Sour cream ingredients and price change in last 6 months

Jun 11, 2024 by mtxvp

What do you think are sour cream ingredients? Milk, bacterial cultures - do we need anything else? 2-3 ingredients at best.

According to Canada Food and Drug Regulations, C.R.C., c. 870, section: B.08.077 [S] Sour Cream may contain among other things:

...
(ii) whey solids,
(iv) starch in an amount not exceeding one (1) per cent,
(v) salt,
...
(vii) the following emulsifying, gelling, stabilizing and thickening agents:
(A) algin, carob bean gum (locust bean gum), carrageenan, gelatin, guar gum, pectin or propylene glycol alginate or any combination thereof in an amount not exceeding 0.5 per cent,
(B) monoglycerides, mono- and diglycerides, or any combination thereof, in an amount not exceeding 0.3 per cent, and
(C) sodium phosphate dibasic in an amount not exceeding 0.05 per cent,
(viii) sodium citrate as a flavour precursor in an amount not exceeding 0.1 per cent,
...

So emulsifying, gelling, stabilizing and thickening agents and starch can take up to 1.45% of volume, which is up to 7.25mL per 500mL can.

Here we look at 9 regular sour cream brands sold at groceries in Greater Toronto Area as well as the price change over time.

Gay Lea Original (500 mL)
- Ingredients (10): Bacterial culture, Carob bean gum, Carrageenan, Cream, Guar gum, Milk, Modified corn starch, Modified milk ingredients, Sodium citrate, Sodium phosphate
- Price: Metro

Beatrice (500mL)
- Ingredients (10): Bacterial culture, Carrageenan, Cream, Guar gum, Locust bean gum, Microbial enzyme, Milk, Modifed com starch, Skim milk powder, Sodium phosphate
- Price: Walmart

No Name (500mL)
- Ingredients (10): Bacterial Culture, Carob Bean Gum, Carrageenan, Cream, Guar Gum, Milk, Modified Corn Starch, Modified Milk Ingredients, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phosphate
- Price: Real Canadian Superstore

Farm Boy (500mL)
- Ingredients (9): Bacterial Culture, Carrageenan, Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Microbial Enzyme, Milk, Pasteurized Cream, Skim Milk Powder, Whey Powder
- Price: Voila

Olympic organic sour cream (500mL)
- Ingredients (9): Active bacterial culture, Carrageenan, Guar gum, Locust bean gum, Milk proteins, Organic cream, Organic tapioca starch, Organic whole milk from grassfed cows, Skim milk powder
- Price: Walmart

Sealtest (500 mL)
- Ingredients (9): Bacterial culture, Carrageenan, Cream, Guar gum, Locust bean gum, Modified corn starch, Modified milk ingredients, Skim milk, Sodium citrate
- Price: Walmart

Gay Lea Gold (425mL)
- Ingredients (5): Bacterial culture, Cream, Milk, Microbial enzyme, Skim milk powder
- Price: Metro

Liberte (500mL)
- Ingredients (5): Bacterial cultures, Cream, Microbial enzymes, Milk, Skim milk powder
- Price: IGA

Organic Meadow (500mL)
- Ingredients (4): Bacterial culture, Microbial enzymes, Organic milk, Organic skim milk powder
- Price: Metro

PC Organics (500mL)
- Ingredients (4): Bacterial culture, Microbial enzyme, Organic cream, Organic skim milk powder
- Price: Real Canadian Superstore

List is sorted in descending order of ingredients. Astute reader also will notice that price is mostly higher, with less ingredients involved. How does that 7.25mL difference make up for almost double the price?

Interestingly you can notice that low ingredient sour cream prices have not change much, if at all as compared with high (9+) ingredient ones.

I can probably make a cake from less ingredients. Oh wait... (reading on the ingredients in the flour 8-0)