Is Ice Cream Really Ice Cream These Days?
@newzealtralian (3930)
Australia
July 6, 2009 12:00am CST
As a child, I remember the ice cream was just that, flavoured cream that had been turned into this wonderful dessert known as Ice Cream. It was full of all that creamy goodness, and you knew you were getting a good dose of calcium.
20+ years on, and I find that I am rather disappointed with what is passing for ice cream these days. You look at the ingredients of any tub, and the first ingredient now is water, not milk or cream.
Where before the texture was creamy and smooth, now days, it is full of ice crystals and rather grainy. A dissapointment to say the least. And the taste is greatly deminished, despite the flavour enhancers.
So, not only does it not contain enough milk, but the flavour was generated in a factory and the colour too, and they still call it natural.
The only place I have come across that has the type of ice cream that I remember is in the boutiques, where you pay a small fortune for a small cone. It is not full of the ice crystals and is as creamy as the day the milk came from the cow.
Has anyone else noticed this trend? It may not just be with ice cream, it would be with pasta or bread or even milk.
5 people like this
8 responses
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
8 Jul 09
You are so right! Ice creams nowadays are more of ice and less of creams. Some are even Ice-and-Ice alone even when they are supposed be all milk and cream. Only recently I ate some kind of smoothie from a reputed brand only to be disappointed. It was full of ice., little cream and milk and artificial flavor. I think, our life has become like that. Compromising the quality!
3 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
8 Jul 09
It makes me wonder what we will be eating in the future. Completely artificial ice cream made with 100% naturally unnatural cream? Hhhmmm, like I'd by that!
2 people like this
@MetricJester (186)
• Canada
6 Jul 09
We in Canada have been fortunate in that Chapman's (the slightly cheaper priced brand) still makes it with a milk product as the first ingredient. All of our premium brands, and even the local Stoney Creek Dairy have devoted themselves to making sure that ice cream contains cream! Even our ice cream sandwiches have milk or cream or both in them. the only problem you have to worry about here is the amount of air they pump into the ice cream to keep it fluffy.
3 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
8 Jul 09
If I wanted to pay a small fortune for the gourmet brands, then they are made with cream as the first ingredient, but we could pay about $8 australian for a 1Litre tub, and with seven living under my roof, that wouldn't last long enough.
The pumping air in to make it fluffy is another con companies have. They pump the air in and sell you the product based on the number of litres, but because of the added air, you aren't getting say the 2 litres you thought you were getting, you would probably be getting ripped off by upto 1/4, but it isn't easy to prove it.
2 people like this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
10 Jul 09
I noticed that with my last batch of ice cream. I love the Cadbury's Light Turkish Delight and when it's on special I get some. The last lot was grainy and full of ice crystals and it's never been like that...it's usually rich and creamy and quite wonderful.
I noticed something similar with the last jar of peanut butter I purchased...it is hard and too crunchy and a bit tasteless...like someone stuffed up somewhere with the mixture. Normally, it spreads easily being just perfect in smoothness, consistency and crunchy bits.
Groceries are too flaming expensive to be second rate as well.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
11 Jul 09
I'm trying to do top up shops only instead of a big shop once a month and then occasional top ups. Just doing top ups is working out cheaper but heck!...I take home two green bags full and it can cost me $70 - $90 instead of $40 - $50. It sounds like I'm exaggerating but I'm not. Groceries are going up more often and by larger amounts. I remember when my kids were little...say 35 years ago...if bread or milk went up by 2 or 3 cents there was a huge outcry, we just accept much larger increases today as normal.
The Turkish Delight is beautiful...they make a Caramello that is also to die for and both are exceedingly morish.
2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
11 Jul 09
Yes, the cost of groceries is going up. We used to get by on $500 a fortnight for our groceries alone, but now, it is more like $700, and even then we don't end up with as much as we used to get.
I've never tried the Cadbury's Light Turkish Delight. sounds like something I'd eat the whole tub of! The even more expensive brands still seem to be true to the craft, but who can afford to by their products all the time? Not me.
