All that's frozen is not ice cream

"I hate ice creams," said no one ever. It's the one treat that suits every mood and every occasion, making up for all the blues. But it wasn't until Amul's 'Eat real ice cream' ad, which courted controversy in March and ended up in court, that I began checking whether my cool stick is ice cream or frozen dessert.

The 'real' difference

As per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ice cream is prepared by freezing a pasteurised mix prepared from milk and/or products derived from milk. It must be free of artificial sweeteners, but can have sweetening agents such as sugar, dextrose, fructose, liquid glucose, dried liquid glucose, high maltose corn syrup, maltodextrin, honey, fruit and its products, eggs and egg products, coffee, cocoa, ginger and nuts. It may also include bakery products as a separate layer.

While the same sweetening agents and bakery products are permitted for frozen desserts, the difference is that a frozen dessert/confection won't have milk, but requires freezing a pasteurised mix prepared with milk fat and/or edible vegetable oils and fat, and milk or vegetable protein, or a combination of both.

Milk lollies

These have the same ingredients as ice creams, but contain far less milk-fat, protein and solids.

A palate test...

...is an easy way to tell ice creams from frozen desserts. "The taste of frozen desserts lingers on long after you've had it, whereas once you've gobbled down ice cream, the flavour also leaves you," says chef Avin Thaliath, co-founder and director at Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts. In humid countries, frozen desserts are preferred over ice creams, as the latter melts quicker. However, for the health conscious, ice creams are a better choice says the Bangalore-based chef.