FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Organic Valley Products
Our products are always and forever organic. Since all of Organic Valley's products are certified organic, our products are produced according to strict guidelines set by the USDA National Organic Program. These guidelines include requirements for organic feed, outdoor access, and safe, clean, cage-free living conditions for animals, as well as the use of organic seeds and other inputs and the prohibition of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. In addition to meeting these requirements, Organic Valley's farms also adhere to our cooperative's own standards and practices designed to promote respect for the interdependence of human, animal, plant, soil, and global life.
Organic Valley's food is produced on small organic family farms located throughout the United States. Our cooperative consists of nearly 1600 small organic family farms who share a commitment to organic agriculture and producing nourishing food in a way that is good for our farmers, the animals they care for, and the earth. You can learn more about where your food comes from here!
Organic Valley offers a wide range of products, including milk, butter, cheese, eggs, produce and more. Our products are made with high-quality, organic ingredients and are free from artificial additives and preservatives. We are committed to producing nourishing food that is good for people and the earth.
Organic Valley products are available at a variety of retailers nationwide, including most natural and organic food stores, as well as online and in many mainstream supermarkets. You can also purchase some of our products and branded apparel online or directly from our website. We make it easy for you to find and enjoy delicious, organic food through our store locator!
The expiration date on our packaging varies by package, but most often is found on the top of a milk carton, on the lower corner of a butter carton, on the back of a pack of cheese, and on the top label of the egg carton. Milk is freshest within 5 days of opening. We do not recommend consuming any milk/egg products past the sell-by date. If unopened, the freshness of Organic Valley milk is guaranteed up to the sell-by date.
Why Is Packaging Different for Organic Valley Products?
YES! You are seeing a new look with the same great organic food grown and raised on the small organic family farms who own our cooperative. The only thing that has changed is the design on the packaging!
At Organic Valley, we believe it’s essential to evolve with you – from the high-quality, organic products we offer to the packaging and marketing we do to build and support a market for small organic family farms. Our new packaging designs better communicate our brand story more visually and incorporate elements that allow consumers to engage on a deeper level with our co-op of small organic family farms.
Our farmers are at the heart of the Organic Valley cooperative, and that does not change with the launch of the new product packaging. In fact, we’re able to communicate even more about the importance of supporting small organic family farms with the new packaging design! We did extensive consumer testing and found that a more contemporary, bold illustration resonated with the fans we talked to. The simplicity of the design breaks through on the shelf and helps dairy lovers find Organic Valley products. The farmers in our cooperative still work day and night to raise animals and food in harmony with nature, and now you can see even more about those farmers by visiting our farmer-finder page and our YouTube channel! You might even meet an Organic Valley farmer in your local store (hint hint).
We fundamentally believe in reducing waste, and part of that has to do with packaging. Just like we try not to waste a drop of quality organic milk from our family farms, we also don’t want perfectly good packaging with different colors and images to be discarded. We are using up as many cartons as we can, avoiding throwing packaging away just because it looks different. You can expect to see both kinds of packaging on the shelf until the latter half of 2023.
From cheese to dairy to produce and beyond, our cooperative is committed to maintaining exacting standards for our farmers, products, and business practices. We prioritize transparency and fairness in all that we do and place a strong emphasis on ethical sourcing. Our farmers, who are responsible for growing the food, are in charge of the cooperative. We ensure that our food is produced on small, organic family farms that adhere to certified organic agriculture standards as well as our own high standards for promoting respect for the environment and animal welfare. Our goal is to continuously improve the quality of our food and farming practices.
Are Organic Valley Milk Cartons Recyclable?
Our current packaging uses materials to ensure our products are safely transported while maintaining the freshest taste possible. When it comes to dairy, safety is vital in selecting packaging materials. The new on-pack design did not alter the materials used in the packaging itself, and we encourage consumers to recycle, when possible. To help you know about recycling, we have partnered with How2Recycle.com, an organization that helps empower and educate people about recycling – just look for the seal on our packages to learn more! We remain committed to exploring new packaging options and constantly innovate new ways to become increasingly more sustainable as a cooperative.
Paperboard milk cartons can be recycled through a process known as hydro-pulping. This process separates the polyethylene from the paper and rinses the paper fiber to be made into products such as paper towels and tissue. Some communities do not yet recycle paperboard. Please check with your local recycling program.
The Organic Valley Difference
Organic Valley is focused on supporting small organic family farms and leading with principles rather than profit. We pay our farmers upwards of $12 more on average per hundred pounds of milk than conventional prices and have programs in place to reduce carbon emissions and promote the use of pastures for grazing. We are also committed to the holistic care of animals and compliance with both the USDA National Organic Program and our own policies and standards.
Organic Valley supports small family farms by paying farmers more than conventional prices and providing the market needed to keep member farms farming. We also have programs in place to reduce carbon emissions and promote the use of pastures for grazing, all while compensating the farmers, which helps small family farms be economically viable while producing organic food.
Organic Valley is pioneering programs such as carbon insetting that pays farmers to plant trees and farm in a way that reduces carbon. We have also found that our carbon footprint is half that of the closest leading organic brand and that our farms have 24% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to the average US dairy farm. This is largely due to our use of pastures for grazing and outdoor access, which helps sequester carbon under the soil.
The animals on Organic Valley's small family farms receive TLC and holistic care guided by on-staff animal care professionals, including a ruminant nutritionist and multiple staff veterinarians. The farmers must also comply with both the USDA National Organic Program, which requires organic feed, outdoor access, and safe, clean, cage-free living conditions for animals, as well as our own policies and standards.
Support for consumers with questions about our products
Call Toll Free: 888.444.6455
Email Consumer Relations
Available Monday-Friday 9:00am - 4:00pm CST
Saturday-Sunday: Closed
