COLD WAR ERUPTS OVER `FLUFFING' OF ITALIAN GELATO

Italy has declared war on ice cream sellers who pump compressed air into their wares to make them look fluffier, as it seeks to defend the honour of its world-renowned gelato.

Under proposals being considered by the Senate, ice cream producers who fail to meet strict quality rules, such as limits on air added to their mixtures, could be fined up to 10,000 euros ($14,982).

Supporters hope the reforms will have a chilling effect on cheapskate vendors posing as gelato artisans who have been known to sell tubs that contain more air than ice cream.

Yet the plan has whipped up resentment among some “gelato masters” who argue that adding air to the mixture is not necessarily poor craftsmanship.

The bill was proposed by six senators from the centre-left Democratic and Italia Viva parties, who say it will better regulate the work of real artisans and protect consumer rights. The legislation also claims that inflating gelato with air goes against the basic rules of producing artisanal ice cream.

“Italian gelato is one of the gastronomic symbols of our country, along with pasta and pizza,” Riccardo Nencini, a Socialist senator and one of the bill's supporters, said. “But our laws do not preserve artisanal ice cream and producers who make it.”

The draft bill also bans the use of certain cheap alternatives to fresh ingredients, such as artificial flavours, colouring and hydrogenated fats. According to industry rules, ice cream should contain no more than 30 per cent air, which artisanal producers achieve by vigorous mixing. Industrial ice cream can be up to 80 per cent compressed air, which critics say means consumers end up “paying for air.”