A class action lawsuit has been filed against General Mills for misrepresenting the product it calls Yoplait Greek. It isn’t Greek, and it isn’t yogurt. The sales of Yoplait Greek already lag far behind other brands such as Chobani and Fage in an exploding Greek yogurt market, and this latest lawsuit won’t help any.

　　“Yoplait Greek does not comply with the standard of identity of yogurt,” the lawsuit states. “Indeed, Yoplait Greek contains Milk Protein Concentrate (“MPC”) which is not among the permissible ingredients of yogurt, non-fat yogurt, and low-fat yogurt (collectively “yogurt”) as set forth under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.”

　　Authentic Greek yogurt is thicker in consistency and richer in protein because it’s strained of liquid whey. But MPC offers an alternative to this process. It is, as described on FoodNavigator-USA, “a very high protein dry milk product, which has been touted for use in Greek-style products to increase their protein content and provide a thick, creamy texture without the need for expensive straining.”

　　In its corporate eagerness to claim a larger share of the Greek yogurt market, General Mills adds MPC to Yoplait Greek because, as reported in the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, it is “cheaper to store and transport than wet milk and costs less than dry milk due to minimal tariffs on MPC imports and lower foreign milk prices.” New Zealand is the biggest supplier of MPC to the United States. In short, as stated in the lawsuit, “The use of MPC is financially advantageous to defendants.” It allows General Mills to manufacture more product at lower cost, and that’s the only reason it’s in the yogurt.

　　Never mind that the use of the substance in yogurt flouts FDA rules for the standard of identity of the food. So far the extent of General Mills’s defense is that the FDA never explicitly prohibited MPC in yogurt. That’s a lesson in logic. Any substance that is not explicitly prohibited is officially permitted.

　　Never mind, as well, the questionable safety of the substance, which is not included on the FDA list of substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or on the FDA list of food additives. In other words, it hasn’t actually been approved for use in food.

　　1. The lawsuit against General Mills ( )

　　A. is a leading factor that has caused the sales of Yoplait Greek to lag behind other brands.

　　B. will make the sales of Yoplait Greek lag behind other brands

　　C. will help increase the sales of Yoplait Greek.

　　D. has no direct relationship with the fact that the sales of Yoplait Greek have already lagged far behind other brands.

　　2. Authentic Greek yogurt ( )

　　A. is strained of liquid whey.

　　B. thicker in consistency than Yoplait Greek.

　　C. richer in protein than Yoplait Greek.

　　D. contains MPC.

　　3. According to the lawsuit, it is ( ) that General Mills adds MPC to Yoplait Greek.

　　A. for the improvement of its quality

　　B. for the convenience of transportation

　　C. for the reduction of costs

　　D. for the extension of its shelf life

　　4. Which of the following statements is true?

　　A. The FDA has approved the use of MPC in yogurt.

　　B. MPC is on the FDA list of substances generally recognized as safe

　　C. The FDA has neither prohibited nor approved the use of MPC in yogurt.

　　D. MPC is on the FDA list of food additives.

　　參考答案：

　　1.D

　　根據(jù)第一段第三句話(The sales of Yoplait Greek already…)可知，Yoplait Greek的銷售量在這起訴訟之前就已經(jīng)遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)落后其它品牌，和這場訴訟并沒有直接聯(lián)系，所以選D。

　　2.A

　　根據(jù)第三段第一句話(Authentic Greek yogurt is…)可知，真正的Greek yogurt與普通產(chǎn)品相比質(zhì)地更稠、蛋白質(zhì)含量更高(并沒有與Yoplait Greek相比)，因為它是由液體乳清濃縮而成的。所以選A。

　　3.C

　　根據(jù)第四段最后一句話(It allows General Mills…)以及上文可知，通用磨坊(General Mills)將牛奶蛋白濃縮物加入Yoplait Greek的原因是為了降低成本，所以選C。

　　4.C

　　根據(jù)最后兩段的相關(guān)句子(…FDA never explicitly prohibited MPC in yogurt… , …is not included on)可知，美食品及藥品管理局既沒有禁止也沒有批準(zhǔn)在酸奶酪中使用牛奶蛋白濃縮物，所以選C。