Ice Scream

Posted By elissa on Apr 19, 2009 | 2 comments

I’m proud of my food tech training and background.  Nonetheless, there are times when the food industry makes me want to scream.

Like today, after reading this industry article…

Ice-cream as a vehicle for delivering probiotic strains has ‘great potential’, giving a health boost without affecting the sensory profile of ice-cream, say Brazilian scientists.

But the products must be backed up by the science and accompanied by consumer education to change eating habits of ice-cream from an occasional to a frequently consumed food, according to a new review published in Food Research International.

Emphasis mine.

Now, I don’t have any objection to fortifying ice cream with probiotics, per se.  Likewise, there’s nothing wrong with having the occasional treat…and if it offers more than empty calories, so much the better.

So what’s the deal?

It’s what’s implied by the part I bolded above:  probiotic fortification allows companies to “rebrand” dessert/snack/junk foods as “healthy” items that need to be consumed daily to receive the benefits.  Problem is, most of us are already consuming too many calories.  And – needless to state – probiotic-enhanced, functional food products can be pricey.  In a time when budgets are getting tighter, people will be better off spending their $$$ on fresh foods, vs. overpriced, “value-added” treats.

We already have various probiotic fortified yogurt products, cheeses, shots, MRPs, granola bars, cereals and even chocolate.  So we really don’t need probiotic ice cream.  Give it a rest, already.

Probiotic supplements are “old news”, but are still the best way to add specific cultures to your diet.  They aren’t cheap, but are still a huge bargain on a per-serving basis vs. your typical functional food.  And- needless to state – a daily capsule will be a lot easier on your waistline than daily servings of sugary foods like sweetened yogurt…or ice cream.