When you crave ice cream, what is it you?re really craving? According to the Huffington Post ?you might be craving something else entirely. Those ice cream cups may as well be called a cup of lies.
The Basics: Defining What, Exactly, Ice Cream Is (and Isn’t)
So what is ice cream, exactly? By definition, it?s supposed to be a frozen treat made from milk or cream products (or both).
Mislabeling is rampant in the food industry, and ice cream is no exception. If you?ve noticed that your dessert is often called ?real dairy vanilla? or ?creamy dessert? on the label, that?s frequently because it?s not something that would actually be considered ice cream. It should contain a certain proportion of milk fat per serving ? about 10% or more. Churning is typically an important part of the production, and ice cream on average is 50% air after churning is completed.
Years ago when people started to wise up to the detrimental impact of ingesting a ton of fattening cream, ice cream manufacturers had to become sly to new ways of producing the treat ? and keeping it inexpensive as well. This is accomplished by using water, milk powder, and other alternative ingredients to help ?space out? the calories in each serving, while also lowering the cost of production.
What’s a “Real” Ice Cream Brand?
Ben and Jerry?s is an example of ice cream that fits the traditional label of ?ice cream.? Cadbury Dairy Milk Ice Cream, on the other hand, does not.
On the bright side, just because something isn?t labeled as an ?ice cream? per se, doesn?t mean you can?t enjoy it! Considering that the U.S. consumers about 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream (a term we?re applying generously) every year, it makes sense that we might not be able to enjoy the creamiest variety every time.
Don’t Throw Down the Colored Spoons Just Yet…
So if you?ve felt scared off of ice cream from this article, don?t despair ? pick up your colored spoons and your ice cream cups (or maybe we should be calling them simply ?dessert cups?!) and enjoy a treat that the average American will manage to consume a whopping 29 times per year.
