CHILLING PRICES

Videos of Chinese ice cream brand Zhong Xue Gao (known as “Chicecream” in English), showing its products not melting when held over a gas fire, triggered public debate over food additives as well as rising ice cream prices.

Most Chinese have memories of ice cream costing around 1 or 2 yuan. But prices have soared since 2019, when high-end products were in vogue. Oneyuan popsicles have been disappearing from shelves due to lack of profits, according to a report from Chinese Business News.

Chicecream has been popular among young consumers since its establishment in early 2018. Its products usually sell for around 20 yuan, but the most expensive reaches up to 66 yuan—four to five times higher than its local competitors. Founder Lin Sheng attributes the premium price to the high cost of quality ingredients, like raisins grown in Turpan, Xinjiang. But the company was later fined for false advertising—they only used bulk-packaged raisins.