Ice cream standard

The Standard of Identity for Ice Cream lists acceptable sweeteners, if a substitute for sweetener is used instead, for example, dates - I am assuming one can no longer call it Ice Cream. However, fruit is permitted to be added, so if a nominal amount of honey was added as well as dates - does this then satisfy the requirements to allow it to be called Ice Cream? And in this instance, am I correct then that this nullifies the right to say 'sweetened with dates'? 

Reference, please

Hi olenazh,

I'm not sure what you mean. Which reference are you looking for. Forgive my ignorance.

Regulatory document, standard of identity, please. Is it included into SFCR?

FDR:

B.08.061 [S]. Ice Cream Mix

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  (a) shall be the unfrozen, pasteurized combination of cream, milk or other milk products, sweetened with sugar, liquid sugar, invert sugar, honey, dextrose, glucose, corn syrup, corn syrup solids or any combination of such sweeteners;



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  (b) may contain

  
  
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    (i) egg,

  
  
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    (ii) a flavouring preparation,

  
  
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    (iii) cocoa or chocolate syrup,

  
  
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    (iv) a food colour,

  
  
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    (v) pH adjusting agents,

  
  
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    (vi) microcrystalline cellulose or a stabilizing agent or both in an amount that will not exceed 0.5 per cent of the ice cream made from the mix,

  
  
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    (vii) a sequestering agent,

  
  
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    (viii) salt,

  
  
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    (ix) not more than one per cent added edible casein or edible caseinates; and

  
  
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    (x) propylene glycol mono fatty acid esters in an amount that will not exceed 0.35 per cent of the ice cream made from the mix and sorbitan tristearate in an amount that will not exceed 0.035 per cent of the ice cream made from the mix; and

  
  
  
  


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  © shall contain not less than

  
  
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    (i) 36 per cent solids, and

  
  
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    (ii) 10 per cent milk fat or, where cocoa or chocolate syrup has been added, eight per cent milk fat.

  
  
  
  

B.08.062 [S]. Ice Cream

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  (a) shall be the frozen food obtained by freezing an ice cream mix, with or without the incorporation of air;



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  (b) may contain cocoa or chocolate syrup, fruit, nuts or confections;



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  © shall contain not less than

  
  
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    (i) 36 per cent solids,

  
  
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    (ii) 10 per cent milk fat, or, where cocoa or chocolate syrup, fruit, nuts, or confections have been added, eight per cent milk fat, and

  
  
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    (iii) 180 grams of solids per litre of which amount not less than 50 grams shall be milk fat, or, where cocoa or chocolate syrup, fruit, nuts or confections have been added, 180 grams of solids per litre of which amount not less than 40 grams shall be milk fat; and

  
  
  
  


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  (d) shall contain not more than

  
  
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    (i) 100,000 bacteria per gram, and

  
  
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    (ii) 10 coliform organisms per gram,

  
  
  
  

  as determined by official method MFO-2, Microbiological Examination of Ice Cream or Ice Milk, November 30, 1981.



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Why are you referencing ICE CREAM MIX, and previous version is for ICE CREAM?

What do you mean exactly. The Ice Cream Mix is the unfrozen dairy mix that is used to make Ice Cream - they are more or less a hierarchy. So Ice Cream must be a frozen product constituted of an Ice Cream mix (the slurry essentially that we make to freeze into Ice cream with the addition of other things typically). So the standard for Ice Cream mix specifies that the mix contains cream but also at least one type of the sugar listed. Then the standard for Ice Cream indicates that it must be a frozen product made from the ice cream mix. So in order to call something ice cream, it must be made from an ice cream mix, and an ice cream mix must be made from cream and at least one of those sugars. 

So my question is...what if it's not one of those sugars but something that functionally acts as a sweetener - can it still be Ice Cream? My guess, knowing standards of identity, is no.

So, what if it has some sweetening done by honey. And that the dates added are primarily added as a fruit but also just happen to help sweeten it. Can it still be Ice Cream?

And if it can, can one claim 'sweetened with dates' - and I already basically know that it probably can't but I'm wondering if I"m missing anything or if there are allowances here I am unaware of. Because I can see it down for similar products. 

Why don't you just add dates and honey and state them in the ingredient list? Why do you need to add a claim "sweetened with dates", is it necessary? Plus, if you see it on similar products - why aren't you allowed to do the same?

Well, the sweetened with dates is marketing claim as it reduces the sugar content so it is beneficial to the sales of the product and makes it unique among competitors. And I think we all know for a fact that just because one brand makes claims on their products or labels it a certain way it does not mean they are compliant. 

I guess I'm just asking here incase anyone has any similar experience with regards to deviations on standards of identity and claims. Thanks!

I've been in ice cream manufacturing for 12 years, never experienced such issues, sorry. Let's see what others say.

Thank you for your time  :smile: