Does Daisy Cottage Cheese Have Gums? No, Nor Does Good Culture

Neither Daisy 4% nor Good Culture Simply 4% Whole Milk Classic lists gums, carrageenan or other thickeners in its ingredient list. The main differences show up in the numbers: per 1/2 cup, Daisy 4% lists 110 calories, 370 mg sodium, 4 g total sugars and 13 g protein, while Good Culture lists 100 calories, 380 mg sodium, 2 g total sugars and 14 g protein. Both list 0 g added sugars. This guide puts the two labels side by side and leaves the comparison to you.

Key takeaways

• Neither product's listed ingredients include gums, carrageenan or other thickeners. Daisy says conventional cottage cheeses use thickeners and stabilizers, and that it uses a cultured dressing instead.
• Daisy 4% per 1/2 cup (113 g): 110 calories, 370 mg sodium, 0 g added sugars, 4 g total sugars, 13 g protein.
• Good Culture Simply 4% per 1/2 cup (110 g): 100 calories, 380 mg sodium, 0 g added sugars, 2 g total sugars, 14 g protein.
• Daisy's single-serve 4% cup (150 g) lists 500 mg sodium and 17 g protein, so the serving size changes the numbers you see.

Do Daisy 4% and Good Culture Simply 4% Contain Gums or Stabilizers?

Neither label lists gums, carrageenan or other thickeners in its ingredient list. Daisy's cottage cheese page states that most conventional cottage cheeses use thickeners and stabilizers to create a dressing that does not separate from the curds, and that Daisy instead created a cultured dressing that uses live and active cultures. The same page says Daisy products have industry-leading shelf lives without stabilizers, preservatives or additives. Those are the company's own statements about its process.

Good Culture's product page describes its commitment to milk, cream, sea salt and live and active cultures, and its full ingredients list contains no gums or thickeners.

Label lists describe ingredients, not every step of production or every batch. They cannot confirm how a specific tub was handled at the plant or in the store.

What Are the Ingredients in Daisy 4% vs Good Culture Simply 4% Whole Milk Classic?

Daisy's page says its cottage cheese starts with three ingredients: milk, cream and salt. The single-serve 4% cup on the same label image lists cultured skim milk, cream and salt. Good Culture's full ingredients list reads skim milk, whole milk, cream, sea salt, live and active cultures (Lactococcus ssp., Lactobacillus ssp.).

The two labels differ in how they name the cultures. Good Culture names the genera it lists. Daisy's specific cultures were not disclosed in the sources used here.

A quick checklist for reading any cottage cheese label:

• Check whether the first ingredients are milk or cream, and whether a starch, gum or thickener appears anywhere in the list.
• Look for the term 'live and active cultures' and whether the genera are named.
• Compare the ingredients on the tub with the ingredients on any single-serve cup from the same brand, since they can differ.
• Confirm the milkfat percentage in the product name.

How Much Protein Is in Daisy 4% vs Good Culture Simply 4% per Half Cup?

Daisy 4% lists 13 g of protein per 1/2 cup (113 g), which is 26% DV. Good Culture Simply 4% lists 14 g of protein per 1/2 cup (110 g), which is 28% DV. The gap is 1 g per listed serving.

Serving size changes the picture. Daisy's single-serve 4% cup, at 150 g, lists 17 g of protein (34% DV). Shoppers comparing a tub to a cup should convert both to the same serving before comparing.

No third-party protein testing was disclosed for either product, so these figures are the labeled values only.

How Much Sodium Is in Daisy 4% vs Good Culture Simply 4% per Half Cup?

Daisy 4% lists 370 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup (16% DV), and Good Culture Simply 4% lists 380 mg per 1/2 cup (17% DV). Good Culture's page lists its panel per 1/2 cup (110 g), so check the carton for the same basis before comparing.

The FDA states that the Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg per day. It also describes 5% DV or less per serving as low, and 20% DV or more as high. By those FDA thresholds, both 1/2 cup servings fall between low and high. Daisy's 150 g single-serve cup lists 500 mg (22% DV), which meets the FDA's 20% DV threshold for high.

