Comment on Did something about mass produced ice cream change like 10 years ago?
aubeynarf@lemmynsfw.com 1 week ago
guar gum, xantham gun, locust bean extract, etc - all emulsifers or texture additives used to mask lower product quality.
Even the expensive stuff, Ben & Jerrys (sold out to PE a while ago), boutique brands at Whole Foods, and even Kirkland premiun have the same list of bullshit.
The only brand I can reliably find without them is Haagen Dazs.
ricecake@sh.itjust.works 1 week ago
Those aren’t typically used to mask anything, or to let you increase the air quantity. They’re typically used to keep the product stable during freezing, otherwise it can either turn into a brick because they froze too solidly, or because all the air escaped during cold storage.
In terms of cost savings, it does let them shorten the time needed to let the mix sit before churning, but that’s just because it helps the fat globs come back together easier.
There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with using the gums. Xanthan is the only one really that isn’t available in an organic formulation, since they’re just bean powders mostly.
What’s the difference between using coconut oil or pectin like Hagan dazs does (a fat solid at higher temperatures that works as a stabilizer, and a fruit derived gelling agent) and using guar or locust bean gum? They’re all just plant powders and roughly equally processed.