I'm going to start making my own peanut butter, because then I can add whatever other nuts into it I might like, and I can control the consistancy. Yum! LOL
2 people like this
@blueunicorn (2401)
• United States
10 Jul 09
Ms, I noticed that, too. Many of the foods I have bought lately have absolutely no taste to them. Unfortunately when that happens I am just not satisfied, so I wind up eating something else and overeating. I think that's what the companies are hoping for. Ugh, it just never ends. I agree we pay way too much for food for it to be not worth eating.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
11 Jul 09
I found that when we went shopping at the stores, most of what was ice cream was really ice milk, and I also found that much of the ice cream cones, did not taste like the ones I had as a child. The soft ice cream tasted rather watery, and they disguised the hard ice cream with flavors. The vanilla that was the standbye was not the vanilla I knew. Of course, trying to lose weight, we had to buy the ice milk. But not only that, the cheaper it got the less flavorable. It was not not real chocolate ice cream, it was artificial vanilla ice cream with chocolate coloring.
As for pasta, unless you read the label, and find it is real semonila and unless the whole wheat bread contains 100 percent whole wheat and no gluten fillers, it is not whole wheat.
We are getting gypped.
2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
12 Jul 09
So they are doing it to pasta too! Just another thing i will have to start making myself I suppose!
And yes, the watery ice cream is exactly what I was meaning. More ice and less cream, which is not how it is meant to be. And companies are allowed to get away with it, because no one can afford to go to court over it!
1 person likes this
@blueunicorn (2401)
• United States
6 Jul 09
This has definitely become a trend in many food products. We just don't eat the "real" stuff because it is more expensive to produce and sell, and we aren't willing to pay the price. I thought this was only a trend in America, so I was very interested in this topic.
2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
8 Jul 09
No, indeed, it is a trend all over the world. Especially amongst the large companies. The cost of production hasn't really changed, but everyone is into profiteering so much, they don't care about the quality they are putting out there.
I have noticed the same is with cheese. Most of the cheese we can get tastes really plastic, and if we want 'real cheese', we have to go for the gourmet brands that cost a fortune, but we still get them because I like my cheese.
It is sad what our world is coming to. Our enforced way of life will kill our species off completely, because 'natural' products just aren't there any more.
By the way, good to see you back.
3 people like this
@blueunicorn (2401)
• United States
10 Jul 09
I've noticed that about cheese, too. I think people will all be plastic in the next 20 years. I don't think we eat anything natural anymore. That's too bad.
Thanks for the welcome back. I'll be popping in and out!
1 person likes this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
11 Jul 09
You pop in and out as needed! I know life can be busy! LOL. I think I only had 4 kids last time you were here..we now have 5!
I don't think plastic is a very good look. I wish I could have my own hobby farm, then I'd grow everything myself and make my own cheese etc.
1 person likes this
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
6 Jul 09
I agree with you, that there are ice cream parlors that have nice ice cream, for me it is cold stone, It is great and well it does cost money to buy from them.
Ice cream has changed a lot over the years, but it is a good thing that they have a big number of selections.
I am ok with the quality of things that I buy, with anything else in life, one gets what one pays for.
2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
8 Jul 09
Those ice cream parlours are different to the commercial tubs you buy from the local store. We have one here called Cold Rock and their products are soooo yummy! LOL.
The problem is in the companies that used to make the best products, and now make inferior ones, yet still claim their product is the best. I just feel ripped off when I think I am buying a product that is made with cream, only to find that cream is actually the 3rd or 4th ingredient, and water is the first.
2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
11 Jul 09
I have friends who's kids have allergies, and I thought it would just be interesting to start paying attention to what my kids, who don't have allergies, were really eating. Seems I'm more disappointed than anything, because nothing is what it promises to be.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (93883)
• United States
11 Jul 09
You have a good point. And yes, the really good ice cream is so expensive. That's why when I get the rare treat to have homemade ice cream, I take it. I haven't had any homemade ice cream in over a decade though. But I don't eat ice cream on a regular basis anyway.
2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
12 Jul 09
Homemade ice cream sounds good. might have to look into making our own so I know I am getting what I paid for.
Yes, ice cream is a treat here too, and being winter, we haven't had any for a while, but when summer comes around, I think we'll have heaps! LOL.
2 people like this
@julbau18 (273)
• Philippines
18 Jul 09
I am not addicted to ice cream. I doesn't notice that. For me its still taste good. I only have one brand of ice cream that I usually buy and they are great. The taste is creamy and delicious. So I think still same taste.
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
25 Jul 09
That's great you have found a brand of ice cream that you like. I'm sure they keep their product true, which will keep the customers coming back for more.
