Knowing the ingredients and nutritional profiles of ice creams sold at bars is quite complicated. And ‘conscious consumption’ gets burned under a jaguar sun.
To facilitate slalom between problematic additives and excess calories, sugars and saturated fats, here is our small market survey.
Bar ice creams, the elusive label
Packaged ice creams sold at the bar, unlike those sold loose, are not subject to the obligation to display the information required on the label on a sign or register at the counter.
The information on ingredients, allergens and nutritional profiles are printed on the package but it is not easy - an understatement - to read them before choosing. Unless risking breaking the cold chain and exposing the packages to hygienic risks, in searching for the wording in the folds of the packaging.
The consumActors more attentive could search for information on the sites web corporate. And remain disappointed, discovering that some – Bindi, for example – do not make the list of ingredients or the nutritional table public.
Calorie bombs and additives
For each of the 19 ice creams examined, we report in the table the list of ingredients and the most significant data of the nutritional declaration (per 100g and per portion). Substantial differences emerge. Not only among the different types of ice cream (with fewer calories in popsicles, obviously, than creams with cream and chocolate), but also among different brands.
The comparison also consider the judgment expressed by Yuka app, which also evaluates foods according to the NutriScore scheme (as well as for the presence of problematic additives).
Attention to additives
The calories contributed by an ice cream should be considered according to the daily energy balance – which should tend to the daily balance between energy intake and consumption, also thanks to physical exercise – as well as age, sex and physical conditions (Body Mass Index, BMI).
The additives, however, deserve attention due to their identity and possible risks associated with their consumption. Non-artisanal ice creams, as seen, often contain many of them. And some of these – even if authorized in the EU, following risk assessments conducted by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) – present some criticalities and possible contraindications for health. Their intake can therefore be discouraged, especially for children. Even more so as they are exposed to multiple sources of such additives, since they are present in various packaged foods.
In our tables, the various additives added to industrial ice creams are identified with the European authorization code (E…) and marked in red, orange or green, depending on the risks highlighted by scientific literature. The risks are mostly related to the health of the microbiota, the integrity of the intestinal barrier and the effects of its degradation (weakening of the immune system, chronic intestinal inflammations, etc.).
All additives present in ice creams are reviewed following the Altroconsumo guide.
5 categories of bar ice creams, 4 brands
The sample of our small market survey includes 5 categories of ice creams, offered by the 4 main most widespread brands in Italy. Namely Algida (Unilever), the Italian Sammontana spa, Motta (Froneri Ltd, alias Nestlé and R&R Ice Cream, UK) and Bindi (BC Partners, UK).
1) Lemon popsicle with licorice stick
Fresh as a popsicle but consistent like a sorbet, lemon ice cream with licorice stick is a well-established tradition among bar ice creams.
The comparison shows that Limonstec by Bindi and Liuk by Algida contain lemon juice, respectively 11% and 8.5%, while Lipperlì by Sammontana contains only natural lemon flavor. The Italian brand then uses the emulsifier E471 (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), a problematic additive also adopted by Motta in Liquì, which is therefore less valuable, despite the use of lemon juice (8.9%).
The calories are always relatively low compared to other categories of ice cream.
Some anomalies are found on the labels shown on two web company sites. Algida's ingredient list does not specify the composition of the licorice stick, while the nutritional table shows nutrients in an 'irregular' order. Sammontana in turn makes mistakes in the list of items in the nutritional table for all references.
2) Calippo, the popsicle ever green
The cylindrical popsicle from the '90s is still very appreciated, even by Generation Z, and appears overall acceptable.
Among the four brands Bindi stands out for the lower number of additives, but exceeds in sugar.
Algida includes the highest percentage of lemon juice, but also adds synthetic flavors and colorants that could be avoided.
3) The classic cornetto, summer icon
The iconic cornetto classic – among milk, cream, and butter, as well as the unfortunately ubiquitous coconut oil – provides more calories than fruit ice creams. Besides being a generous source of saturated fats and sugars.
Algida and Motta use fresh milk in the highest percentages (respectively, 18% and 19.6%). Bindi and Sammontana are instead the only ones to specify the composition of the wafer – as required – in the ingredient list.
As usual, the list includes many additives, among which the problematic E471, E472c, E442.
Gross errors in allergen labeling appear for Bindi and Motta, which indicate ‘MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF OTHER TREE NUTS’ without specifying which, as requested, and instead correctly reported by Algida.
4) Praline biscuit
The biscuit covered with praline chocolate is a rather caloric ice cream (up to 300 calories). Between biscuits, filling, and coating, it is full of sugars (from 23 to 28%) and saturated fats (from 10 to 14%)
In the description Only Sammontana and Bindi specify the components of the biscuits and the coating granules in the description of the food. Motta insists on indicating the possible presence of ‘other nuts’, without specifying the type. Outlawed.
Here too, additives abound. Emulsifiers are added in the biscuit, the filling cream, and the chocolate coating.
5) Magnum and Co.
The famous Magnum by Algida is imitated only by Sammontana and Bindi, who however under the chocolate coating insert cream with cream instead of vanilla.
Sugars and saturated fats abound.
Like, unfortunately, the additives, especially in Sammontana and Algida, which use two poorly recommended emulsifiers.
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 has published the book 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
