Kefir at the supermarket: why not everything with that name may be kefir

An interview caught my attention in which food technologist Mario Sánchez Rosagro points out something many of us have noticed without naming it: kefir has moved from the herbalist's shelf to a large part of the supermarket fridge, and with so much variety it is hard to know what we are buying.

His thesis is that around 80% of the kefirs sold in Spain may not be entirely kefir. The Codex Alimentarius definition describes a culture prepared from kefir grains, in which lactic and acetic bacteria live alongside yeasts. If the ingredient list shows only selected bacteria and no mention of yeasts, the product resembles kefir but is not one. There is also a European legal gap that does not help clarify the term.

There are useful nuances for anyone fermenting at home. Authentic kefir can have a slight fizz from the yeasts and minimal traces of alcohol (around 0.004–0.005%), which the expert considers a sign of traditional fermentation rather than a fault. Thickness does not reveal a fake either: it depends on how it is strained or on the dairy solids added afterwards, not on the grains.

To buy wisely, he recommends checking that the kefir-specific ferments and yeasts are named, that the label mentions live and active cultures, and preferring versions without added sugar. He also points out that it resembles sourdough in that bacteria and yeasts work in balance, even though the substrate and conditions differ.

Personally I think it is one more good reason to grow your own grains: at least you know exactly what is in the jar.

Source: Directo al Paladar