Ice-cream is known commonly to-day as a food, although in the past it was considered and used only as a delicacy or dessert. Because of the rapid growth of the industry and the large number and varying amounts of materials that can be used in the making of ice-cream, its composition may be varied within wide limits. The Federal Government and most of the States have set standards for ice-cream. Some products, such as custards, sherbets, ices and the like, are usually included in the general discussion of ice-creams but technically should not be classed with them.

1. Materials used in ice-cream.

—The basis of ice-cream is some dairy product or a combination of dairy products, such as milk, cream, skim-milk, condensed milk, milk powder, homogenized or emulsified milk or cream, and the like. These materials contain varying amounts of fat and solids not fat, ranging from 0 to several per cent. Either one or all may be used, as the manufacturer determines, to give the ice-cream the desired amount of fat and milk solids. The price often determines the kind and amounts of the different materials to be used. It is important that these dairy products be clean; otherwise the ice-cream may have an undesirable flavor.

Sugar in some form must be used to sweeten ice-cream. Granulated sugar was employed ordinarily before the war. However, in conserving for the war, it was found that various sirups could be substituted. Corn sirup was commonly used, and some invert sugar, maple sirup and honey in smaller amounts.

A large variety of materials may be utilized to flavor the ice-cream. The extracts commonly employed are vanilla and lemon. Fruits, either fresh, canned, preserved, dried or candied, may be used as flavoring, various bread or cake products, such as macaroons, sweetened wafers and sponge cake, and also caramel and chocolate products, usually chocolate or cocoa.

A little color of the proper shade to give the product the characteristic tint suggested by the flavor is commonly added.

If the ice-cream is not consumed as soon as it is made, ice crystals soon separate, causing it to become grainy in texture. In order to prevent this, some form of “stabilizer” is added, commonly gelatine. However, gum tragacanth or some of the prepared ice-cream powders may be used.

2. Definition of ice-cream.

—Because of the large variation of materials, both in quantity and kind, that may be used in its making, the definitions of ice-cream are more or less elastic. The various dictionaries give the following definitions: Webster,—“Ice-cream is milk or cream sweetened, flavored, and congealed by a freezing mixture, sometimes instead of cream the materials of a custard are used”; Century,—“Ice-cream is a confection made by congealing variously flavored cream or custard in a vessel surrounded with a freezing mixture;” Standard,—“Ice-cream is cream, milk or custard sweetened and flavored and frozen by a freezing mixture, being usually agitated by a dasher in the process to make it of uniform consistency.” The United States Department of Agriculture bases its definition⁠[1] on the composition of the finished ice-cream. Its definitions are as follows:

Ice-cream is a frozen product made from cream and sugar with or without a natural flavoring and contains not less than 14 per cent of milk-fat.

Fruit ice-cream⁠[1] is a frozen product made from cream, sugar and sound, clean, mature fruits, and contains not less than 12 per cent of milk-fat.

Nut ice-cream⁠[1] is a frozen product made from cream, sugar and sound non-rancid nuts and contains not less than 12 per cent of milk-fat.

The National Association of Ice-Cream Manufacturers defines ice-cream and the adulterated product as follows: That for the purpose of this act ice-cream is hereby defined and standardized:

First: Ice-cream is a frozen compound, varied as to kind and proportion of ingredients within the limits established by custom and usage.

Second: Ice-cream consists chiefly of a sweetened and flavored mixture of cream, or cream and milk, or milk, with or without added milk-fat in the form of sound sweet butter or as contained in condensed, evaporated or concentrated milk or in milk powder, and with or without added milk solids not fat in the form of skim-milk powder or as contained in milk powder or in condensed, evaporated or concentrated skim-milk, or of a sweetened and flavored homogenized or emulsified mixture of sound, sweet butter, milk powder or skim-milk powder and water, with the addition of gelatine, vegetable gum, or other wholesome stabilizer.

