What to buy ice cream, sundae
Roskachestvo conducted a study of the most popular delicacy and made certain recommendations that must be paid attention to. Woman’s Day studied the report of the department inside and out and selected the most important points.
It turned out that it is not so easy to choose a quality delicacy that is loved not only by children, but also by adults! All the more so recently, when manufacturers are trying to please customers by releasing more and more new brands and forms of ice cream. How not to get lost in this variety and choose a really high-quality product that will not harm the body? Roskachestvo presented a huge research work devoted to popular types of ice cream: milk, cream and ice cream.
The Russian quality system (Roskachestvo) presented recommendations that will help to understand whether the technology is violated in the production of ice cream, as well as to determine the presence of vegetable fats, dyes and secondary freezing. But first things first!
Pay attention to the label first. For example, according to GOST 31457–2012, ice cream is based on milk or cream, natural flavors and stabilizers, butter and eggs. According to TR TS “On the safety of milk and dairy products” 033/2013 dated 09.10.2013 No. 67, ice cream belongs to the subgroup of dairy products. This means that as a percentage milk in such products should be more than 40%.
As for fat content, it is always indicated as a percentage. In milk ice cream there should be no more than 7,5% fat, in creamy – from 8 to 11,5%, in ice cream – from 12 to 20%.
The weight of the product must also be indicated on the label. in grams, because all products in accordance with GOST 31457–2012 are measured by specialists in this unit.
Stabilizers and appearance
Unfortunately, it is impossible to find ice cream without stabilizers, because these are natural ingredients that allow the product to keep its shape. The main thing is to remember which ones are safe. So, for example, sodium alginate (E401), carrageenan and its sodium, potassium and ammonium salts, including furcelleran (E407), locust bean gum (E410), guar gum (E412), xanthan gum (E415), container gum (E417) , pectin (E440), cellulose (E460), sodium carboxymethylcellulose (E466), oxidized starch (E1404), starch and octenyl succinic acid sodium salt ester (E1450), gelatin, agaroid and sodium caseinate are quite safe for health. If you still oppose E-supplements, then choose a product that contains natural ingredients (agar-agar or gelatin).
As for the appearance, the color of the ice cream should be uniform (the higher the percentage of fat, the yellower the shade), dyes can be used in production: E100, E101, E102, E104, E110, E120, E122, E124, E132, E133, E140 , E141, E142, E150, E160a, E160b, E162, E163 (according to the normative or technical documentation in force on the territory of the states that have adopted the standard).
But the presence of white bloom on the chocolate glaze indicates improper storage of the product or an ambiguous composition. Remember that real ice cream melts slowly with the frosting. Therefore, if the chocolate glaze simply falls off the delicacy, then the technology was clearly violated during its manufacture.
Recommended ice cream consumption for adults: 3-4 times a week, for children: 2-3 times a week
Texture, shape and vegetable fats
According to the form of production, ice cream is soft and seasoned. The store presents the second type of cold delicacy, which is made from a mixture, then milled, packaged and tempered. And soft ice cream does not undergo hardening, therefore, it has a short shelf life.
Please note that if you take out a treat from the freezer and a piece breaks off from it, then this poor quality product… Indeed, with the correct hardening procedure, the frozen mass acquires a dense consistency. But if the product is covered with ice crystals, it means that it passed re-freeze and the taste will not be as bright as in the beginning. In addition, if the shape of the ice cream is deformed, this means that the storage regime has been violated, or the expiration date has expired.
As for vegetable fats, it is almost impossible to find them when buying. The only option is to take a sample of the product to the laboratory and find out if there are any phytosterols there. But, you see, not everyone will bother with this.
By the way, ice cream, which contains vegetable fats, is much cheaper than ice cream, which contains natural cream. But even if palm or other types of vegetable fats were added to the product, this does not mean that it is unsafe.
For detailed recommendations, you can .