What is the difference between an ice cream that costs a few yuan and one that costs more than ten yuan?

Expert of this article: Pa Lize, Chief Physician of Nutrition, Science Popularization Committee Member of Chinese Nutrition Society

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Milk flavor, fruit flavor, coffee flavor... Various flavors of ice cream or popsicles can satisfy our taste buds and cool us down in one bite.

But have you ever noticed that when you open the freezer and pick out a few unfamiliar and seemingly ordinary ice creams, the prices will give you a "fatal blow" when you check out, and you will unfortunately become what everyone calls an "ice cream assassin."

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Why do some ice creams only cost a few yuan, while others can cost more than 10 or 20 yuan? What is the difference? How to choose ice cream? Learn more about ice cream together, avoid falling into the trap, and stay cool in the summer.

Why are popsicles and ice cream so delicious?

Ice cream and popsicles are processed foods that have become popular around the world with the development of human society's sugar-making technology and low-temperature production processes.

The deliciousness of ice cream lies in that, through the special receptors in the mouth and nose, people can experience the sweet aroma of fruits mixed in the cream, or taste the added deliciousness of nuts in the smoothness of cool chocolate. One lick will wrap the tongue with a cool and pleasant sweetness. It is icy, fragrant and sweet, and you can't help but eat one more bite.

Nowadays, the ice cream on the market is actually a frozen product made by cleverly combining eggs, milk, sugar and fat, and using modern scientific technology and equipment to sterilize, homogenize, puff, freeze and harden the mixture.

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What is the difference between popsicles and ice cream?

Commonalities

Both are frozen products made from one or more of sterilized water, sugar, eggs, milk, fat, fruits, beans and their products as raw materials, with or without emulsifiers, stabilizers, colorants and other food additives and (or) food nutrient fortifiers.

Differences

The proportion of ingredients is different, such as the content of milk, eggs, and sugar. There are large differences in the fat and protein content of the two, resulting in differences in the degree of expansion, the hardness of frozen crystals, and the taste.

Among them, ice cream has a higher fat content, a smoother taste, and a more prominent egg and milk aroma. Therefore, ice cream has a lower hardness, a fine and smooth texture, and is generally packaged in containers made of low-temperature resistant materials or edible cereal cones.

Ice cream has a high water content and a low expansion rate. It has a high hardness and is frozen solid. It can be frozen into various shapes attached to wooden sticks, which are similar to popsicles, but contains more egg and milk ingredients than popsicles.

Why is ice cream getting more and more expensive? What's the difference between a few yuan a pop and a dozen yuan a pop?

Nowadays, there are a wide variety of ice creams on the market. Not only are there endless flavors, but the prices also range from a few dollars to more than ten dollars.

The reason why ice cream is becoming more and more expensive is the direct result of the continuous research and development and application of new product technologies and the annual increase in the prices of raw materials, mainly agricultural and animal husbandry products.

Generally speaking, more expensive ice cream will be made with fresh milk, cream and cocoa butter, fresh fruit, and natural beans. Ice cream with milk powder, refined vegetable oil, cocoa butter substitute, jelly, etc. will not be too expensive.

How to choose ice cream?

First, identify whether there are signs of melting

Ice cream is rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fats. If it is not sterilized thoroughly during the production process or is contaminated by microorganisms during transportation and storage, it will easily cause the growth and reproduction of bacteria. Therefore, when purchasing, try not to buy ice cream that has signs of melting.

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Secondly, be sure to read the nutrition label

Although some people think that "ice cream is edible milk", don't be fooled by the taste. Emulsifiers, dispersants and other additives that must be added to ice cream can help the fat and water in the ice cream ingredients blend together, giving it a very delicate and rich milky taste, making the tip of the tongue feel that the milk content is much higher than the actual content. In addition, it is particularly important to note that the nutritional content is marked per 100 grams of the product, not the amount per ice cream stick.

Finally, look at additives correctly when purchasing

Healthy people do not need to be frightened by the numerous additives listed in the ingredient list. The amount of additives used in ice cream and popsicles will comply with the requirements of the national food safety additives use standard GB2760. Within the maximum edible amount, there will be no harm to health.

Kind tips

Although ice cream is delicious, its high energy density is a shortcoming. Young children in their growth and development and the elderly with poor gastrointestinal digestion and absorption should not eat too much to avoid affecting the intake of other essential nutrients.

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