Editing Ice cream (section)

== Ingredients and definitions ==
[[File:Black sesame soft ice cream.jpg|thumb|[[Black sesame]] soft ice cream, Japan]]

Many countries have regulations controlling what can be described as ice cream.

In the United Kingdom, Food Labelling Regulations (1996) set a requirement of at least 5% milk fat and 2.5% milk protein in order to be sold as ice cream within the UK. In rest of the European Union, a trade organization called European Ice Cream Association calls for minimum dairy fat content of 5%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=foodmanufacture.co.uk |date=2010-05-20 |title=New ice cream definition would boost reformulation work |url=https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2010/05/21/New-ice-cream-definition-would-boost-reformulation-work |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=foodmanufacture.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2015, these regulations were relaxed so that containing milk fat or protein was no longer necessary in the UK for a product to be sold as "ice cream", though at least 5% milk fat is still required for a product to be labeled "dairy ice cream". After this change, many UK products labelled as "ice cream" substitute milk fat with cheaper alternatives like [[palm oil]], [[coconut oil]], and [[vegetable fats]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-29 |title=Half of UK vanilla ice creams contain no fresh milk or cream |url=https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/markets-and-trends/dairy-markets/half-of-uk-vanilla-ice-creams-contain-no-fresh-milk-or-cream |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Farmers Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref> 

In the US, the [[FDA]] rules state that to be described as "ice cream", a product must have the following composition:<ref>{{cite web|title=§135.110 Ice cream and frozen custard|url=https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=e54b8eb5678cea336e79c0d72e07944d&mc=true&n=sp21.2.135.b&r=SUBPART&ty=HTML|publisher=FDA.gov|access-date=15 September 2019|archive-date=23 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223141953/https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=e54b8eb5678cea336e79c0d72e07944d&mc=true&n=sp21.2.135.b&r=SUBPART&ty=HTML|url-status=live}}</ref>

* greater than 10% milk fat
* 6 to 10% milk and non-fat milk solids: this component, also known as the milk solids-not-fat or serum solids, contains the [[protein]]s ([[casein]]s and whey proteins) and [[carbohydrate]]s (lactose) found in milk

It generally also has:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uoguelph.ca/foodscience/book-page/ice-cream-mix-ingredients |title=Ice Cream Ingredients |access-date=15 September 2019 |work=Dairy Science and Technology Education Series |first=H. Douglas |last=Goff |publisher=[[University of Guelph]] |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801180312/https://www.uoguelph.ca/foodscience/book-page/ice-cream-mix-ingredients |url-status=live }}</ref>

* 12 to 16% sweeteners: usually a combination of sucrose and glucose-based [[corn syrup]] sweeteners
* 0.2 to 0.5% stabilizers and emulsifiers
* 55 to 64% water, which comes from the milk or other ingredients

These compositions are percentage by weight. Since ice cream can contain as much as half air by volume, these numbers may be reduced by as much as half if cited by volume. In terms of dietary considerations, the percentages by weight are more relevant. Even low-fat products have high caloric content: Ben and Jerry's No-Fat Vanilla Fudge, for instance, contains {{convert|150|Cal|kJ}} per half-cup due to its high sugar content.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columnnn/nn000725.html |title=Ice Cream – What's in a Scoop? |first=Pat |last=Kendall |access-date=9 August 2008 |publisher=[[Colorado State University]] |date=25 June 2000 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080530044709/http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columnnn/nn000725.html |archive-date = 30 May 2008}}</ref>

According to the Canadian [[Food and Drugs Act]] and Regulations, ice cream in Canada is divided into "ice cream mix" and "ice cream". Each has a different set of regulations.<ref name="Branch">{{Cite web|url=https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._870/page-54.html#h-571733|title=Consolidated federal laws of canada, Food and Drug Regulations|last=Branch|first=Legislative Services|date=3 June 2019|website=laws.justice.gc.ca|access-date=16 July 2019|archive-date=2 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902010955/https://www.laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._870/page-54.html#h-571733|url-status=live}}</ref>

* "Ice cream" must be at least 10 percent milk fat, and must contain at least {{convert|180|g}} of solids per litre. When cocoa, chocolate syrup, fruit, nuts, or confections are added, the percentage of milk fat can be 8 percent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._870/page-53.html#h-76|title=Consolidated federal laws of canada, Food and Drug Regulations|last=Branch|first=Legislative Services|website=laws.justice.gc.ca|language=en|access-date=6 July 2017|archive-date=13 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713042200/http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._870/page-53.html#h-76|url-status=live}}</ref>
* "Ice cream mix" is defined as the pasteurized mix of cream, milk and other milk products that are not yet frozen.<ref name="Branch"/> It may contain eggs, artificial or non-artificial flavours, cocoa or chocolate syrup, a food colour, an agent that adjusts the pH level in the mix, salt, a stabilizing agent that does not exceed 0.5% of the ice cream mix, a [[Sequestrant|sequestering agent]] which preserves the food colour, [[Casein|edible casein]] that does not exceed 1% of the mix, [[propylene glycol]] mono fatty acids in an amount that will not exceed 0.35% of the ice cream mix, and sorbitan tristearate in an amount that will not exceed 0.035% of the mix.<ref name="Branch"/> Ice cream mix may not include less than 36% solid components.<ref name="Branch"/>