It is enough to go to the most ordinary stall with ice cream and buy there, without going into details, several of its types; for the purity of the experiment, we recommend purchasing the most massive varieties – say, creamy in a waffle cup. When you come home, take the ice cream out of the package, put it in the freezer, arm yourself with a magnifying glass and carefully read everything that is written on the package in small letters. It is possible that after that you will not be able to eat any ice cream at all for several months.
What could be there
Of course, there will definitely be sugar. Ideally, whole milk and butter as well, but that’s if you’re very lucky. Most likely, skim milk or whey powder will be used instead of whole milk. Instead of butter – substitutes for milk fat, for example, coconut oil. In addition, almost any ice cream contains emulsifiers and stabilizers – locust bean gum and guar gum, carrageenan and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. What are they needed for? Then that industrial ice cream it is made without adding an egg – but nevertheless it is necessary to give it a characteristic consistency.
In addition, they radically increase the shelf life and sale of the product. Up to six months. These additives do not harm the human body, since they are not digested at all, however, if they are overdose, a banal stomach upset can occur. Yes, and about carrageena – World Health Organization for a number of unappetizing reasons does not recommend using it in baby food. Agree – it’s unpleasant. Earlier, as mentioned above, it was much better. Although this is pretty much a stereotype too.
A bit of history
When we talk about the unsurpassed taste of Soviet ice cream, we are talking, in general, about nothing. Because the rules of production ice cream in the USSR changed several times. In 1941, just before the war, the legendary GOST 117-41, then in 1966 it was replaced with a whole bunch of inter-republican Specifications, and they were replaced in 1980 Industry Standard… In principle, this was the last tough standard that adequately defined the concept of “Soviet ice cream”, and it worked until 1985, when everyone was somehow not up to sweets. From that moment until 1990, ice cream in the USSR was made by anyone, in any way and from anything, and no documents were required for this.
Since 1990, ice cream has been produced according to Specifications, and it should be noted that each enterprise could develop these very TUs according to its taste, including any ingredients in its products. Industry veterans usually claim that all the mutations described were due to the opening of the Iron Curtain. Say, a landslide import of ice cream from abroad began, and our producers, in order to successfully compete with it, were simply forced to change recipes. Another point of view is closer to us: precisely because of the general deterioration in the quality of domestic ice cream, imported ice cream was so successfully sold.
The described anarchy continued until early 2005, when GOST R52175–2003 … It certainly differs from GOST 41-th year – so, the range of raw materials from which ice cream can be made has been increased, the permissible shelf life has become longer – but most importantly it repeats it: the use of vegetable fats for the production of milk, cream ice cream and ice cream is not allowed, as well as the use of milk-containing raw materials instead of milk …
In addition, it is not allowed to apply concepts and ice cream to ice cream, which contains vegetable fats, and also, and on the label with such a product it must be written:. Moreover, the mass fraction of vegetable fat should not exceed 12%. This is exactly how manufacturers write – but in small print and not on the front side. So we advise you to remember that ice cream can be different, and carefully read the labels.
Concrete questions
We also have questions that require very specific answers. Here they are. Modern technology allows you to more saturate ice cream air. If we compare a glass of Soviet ice cream and the same glass produced today, it turns out that the Soviet one is heavier – one hundred grams versus seventy. On the one hand, a more airy consistency is obtained. On the other hand, where is the guarantee that there is just as much air in the ice cream as needed – and who determines how much of it is needed? And you won’t weigh every glass you buy.
What is the pricing mechanism in the market ice cream? If milk is replaced with whey, butter for coconut oil, and the shelf life tends to infinity, it is logical that the price of the product will also tend to zero. However, all ice cream of the same category on the market costs about the same. Is there any sign of a monopoly conspiracy in this? And who monitors the price level? Despite the presence of a beautiful GOST R52175–2003, ice cream according to TU continues to be produced as if nothing had happened. Who checks these technical specifications and what is the criterion for their correctness?
And what is the responsibility of an enterprise that produces bad ice cream– is he fined, he is closed, the director is imprisoned, the technologist is sent to the settlement? Jokes aside, but remember who you buy ice cream to most often. Children, right?
And the last thing. What is the mechanism of the consumer’s influence on the producer? If you are injured through someone’s fault, the matter is clear – you have to go to the emergency room, the injury will be recorded there, and you can apply to the court or the prosecutor’s office with this certificate. What if you get poisoned by ice cream?