The idea of liquid ice pops to freeze at home, which made history in Italy with the Sicilian Polaretti, is taken up again in France and also in England. With the support, among other things, of European funding that survives Brexit (!). And it is boom.
The ice pop British
The ice pop from the British Pola is made with fresh fruit, mostly grown by the same producer or by nearby companies, and is already marketed frozen.
The goal of the startup is now to produce and distribute the product at room temperature, instead of freezing it. To simplify logistics and reduce the environmental impact of transport in the 'cold chain'. The challenge is therefore to stabilize the product, without resorting to food additives.
The success of the Pola(retto) Brit, furthermore, seems ensured by the vertical growth of food sales online and home meals, also in the UK, following the lockdown due to Covid-19. Thus, new consumption habits have emerged that tend to stabilize even in 'phase 2' of the progressive return to normality.
Is Brexit frozen too?
Pola's research is carried out together with the Food Innovation Center of the Sutton Bonington campus, at the University of Nottingham. Where a pasteurization system is being developed for the already packaged product (in packaging compostable), aimed at increasing its durability without altering its taste.
The initiative – including investments in packaging machinery – is part of the project Driving Research and Innovation, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with a deadline in January 2023.
Brexit is also frozen, therefore, as far as research funded by Brussels is concerned. It remains only to be asked if and to what extent the project results will be made available and can actually be used by all operators and research institutes in the EU.
The French ice pop
Already on the market also online, the French Granistick ice pop does not guarantee the local origin of the raw material, but it ensures in its 'sticks to freeze' 25% fruit and the absence of colorings, preservatives or additives.
Awarded like Saveur de l’année 2020 (Flavor of the year 2020), the ice pop is produced by Cocktails d’Hadrien. The company, among other things, had already launched in 2017 a similar product aimed at adults. Cocktail-flavored granitas (mojito, piña colada, etc.), without colorings or preservatives.
In the beginning there were the Polaretti
The idea of the liquid ice pop to freeze at home is to be seen Made in Italy. For at least 6 years, Dolfin’s Polaretti have been marketed in Italy, pasteurized liquid ice pops (fruit and other flavors), without preservatives and artificial colorings.
The novelty of summer 2020, announces the Catania-based company established in 1914, is the packaging of the Polaretti fruit. The plastic packaging is replaced by a cardboard box with games for children.
Professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and magazines (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). Author of journalistic investigations on food, she published the book 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
