Vanilla Ice Creams and Frozen Desserts

Seven brands tested – some could do better

It must be the combination of sweetness and cold, this indulgence called ice cream. Typically eaten as a snack or a dessert, it is usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, fructose- or glucose-based sweeteners, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours such as vanilla or chocolate. When this mixture freezes, it develops the rich, creamy consistency of ice cream, a food that can affect your health in both positive and negative ways. Although the nutritional content of ice cream varies among brands and types, in general it is a good source of energy and several important minerals, being particularly rich in calcium and phosphorus. For all of that, though, ice cream is a high-fat food – it must contain greater than 10 per cent milk fat to be called ice cream. The sugar is there too. What is the big difference from frozen desserts, one may ask. Well, while ice cream is mainly made from milk and dairy fat, frozen desserts are made with vegetable oil – a finding that comes through in the

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