy product that retains the probiotic benefits associated with live cultures.
Final Product is Not Heat-Treated: The finished yogurt drink is not pasteurized again, which would destroy the live cultures.
FDA Compliant: All Chobani dairy products carry the Grade A symbol, confirming they meet FDA regulations for pasteurization.

Understanding the Chobani Pasteurization Process

Chobani's yogurt-making process prioritizes food safety and the integrity of its live and active cultures. The key is that pasteurization occurs early in the process, unlike some long-life yogurts that are heat-treated after fermentation.

The Pasteurization Step: Before Fermentation

Milk used for Chobani Greek yogurt drinks is pasteurized before fermentation. This high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization or similar method heats the milk to kill harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria, ensuring safety. It also helps prepare milk proteins for better texture during fermentation. After heating, the milk is cooled before adding the cultures.

The Fermentation and Straining Process

Chobani adds specific live and active cultures, including Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, to the cooled milk. These cultures ferment the milk into yogurt. For the drinks, a straining process removes whey, making the yogurt thicker and higher in protein. Pasteurized fruits or flavors are then blended in.

Live Cultures vs. Post-Fermentation Pasteurization

Yogurt must not be heat-treated after fermentation to retain live cultures. Chobani's drinks contain live and active cultures, indicating the final product is not pasteurized again. Looking for "live and active cultures" on the label confirms this.

The Importance of Labeling and FDA Regulations

FDA regulations require Grade A dairy products, like Chobani's, to use pasteurized milk. The Grade A symbol on Chobani products signifies this. Ingredient lists also show the specific bacteria strains, confirming live cultures.

Comparison: Pasteurization in Different Yogurt Products


Feature	Chobani Greek Yogurt Drink	Heat-Treated (Long-Life) Yogurt	Homemade Yogurt from Raw Milk
Pasteurization Timing	Milk is pasteurized BEFORE fermentation.	Milk is pasteurized BEFORE fermentation, and yogurt is pasteurized AFTER fermentation.	No pasteurization step.
Live Cultures	Contains live and active cultures.	Does NOT contain live and active cultures.	May contain naturally occurring bacteria, including potential pathogens.
Probiotic Benefit	Provides live probiotics for gut health.	No probiotic benefit from cultures, as they are killed.	High-risk; probiotic benefits are unconfirmed and potentially overshadowed by safety risks.
Primary Purpose	Food safety, textural improvement, and probiotic delivery.	Extended shelf life and transport without refrigeration.	To produce a more natural product (but with significant safety risks).
FDA Regulation	Must meet Grade A standards for pasteurization.	Must meet Grade A standards for pasteurization.	Not subject to the same FDA standards for commercial sale.

The Benefits of Chobani's Pasteurization and Probiotic Process

Chobani's process ensures safety by killing pathogens in the milk. Adding cultures after pasteurization preserves beneficial bacteria for digestive health. This method also helps maintain consistent texture and quality. Consumers get the benefits of probiotics in a safe, reliable format, supported by Chobani's adherence to regulations.

Conclusion

Chobani Greek yogurt drinks are made from pasteurized milk before fermentation to ensure safety and create conditions for live cultures. Beneficial bacteria are added to the cooled milk after pasteurization. The final product is not heat-treated again, preserving the live cultures and their probiotic benefits. Look for the "live and active cultures" label to confirm their presence.

Resources for Further Reading

For a detailed overview of yogurt processing, including pasteurization and fermentation techniques, visit the MilkFacts.info guide on Yogurt Production. This resource provides valuable context on dairy manufacturing processes.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Chobani does not pasteurize its yogurt products after fermentation. Doing so would kill the beneficial live and active cultures. The pasteurization process is completed on the milk before the cultures are added.

To check for live cultures, look for the phrase "live and active cultures" on the product label. Many brands, including Chobani, also list the specific bacterial strains used in the ingredients list.

Pasteurizing the milk before it becomes yogurt serves two main purposes: it kills harmful pathogens to ensure food safety, and it denatures milk proteins to help create the desired thick, stable texture.

Most commercial yogurts, especially those sold in Western countries, are made from pasteurized milk. However, some raw yogurt products exist, though they carry higher food safety risks.

The pasteurization method used for yogurt milk (HTST) is designed to kill harmful bacteria while minimally affecting the product's nutritional value. Nutrients like calcium and protein are largely preserved.

Yes, according to Chobani's official statements, the fruits used in their products are also pasteurized before being added to the yogurt.

Yes, if they are made from pasteurized milk and then inoculated with live cultures. The pasteurization occurs first, so the added cultures are live when you consume the product. Always check the label for confirmation.