Advise consumers to read product name, ingredient list, manufacturing, dates, nutrition facts
Srinagar: As temperatures soar, consumption of frozen treats has increased significantly. However, health experts have advised consumers to carefully read product labels before purchasing, saying that not every frozen product sold in the market is actually ice cream. They said many consumers unknowingly purchase frozen desserts, assuming they are ice cream, despite both products differing considerably in ingredients, nutritional value, and fat composition.
Professor Dr S. Muhammad Salim Khan, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College Srinagar, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that informed food choices are essential for maintaining good health and preventing lifestyle-related diseases. He advised consumers to always read the product name, ingredient list, manufacturing date, best-before date, and nutrition facts before making a purchase.
Health experts explained that ice cream is prepared using milk and cream, with milk fat serving as the primary source of fat. Under FSSAI norms, ice cream must contain at least 10 per cent milk fat. Its key ingredients include milk, cream, sugar, milk solids, stabilisers, emulsifiers, and natural or nature-identical flavours, providing nutrients such as calcium and protein derived from milk.
However, frozen desserts primarily use vegetable oils or fats, such as palm oil or coconut oil, instead of milk fat. They usually contain water, sugar, vegetable fat, milk solids, emulsifiers, stabilisers, colours, and artificial or nature-identical flavours, with milk fat content often less than 10 per cent or even absent.
Experts said milk-based ice cream generally provides around 180–230 kilocalories per 100 grams, containing 8–14 grams of total fat, 5–9 grams of saturated fat, 18–24 grams of carbohydrates, 14–20 grams of sugar, 3–5 grams of protein, and 100–150 milligrams of calcium. Frozen desserts typically contain 120–180 kilocalories, 3–8 grams of fat, 1–4 grams of saturated fat, with some products potentially containing trans fats, and provide lower amounts of protein and calcium.
Experts said that ice cream supplies calcium, protein, and other nutrients from milk, but excessive consumption can contribute to weight gain, dental cavities, and metabolic disorders. Frozen desserts are more affordable and available in a wider range of flavours but may contain more additives, colours, and artificial flavours, with regular overconsumption linked to obesity, fatty liver disease, and insulin resistance.
Health experts have advised consumers to read the product name carefully to distinguish between “Ice Cream” and “Frozen Dessert”, examine the ingredient list, compare nutrition labels for calories, sugar, total fat, and saturated fat, check manufacturing and best-before dates, and prefer quality over attractive packaging or low prices. They recommended consuming frozen treats occasionally rather than making them a daily habit and incorporating healthier dessert options, including fresh fruits, yoghurt or curd, homemade fruit popsicles, dry fruits, nuts, and chia or basil seed puddings.
“Good health is the result of informed food choices, balanced nutrition, and an active lifestyle,” health experts said, encouraging consumers to become label-conscious and make healthier decisions while shopping—(KNO)
