When reporting an ice cream related story, journalists can’t wait to regurgitate some sort of headline involving the ‘ice cream wars’, in reference to one of Scotland’s most notorious criminal cases that involved two rival families using ice cream vans to sell drugs and stolen goods in the Eighties. However, the trite headline may be getting its most appropriate usage since the ‘war’ ended with the outcome of the litres or grams argument potentially sending shockwaves across the UK industry.

As it stands, some of the biggest manufacturers in the British ice cream market, two different government departments and the European Union are in conflict as to whether ice cream should be sold by weight, in grams, or by volume, in litres.

Traditionally, ice cream has always been sold by volume in the UK, however, due to production techniques, US food giant and owner of Häagen-Dazs ice cream, General Mills, claims that by selling by volume consumers are being misled.

Their argument comes down to overrun, or more precisely the lack of laws limiting the amount of air that manufacturers are allowed to incorporate into their products. The more air there is present, the less room there is for the actual product, and vice-versa. 

Tubs of high-end, premium ice cream, such as Häagen-Dazs is currently sold in half-litre pots, or smaller, because minimal air is used in the production resulting in that hard, dry, luxurious texture. At the other end of the scale, the amount of air in cheaper ice cream can account for more of the volume than the actual product itself. 

Furthermore, as a result of all this air, additional ingredients need to be added to the ice cream for it to hold. Partially reconstituted skimmed milk concentrate, sugar, vegetable oil, whey powder, dextrose, emulsifier (mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids), flavouring, stabilisers (guar gum, sodium alginate), colours (beetroot red, beta-carotene) is how the ingredients label reads on a particular ‘value’ ice cream. 

Elsewhere in the world, the addition of all these emulsifiers and stabilisers, and not to mention air, is against food regulatory laws. So why is it different here?

Unilever, owner of Wall’s, the UK’s biggest brand of ice cream, opposes any changes and claims that lots of air helps keep down the calorie content of its ice cream. They say “volume labelling is more likely to help in this regard. We believe there is currently little appetite for a change.”

So if the laws are changed and ice cream is sold by weight, what impact would this have on UK manufacturers? It would seem that it would hit the larger companies hardest as they generally produce the cheaper ranges where profit is made through volume sales, whereas smaller producers tend to aim for the luxury end of the market where less air is used, but prices are a little higher.

Which side of the argument are you? If the laws were to change, how would it impact your business? Let us know your thoughts on the matter.

The Government’s decision to require schools to provide free milk for children will help shape future consumption trends, according to the NFU, and in turn will provide more stability to dairy farmers in the short, and long term.

Education Secretary Michael Gove recently announced new food standards regulations for schools, intended to ensure the school diet is healthier for children. The new regulations, which will come into effect on January 1 2015, state that semi-skimmed milk should be available every day to children in order to address concerns about low calcium levels in children.

The regulations will also require one or more portions of vegetables or salad to be available every day, and at least three different fruits, and three different vegetables each week. Further limits are also being set on the quantity of sugary and fried foods served up each week.

NFU chief dairy adviser, Rob Newbery, said the announcement was good news for Britain’s dairy farmers:

“The fresh liquid milk market in the UK is almost unique in Europe and the world,” he said. “By providing fresh milk for children in schools, not only are we improving the nutritional profile of their meals, we’re also shaping consumption trends in the future.

“Dairy farmers will continue to produce a high quality nutritious product, so its great news that the market for their milk is being developed in this positive way.”

Dairy UK chief executive Judith Bryans believes the habits children pick up at an early age can have a major effect on their health in later life, saying:

“It is essential children get the best possible start which means encouraging a healthy diet and helping kids to reach their growth potential at a normal weight. Encouraging milk consumption alongside that of fruits and vegetables as part of a package of measures can help to improve the diets of the nation’s children.”