Smari Organics

Rating
Farm/Brand HeadquartersPetaluma, CA
ProductsYogurt (skyr)
Websitesmariorganics.com
Market AreaNationwide
Total Score1120

They write: “In Iceland, we call yogurt “skyr.” It’s thick, high in protein and calcium, and low in sugar. It kept our Viking ancestors strong through long dark winters.

This is the yogurt of Icelander, Smari. When Smari came of age, he moved from Iceland to California. Then, a few years ago, he became a father. He began thinking about what to feed his son. He wished more foods were tasty enough to make a child happy, and healthy enough to make a parent feel good. He realized the world needed an organic Icelandic yogurt.

Smari is the only certified organic Icelandic yogurt in the U.S. Our milk is from pasture-based, family-farm cows never treated with hormones and our fruit is grown without pesticides and herbicides. We think pure, natural food tastes more interesting than factory-farmed stuff. And it’s better for you. Better for your kids, too.

By implementing authentic Icelandic methods, Smari boasts the highest protein content per ounce of any yogurt on the market: 20 – 30% higher than Greek yogurt. It?s also lower in sugar and, due to the straining process, ultra thick, creamy, and delicious.

Spoons speak of it in awe. According to legend, people in remote Iceland villages eat it with a knife and fork. It may be the best yogurt on earth.” This brand is found nationwide at Sprouts, Whole Foods, NCG, and other smaller retailers.”

CriteriaPointsComment
TOTAL (possible score is 1600 plus extra credit) 1120
4-Cow Rating | Excellent
Farmstead dairies earn the most points. Corporations that have a history of skirting the organic rules receive the fewest.
Ownership structure
70Family-run corporation
Farms that produce 100% of their milk receive the most points. Milk from "open market" or known confinement dairies receive the fewest.
Milk Supply
70Milk supplied by highly-rated milk cooperative
100% organic farms receive the most points. Split operations with conventional dairy on the same property receive the fewest.
Organic Production
90Processes both organic and conventional products; organic farms do not have split operations
Farms that completed the survey in detail received the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification
90Excellent disclosure
Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certification
100Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA)
Animal Welfare Approved and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic.
Other Labels/Standards
0None. Produces are kosher and gluten free.
100% grass-fed with independent verification of standards
Grass-fed
50Meets minimum standards for grazing
No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy.
Soy Free Ration?
No - soy may be included in feed.
Sliding scale based on policies, enforcement, acreage/cow, days/year on pasture, and permissible exemption.
Pasture
75Good pasture compliance
One time/day receives the most points. Two times per day is standard.
Times Milked
90Two times a day (standard protocol on legitimate organic dairies)
Lower cull rate scores better, with under 10% receiving the most points.
Cull/death Rate
0supplier did not answer this question
Farms with closed herds receive the most points. Farms that sell organic calves and buy conventional replacements receive the fewest.
Replacements
100Closed herds
Standard practice is removing calves shortly after birth, with extra points given for unique ways of managing calves
Calves
75Removed shortly after birth (standard practice)
Farms that prohibit antibiotics receive the most points. Farms that allow young stock to receive antibiotics (under one year), receive the fewest.
Antibiotic Use
100No antibiotic use
No hormones is the standard, however some farms do use oxytocin for therapeutic purposes.
Hormone Usage
60A portion of milk supplied may use hormones therapeutically
Farmstead dairies (owner lives on-site) receive the most points. Fewer points are given as oversight declines.
Farm Support
60Cooperative staff visits farms at least once a year but brand representatives do not visit the farms
All ingredients sourced from inside the organization or on the farm receives the highest points. Ingredients from confinement factory farms and/or imported ingredients receive the fewest.
Procurement of Ingredients
90High integrity outside ingredients used
Various levels of extra credit given for 1) providing full organic systems plan, 2) providing details on all farms (multi-farm brands, details on largest five required), and 3) sourcing feed on-farm or domestically.
Extra Credit
0None