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FAQs - SMITH’S® Products
What is rBST?
Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin, or rbST, is a synthetic growth hormone that increases milk production in cows. Finding no significant difference between milk from rbST treated and non-rbST treated cows, the use of rbST was approved as safe by the Food and Drug Administration in 1994.
Some dairy farmers in the U.S. choose to use this FDA-approved synthetic growth hormone, but rbST is banned in some other countries due to concerns about animal health and welfare. Many American consumers are also concerned about the issue, which has greatly increased demand for milk from cows that have not been injected with rbST.
We know you care about the source of your milk. Every time you buy SMITH’S milk for your family you can be assured it comes from hardworking local dairy farmers who are dedicated to supplying us with the highest quality product. They provide their cows with a healthful environment and the utmost professional care, and part of their commitment to their animals’ well-being is their decision to not use rbST.
We know our farmers, and we listen to our consumers. We think using milk from local dairy farms that do not inject their cows with rbST makes a difference to our community, our economy, and our environment. It's just one of the reasons we've been around for almost 100 years, and we're counting on offering you the most delicious, wholesome dairy products for generations to come.
Why don't you include where to find your products on your website?
With the redesign of our website, we are looking at ways to accomplish this. One of the problems we face is that we serve several thousand retail customers and they are constantly changing as stores change suppliers, go out of business, etc. To keep a current listing would be an administrative challenge at this point. Another problem is that we sell our products through many warehouses. They, in turn, sell to their accounts. Who those are is information they prefer not to share with us. Consequently, we don't always know where our products are being sold. For the present, we would prefer to personally help you find our products through our Consumer Connection number at 800-776-7076 or via e-mail.
I have a favorite ice cream flavor of yours but cannot find it in the stores. I have talked to some of the store managers about it and they tell me they don't have any control over what flavors they receive from you. Is this true?
Not entirely. Although they don't have any control over what flavors we produce, they do have a choice as to which ones are brought into the store. All of our flavors are made available to everyone. The exception to this may be that, upon occasion, the corporate office of some large chains determines and authorizes only certain flavors to be carried by their stores. If there is a particular flavor that you know we produce (refer to our website product listing), talk to the ice cream manager at your local store about ordering it in. They are usually pretty helpful fulfilling customer requests.
What does it mean if a product is "heat shocked"?
Heat shock is the nemesis of all dairy products. Studies indicate that for every degree above 40 (F) milk is allowed to warm, one day will be lost from shelf life indicated by the code date. Even if recooled, this shelf life shortening will still occur. With ice cream, any melting and refreezing results in loss of texture and flavor.
We at Smith Dairy want you to get the most out of your dairy products. We make every effort to get it to the store properly cooled. We ask that you make every effort to maintain temperature and refrigerate or freeze promptly. This will assure long lasting freshness of the products which we at SMITH'S produce with pride.
Does the yellow Super Jug really protect milk?
Yes! It has actually been extensively tested and has been popular for years in some southern and western states. Many colors and varieties of materials were tested at various universities and yellow and amber (what we use for our Moovers® milks) were the top two colors for blocking out harmful light rays that actually break down milk's vitamins and minerals. Even a few unprotected hours under store lights can begin to affect milk's flavor.
Why not make eggnog year-round?
Experience has shown us that eggnog sales drop off to nearly nothing immediately after the New Year holiday. The bright side is that ultra-pasteurization allows us to put a 90-120 day code on our product without loss of flavor or quality. This allows retailers to order ahead and carry the product well into the new year if they so choose, and if inventories allow.
Do you give your cows any drugs to improve milk production?
We are a manufacturing facility and do not own our own cows. We get our raw milk from buying co-ops and local dairy farmers. Our suppliers are well informed of our quality standards before we do business with them and every load coming into the plant is tested for any trace of drugs, antibiotics, etc. before being allowed to unload. Any milk showing additives is immediately rejected.
How many days past the "sell by" date is my milk still good?
Although we test our milk for safe consumption well past the code date, there is no way (without testing) that we can say how much longer it is good for. This is because we have no idea how the product was handled after leaving our truck. Even a slight warming of milk can affect its shelf life. Our best advice is to trust your nose! If it smells different in any way, the best bet is to dump it and replace it with fresh.
Why have you discontinued my favorite ice cream flavor?
Although we would like to please everyone, sometimes not enough people buy a certain flavor and when that happens the quality can be affected. When we run a flavor we have to meet minimum run requirements as determined by costing and production criteria. If an ice cream doesn't sell, the excess inventory sits in storage and, even though it is frozen, ice cream eventually breaks down, affecting overall quality. We have built a reputation and even won national awards for quality, so rather than put out a product that doesn't meet our standards, we choose to pull it and try something new. This also helps keep our costs down so we can offer the best product at the best price.
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