Everyone screams for an ice cream. After all, what’s not to love - its creamy, sweet, cold and oh so delectable! Therefore, it is not surprising that ice cream is considered to be one of India’s most popular desserts, growing at a staggering CAGR of 17.5 percent, with sales slated to almost triple to Rs 508.4 billion by 2028, according to a recent IMARC report.

For most of us, ice cream is equated to the act of churning milk, cream, sugar, and a flavoring agent, and then freezing overnight. But is that all that’s inside your favorite scoop? Moreover, how does ice cream fit into your diet without being overtly harmful?  After analyzing 275 ice creams, here’s the inside scoop on making the best long-term choices while buying the chilled delight.

To Cream or Not to Cream

Any product that suggests ‘cream’ in its name is expected to be made from pure dairy. Asking the average parent where the creaminess originates from elicits the immediate answer of “milk” or “cream”, and they should be correct in their assumption. Unfortunately, post-analysis, only 106 ice creams had milk or cream listed as their primary ingredient. The number shrunk to a paltry 71 when ice creams made from reconstituted and non-dairy milk (or cream) were removed. Almost 40 percent had water and 12 percent had milk solids (such as powdered milk) as the primary ingredient.

Oil is Not Well 

The more shocking results revealed the presence of vegetable oils and fats in 71 (26 percent) of the ice creams analyzed. The FSSAI has created an entire category for it, stating that all products “obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix prepared with edible vegetable oils or fats or vegetable protein products” need to be anointed as “frozen desserts” versus what can be declared ice cream.

Churning Out the Truth

Upon examining the “frozen dessert” containers, we found that the packaging had pictures that looked like ice cream, flavor names that sounded like ice creams, and containers that were the same as those containing ice cream. It was only on turning the container over did we find the words “frozen dessert” hiding in plain sight amidst the ingredient list, in much smaller font.  A few rows further down was the declaration, “contains edible vegetable oil”.

Real vs Fake 

The fundamental difference lies in the source of fat. For ice creams, it’s dairy; while for frozen desserts, it’s the much cheaper vegetable oils, sometimes hydrogenated to add shelf life. The reason is – 4x to 5x difference in the cost of fats. Hydrogenated oils are a well-known and documented source of trans fats, known to increase bad cholesterol and heart risk, and therefore, banned for use in foods in the US, with the World Health Organization (WHO) calling for a total ban worldwide in 2023. 

Hidden Sweet Secret 

These frozen desserts have twice the sugar of Coke - 21.34g vs 10.6g per 100ml! That’s how much sugar one scoop (100ml) of a frozen dessert contains. Not all ice creams have this much, but the majority of the ice creams had more total sugar than an equivalent amount of a cold drink. Excessive sugar consumption is well-researched and linked to a host of lifestyle diseases with a growing body of evidence suggesting a negative impact on mental wellness as well.  

All That Glitters is Not Gold

Ever wonder how manufacturers get the brilliant hues that make children giggle with delight? Artificial coloring! Innocuous-sounding colors like Sunset Yellow, is derived from coal tar! Studies have linked it to hyperactivity in kids, one of the main reasons it’s banned for use in infant foods (EU) and in food for young kids (UK). Animal studies link it to kidney and liver damage, with a major US retailer even banning it for use in pet foods.

Is Ice Cream Safe for Children? 

The answer to this pertinent question is - everything including genuine ice cream is acceptable only if consumed in moderation (as a rule stick to 1 scoop at a time).

A key point to remember here is that for every ice cream that has less milk than water or oil, more sugar than cold drink, and a Molotov cocktail of potentially harmful additives, there are options that are also made the way ice cream ought to be prepared!

Rather than complete restriction, knowing the actual ingredients and making better choices is the need of the hour. As a rule of thumb, consumers should go straight to the ingredient list and avoid products that contain hydrogenated fats or artificial colors and additives. They should also check the nutrition label for the amount of sugar and saturated fats (per scoop). Superior ice creams contain enough genuine ingredients to flavor, color, and give it the creaminess that we all crave and love.