Third: Standard ice-cream contains not less than eight (8) per cent milk-fat and the content of milk-fat and milk solids not fat combined shall not be less than eighteen (18) per cent except when the ingredients of standard ice-cream include eggs, fruit or fruit juice, cocoa or chocolate, cake, confections or nuts, such reduction of the percentage of milk-fat and milk solids not fat as may be due to the addition of such ingredients shall be allowed.

Fourth: When ice-cream is sold or offered for sale without designation of its kind, quality or grade on a label, brand, or tag attached to the package or container, or, in case of removal from the original package or container, by a notice conspicuously posted in or at the place where such ice-cream is sold or offered for sale, it shall be deemed that such ice-cream is sold or offered for sale as of the grade of and for standard ice-cream, or better. That for the purposes of this act ice-cream shall be deemed to be adulterated:

(1) If in quality or grade it is lower than the professed standard of quality or grade which it is sold or offered for sale.

(2) If it contains any added poisonous or other added deleterious ingredient which may render such ice-cream injurious to health.

(3) If it contains any rancid or renovated or process butter, or any fat or oil other than milk-fat and the fat or oil of contained eggs or nuts and the fat or oil of substances used for flavoring purposes only.

(4) If it consists in whole or in part of any filthy or decomposed substance which may render such ice-cream injurious to health, or is otherwise so contaminated that such ice-cream is injurious to health.

That for the purpose of this act ice-cream shall be deemed to be misbranded:

First: If the label, brand, tag or notice under which it is sold or offered for sale is false or misleading in any particular as to the kind, grade or quality or composition of such ice-cream; or if any notice to the purchaser required by this act to be given is omitted.

Second: If it is sold or offered for sale as the product of one manufacturer when in reality it is the product of another manufacturer: or if on the label, brand, tag or notice under which it is sold or offered for sale there is any false statement concerning the sanitary conditions under which such ice-cream is manufactured.

So far the description of ice-cream has mentioned only the materials to be used and in some cases the chemical composition in so far as percentage of fat is concerned. It is evident that there is considerable difference of opinion regarding the minimum percentage of fat that the ice-cream should contain. It would seem that it might not only be desirable to mention the materials which could be employed, but also the percentage of fat and total solids or milk solids not fat, by means of a sliding scale. In the description, no account is taken of the bacterial-content of the ice-cream. The number of organisms may or may not give an indication of the quality of the materials used and the sanitary condition under which the manufacturing and handling is done. When a bacterial standard for milk is universally recognized and enforced, then a bacterial standard for ice-cream may be enforced. It is to be desired that an adequate definition of ice-cream will be forthcoming and that this definition will be enforced. This will do much to improve the quality of the product.

3. Problems of ice-cream-making.

—The successful making of ice-cream calls for an understanding of the complex factors involved. These factors are: The production and handling of the milk and the milk products employed; the chemical and bacteriological composition of the milk products; the various tests used, such as fat, acid, tests for swell and the like; the blending of the flavors of the various products to secure the characteristic flavor desired; the freezing process and subsequent handling of the ice-cream; the construction and operation of the machinery. A working knowledge of the combination of the above factors is necessary to make ice-cream of uniform quality. After the manufacture, the marketing of the product is a vital question and it should receive constant attention and study.

4. Ice-cream-making a science.

—Only recently has the making of ice-cream been recognized as founded on science. This is probably because in the past most of the ice-cream was made in small amounts largely in the household, while now it is manufactured in large quantities in commercial plants.

In these large plants and in the agricultural colleges, considerable attention has been paid recently to the making of ice-cream. No description of the process can replace experience. Description of appearance of the ice-cream and conditions during the making process, in terms definite and clear enough to be readily understood by beginners, has been found to be impossible. Certain principles and essentials of practice can be presented, which form the foundation for intelligent work. The more study given to the process, and the better the underlying principles are understood, the further we will depart from rule-of-thumb practice.