Status: 05/22/2023 10:46 a.m
Every German eats almost eight liters of ice cream a year. The majority comes from the supermarket. How good is industrial ice cream? Why are the price differences so big? What is the difference between ice cream and ice cream?
If you compare the different types of ice cream available in the supermarket, it quickly becomes clear that the price range is enormous when converted to a liter: While ice cream from discounters can be had for less than two euros per liter, ice cream from a premium brand is up to 15 euros per liter. However, if you compare the weight, the price difference is not always that big. Because some products have a much larger volume because the manufacturer adds air to the ice. It is therefore advisable to pay attention not only to the liter but also to the weight on the package.
Some manufacturers have recently increased their prices, citing higher energy and raw material prices as justification.
Stabilizers have not only positive properties
Emulsifiers and stabilizers such as carrageen are often used to give the ice cream its airy and creamy consistency. They have another effect: the ice melts more slowly. This makes it easier to portion and is not frozen as hard when it comes out of the freezer – a quality that many consumers appreciate. However, carrageenan can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive people.
Ice Cream or Ice Cream – What’s the Difference?
Not all ice cream is ice cream, some products contain coconut oil or other vegetable fats.
A look at the packaging is also worthwhile for another reason. Some manufacturers have started to replace the classic ice cream ingredients, whole milk and cream, with skimmed milk, coconut oil or other vegetable fats. This saves you money, because milk fat is significantly more expensive. The packaging shows whether a product was made with vegetable fats instead of milk fats: if it only says “ice cream”, the product may also contain vegetable fat, usually coconut fat, in addition to milk and cream. “Ice cream”, “milk ice cream” and “cream ice cream”, on the other hand, only contain milk fat in addition to cream and milk. So “ice cream” is a product with higher quality ingredients than “ice cream”.
“Vanilla flavored ice cream” or vanilla ice cream?
It is advisable to take a closer look when buying vanilla ice cream. Only ice cream with vanilla extract or natural vanilla flavoring may be called vanilla ice cream. “Vanilla-flavored ice cream,” on the other hand, contains artificially produced vanillin. The typical small black dots are also no indication of quality. They usually do not come from the vanilla pulp, but from ground inferior vanilla beans.
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