Recently we’ve had a few customers come to us to enquire about clean label bases and ice cream flavours and what better way to answer those burning questions than in our latest article?!
But why are we being asked so often about clean label products?
Well first and foremost, it has a great deal to do with how ice cream makers feel as manufacturers. Many are seeking to produce products that are as clean as they can be, thereby having a positive input into the food world at large.
Another big reason for their interest in clean label is based on customer feedback. Consumers are now taking a keen interest in product labels and aren’t satisfied with the number of stabilisers and emulsifiers listed as ingredients.
Now before we go any further, it is certainly worth noting that ice cream is, of course, perceived as a treat the majority of the time; nobody has ever walked into an ice cream parlour thinking they’re about to eat a healthy snack – we all understand that ice cream is an indulgence.
However, we can’t deny that we are experiencing what was once a rather niche market (i.e. cleaner ice cream options) is becoming much more prevalent in my day to day working life.
So, what is a clean ice cream?
Clean ice cream will often mean clean label; a clean label product has been produced using natural ingredients, or by using a much smaller list of ingredients.
For example, rather than using what is commonly 1 to 2 emulsifiers and 2 to 3 stabilisers within our recipe, we may just use one stabiliser that also emulsifies. An example of this would be Locust Bean Gum, which is extracted from the seed of a Carob tree, and is seen as one of the most natural forms of stabilisers available.
By using just one ingredient in place of a whole hoard of emulsifiers and stabilisers, you will obviously keep your label smaller and therefore ‘clean’, perfectly fitting the brief for clean label.
That all sounds great, doesn’t it? So why aren’t we all aiming for clean label ice cream recipes?
The drawbacks of clean label production
Cost
We’re all feeling the pinch from increases in the price of ingredients. At the time of writing, sugar has gone up by an astounding 65% year on year and since 2021, the cost of milk has gone up by 55%.
So, with our costs increasing, can we afford to go cleaner? And will we be able to pass those costs onto our customers?
In a perfect world, we would pass these costs on however businesses aren’t the only ones feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis. In reality, ice cream is a product that grows during an economic crisis precisely because it is affordable and therefore making this affordable treat less affordable is not ideal.
Time
Time spent on the manufacture and production of our products is also a huge consideration.
Natural ingredients aren’t typically within the ripples and pastes that form a significant part of our ice cream recipes. So it begs the question, will making our recipes ‘cleaner’ slow the process down? And if so, is the time we lose worth it?
When we use more naturally ‘clean’ ingredients, we are often under more scrutiny from EHO over how we clean and maintain the fruits that we use, as well as how we can prove that they have been used correctly. Furthermore, from a quality perspective, how can we guarantee we have enough flavour, which is typically achieved with cleaner ingredients by using refrigerated or room temperature ingredients?
If, for example, we are scraping out our own vanilla pods and steeping them, or we are cooking our own honeycomb, can we take this approach with every flavour we put into our cabinets or production room?
We know many businesses that would say yes, this is the right way and that there is a market for products of this nature. On the other hand, we also know businesses that would say no, that they wouldn’t be able to keep up with current demand or the increasing costs to sustain their business.
Do you have the customer base?
Ultimately when it comes to your customers, it is worth considering if they will be looking for clean label products in your establishment? Where will customers who are interested typically seek these products out?
From our perspective, they will be looking in shops or supermarkets.
To explain further; when we go out for dinner, we are not sitting in a restaurant hoping that the garlic bread we have ordered uses low fat butter. If a low-fat option is something we want, the supermarket is the place we would look for it.
This is exactly the same for the ice cream industry. We’ve said previously that most customers going into an ice cream parlour or gelateria are visiting to purchase a treat, whereas in a supermarket we will often see a fifth of the dessert or freezer section committed to low calorie or clean label ice cream.
As a result, we can make the argument that if you are producing ice cream that will allow customers to see and check a label then this is precisely where clean label will work. Whereas they are less likely to seek this information out if purchasing from your parlour.
So, our overall headline is that there is certainly room in the market for everyone, clean label or not. And if your customers demand it and they’re willing to pay more, then why not give it a go?
If you’re looking for support or guidance to introduce clean label into your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.