5 tips for choosing delicious ice cream

Rospotrebnadzor published recommendations on the choice of ice cream, which are relevant in summer as never before. We chose the most important of them.

Examine the label

When choosing ice cream, you should first read the label. It shows the fat content in percent, which determines the type of ice cream. There are five of them:

• milk - no more than 7.5% milk fat;
• creamy - 8-11.5% milk fat;
• ice cream - at least 12% milk fat;
• fermented milk - no more than 7.5% milk fat;
• with milk fat substitute (mixture of milk and vegetable fats) - no more than 12% milk fat.

A product with added vegetable fats shall be designated by the manufacturer as “butter ice cream” or “vegetable fat ice cream”. This is also worth paying attention to.

Check the composition

Today, almost any ice cream uses stabilizers and thickeners to keep the product in shape. You should not be afraid of their number in the composition, since many components are natural and safe for health, including:

• locust bean gum (E410);
• guar gum (E412);
• xanthan gum (E415);
• container gum (E417);
• pectin (E440);
• gelatin;
• sodium alginate (E401).

Let's also note the weight - it should be indicated in grams, since the information on the volume in milliliters does not reflect the actual weight of the ice cream.

Rate the color

Good quality ice cream should be evenly colored. Shades of white depend on the percentage of fat: the higher it is, the more yellow the color. An uneven color may indicate that the ice cream mass was poorly mixed with a natural additive or dye during production. The exception is ice cream types with layer-by-layer application of several natural dyes that create some kind of pattern or structure.

Check the form

The ice cream must retain its original shape. Deformation indicates that the storage mode has been violated. Defrosting ice cream and re-freezing it will negatively affect not only the taste of the product, but also its safety.

The main symptom of re-freezing is a “gritty” feeling caused by small ice crystals that form when the storage temperature rises to 12 ° -13 ° C. At this temperature, the processes of microbiological deterioration of the product begin, which can cause intestinal upset.

Ice cream taken out of the freezer should be chipped, not smudged. Well-hardened frozen mass is always dense.

Pay attention to the expiration date

And, of course, do not forget about the shelf life of ice cream. When it expires, even taking into account the constant storage in the freezer, ice cream can no longer be consumed. The presence of such a product in the refrigerator of the sales area must be reported to the seller.

Do you have a favorite ice cream? Tell us about it in the comments!