Sodium needs differ from person to person, and this guide does not give a sodium target. People who track sodium for medical reasons should follow guidance from their own clinicians. For the FDA's explanation of the label, read the FDA's sodium guidance.

How Much Added Sugar Is in Daisy 4% vs Good Culture Simply 4%?

Both products list 0 g of added sugars per listed serving, which is 0% DV. Daisy 4% lists 4 g of total sugars per 1/2 cup, and Good Culture Simply 4% lists 2 g per 1/2 cup.

Total sugars and added sugars are separate lines on the Nutrition Facts panel. Total sugars include sugars that occur naturally in milk, while added sugars are sugars put in during processing. A label showing 0 g added sugars can still show some total sugars. For another side-by-side example of how added sugar appears on a panel, see Rao's vs Prego: Added Sugar 0 g vs 4 g per Half Cup.

The Daisy single-serve 4% cup lists 5 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars per 150 g container.

What Does the Federal Standard for Cottage Cheese in 21 CFR 133.128 Require?

21 CFR 133.128 defines cottage cheese as 'the soft uncured cheese prepared by mixing cottage cheese dry curd with a creaming mixture.' The standard sets several requirements that appear on a label:

• The milkfat content is not less than 4 percent by weight of the finished food.
• Moisture is not more than 80 percent.
• The creaming mixture is prepared from safe and suitable ingredients, including milk or substances derived from milk.
• Any non-milk ingredient must serve a useful function other than building the total solids content.
• The name must include not less than __ percent milkfat or __ percent milkfat minimum.
• Curd made by direct acidification must say 'Directly set' or 'Curd set by direct acidification.'

Both products are sold under 4% milkfat names, which matches the federal minimum. The sources used here do not state the curd-setting method for either product, so check the carton for the required wording. The regulation text is available on eCFR, 21 CFR 133.128.

How Do the Two Labels Compare on Cholesterol, Fat, Calcium and rBST Claims?

Daisy 4% lists 20 mg of cholesterol per 1/2 cup (7% DV), and Good Culture Simply 4% lists 15 mg (5% DV). Total fat is 5 g (6% DV) for Daisy and 4.5 g (6% DV) for Good Culture. Both list 3 g of saturated fat (15% DV) per 1/2 cup.

Calcium is 100 mg (8% DV) for Daisy and 70 mg (6% DV) for Good Culture. Potassium is 130 mg (2% DV) and 70 mg (2% DV), respectively.

Good Culture states that its milk comes from cows not treated with rBST, and it quotes the FDA's position that no significant difference has been found between milk from rBST-treated and non-rBST-treated cows. Daisy's rBST policy was not disclosed in the sources used here.

Per 1/2 cup	Daisy 4% (113 g)	Good Culture Simply 4% (110 g)
Calories	110	100
Total fat	5 g (6% DV)	4.5 g (6% DV)
Saturated fat	3 g (15% DV)	3 g (15% DV)
Cholesterol	20 mg (7% DV)	15 mg (5% DV)
Sodium	370 mg (16% DV)	380 mg (17% DV)
Total carbohydrate	5 g (2% DV)	2 g (1% DV)
Total sugars	4 g	2 g
Added sugars	0 g (0% DV)	0 g (0% DV)
Protein	13 g (26% DV)	14 g (28% DV)
Calcium	100 mg (8% DV)	70 mg (6% DV)
Potassium	130 mg (2% DV)	70 mg (2% DV)

Several details were not disclosed: Daisy's 2% low-fat nutrition, Good Culture's 2% low-fat and lactose-free nutrition, the specific cultures Daisy uses, price per ounce, Daisy's tub net weight, and any third-party protein testing. The figures above describe single products at the listed serving sizes. They cannot show how any individual body responds to sodium, saturated fat or cholesterol, and they do not cover people with specific medical conditions.

To check a tub you already own, scan its barcode with Aurascan and read each ingredient's explanation.