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Types of ice cream and what’s trending in the industry
Alimentos SAS • Oct 19, 2021
Very few people don’t get excited about eating ice cream. It is a sweet treat that captures the attention of people from all around the globe and is probably the most famous frozen treat. There is nothing better than an ice popsicle or a soft serve at the beach. In Norway, it’s even popular to eat ice cream in winter, with black coffee. The country that eats the most ice cream is the USA followed by Australia. There are many types of ice cream and a wide range of ice cream flavors. In this article, we are going to reveal the fruity and juicy ice cream trends that you need to be up to date with.
The most common types of ice cream
- Gelato – a popular Italian ice cream made with whole milk instead of cream. The milk fat percentage is therefore much lower than traditional ice cream. Gelato is often made without eggs and stabilizers. It is churned at a lower speed. There is little to no air whipped into it while it is being churned, which gives it a dense texture.
- Frozen yogurt – made with yogurt and sometimes other dairy or non-dairy products. There is yogurt mixed into it, which gives it more of a tart taste. It has a similar consistency to soft serve.
- Sorbet – a frozen dessert made from sweetened water, frozen fruit, juice, wine or honey. It is very light in texture and flavor. Sorbet is free of dairy products, but some sorbet contains egg whites, which hold the mixture together a bit better. Sorbet makes a refreshing taste for vegans – if it doesn’t contain egg white – and lactose intolerant people.
- Sherbet – a fruit-based dessert similar to sorbet, but containing dairy. It contains no more than 3% milk fat. If the milk fat content goes to over 3%, it is considered ice cream. If it falls below 1%, it is considered water ice. Sherbet is made with fruit juice, milk or cream, egg whites and in some cases gelatin. It is less creamy than traditional ice cream.
- Ice cream – the mixture must be made with no less than 10% milk fat, or butterfat. It can’t be more that 100% overrun, which means that the base cannot increase in volume by over 100% in the churning process. If it does, it results in a mixture that is over 50% air.
Fruit flavored types of ice cream and other healthy alternatives
It’s possible to flavor fruit ice cream with fruit purees. The favorite fruit flavored ice cream in America is strawberry. Dairy Enterprises Inc., Orrville, Ohio, reformulated Smith’s Premium Strawberry Ice Cream to contain no artificial flavors or colors. Mango is another widely used puree in fruit ice cream.
The food and beverage industry is increasingly using natural coloring as opposed to artificial colorants. Consumers will continue to demand real ingredients that they can recognize and feel safe consuming or feeding their families with. Anthocyanin-based fruit and vegetable juice concentrates work well in berry and cherry ice creams because of their red, blue and purple pigments. Whereas carotenoid-based colors, like annatto and beta-carotene, with their yellow and orange organic pigments, provide a color boost to orange and peach ice creams. Turmeric works very well with lemon and pineapple and lime frozen desserts
What lies in store for different types of ice cream of the future
Here are some things to look out for in the ice cream industry:
1. Calorie-conscious types of ice cream
Ice cream is a popular comfort food. Consumers feel less guilty when they eat ice cream with a lower calorie content. Calorie-conscious ice cream contains less sugar and low-fat skimmed milk is used instead of cream and full-fat milk.
2. “No Dairy” types of ice cream
Because of the current trend in veganism, dairy is traded for plant-based milks like soy or coconut. There is also a growing demand for lactose-free products for people suffering food intolerances and allergies.
3. New flavors
Companies are introducing many new and innovative types of ice cream flavors in the ice-cream segment to increase their revenue. More luxurious types of ice cream and inventive flavors are being developed. Ice cream makers are working on flavors that are unique, refined and complex. With new savory flavors – like Sriracha, beetroot, basil and olive oil – ice cream could become a popular starter instead of exclusively a dessert. Alcoholic ice cream is being served as a cocktail substitute too.
4. Two-Flavor ice cream
The days of having to choose between two ice creams could be over. Multi-flavored ice cream could be an exciting future ice cream trend. In 2011, food development scientist Elizabeth Fenner created a new ‘flavor release’ ice cream.
5. No mess, no fuss
Japanese scientists have created ice popsicles and soft serve ice cream that doesn’t melt. It’s normal ice cream with a small modification. Bompas & Parr food design studio was the first to come up with an ice-lolly that doesn’t melt. This trend will likely continue to grow.
6. Glow in the dark ice cream
Bompas & Parr have also come up with a glow in the dark ice cream. The ice cream gives off a green glow under UV light. Unfortunately, a scoop of this glow in the dark ice cream can cost up to $225.
7. Ice cream that changes color
Believe it or not the magic continues with Xamaleón ice cream. The new multi-fruit flavored ice cream changes color when you lick it.
8. Thai ice cream
An incoming trend from Thailand is prioritizing presentation as well as flavor. In the past flavor has been the focus. For example, a Thai ice cream parlor sells ice cream in the shape of roses.
9. Artisanal types of ice cream
There is a trend towards hand-made ice creams, as they contain less or no artificial ingredients. Especially in developed regions, such as North America and Western Europe, there is more of a demand for premium products containing high-quality ingredients. However, the volume of consumption of a lot of types of ice cream is expected to decline in these regions because of the growing number of health-conscious consumers.
The importance of innovation for the ice cream industry
Regular ice cream is the most popular type of frozen dessert. The average American consumes more than 23 pounds of ice cream per year.
There has also been a growing demand for different types of ice cream in Asia Pacific countries such as India and China. This is because of a large consumer base and climatic conditions that just make a person want to eat ice cream. It is also predicted that there is going to be a rising demand for ice cream in other parts of the world.
But as people become more health conscious, ice cream manufacturers are going to need to make all the types of ice cream healthier. Some ice cream manufacturers are already adding more protein and healthy supplements, like calcium and vitamins to their ice cream.
This is where fruit purees come in useful. There are many benefits to using purees in ice cream. One hundred per cent natural purees don’t contain additives and they also contain fructose which is much healthier than processed sugar. Purees give ice cream naturally bright colors and add antioxidants and vitamins to the ice cream. They bring a fresh punch to any ice cream.
Another important thing to remember is that people will always respond to the ‘wow factor’ in food. It is therefore important that food scientists remain on top of their game when it comes to innovative new ideas with different types of ice cream.
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