export_ofoct.com

[00:00.14] Is there anything nicer than a cooling ice cream on a hot summer's day?

[00:06.51] This traditional treat is centuries old, but our tastes and consumer habits are evolving.

[00:15.28] How is the ice cream production process changing, and who is driving this change?

[00:23.51] Making ice cream is a time-consuming process.

[00:27.76] While the recipe is simple – milk, sugar and fat, plus flavours and colours – ice cream has a complex chemistry.

[00:38.39] Getting the balance right between ice, fat and air is important if the ice cream is to have the right texture.

[00:48.75] To achieve this, the ingredients need to be mixed and heated, then cooled and frozen – a process that takes time and uses a lot of energy.

[01:02.30] Designers and engineers are working to improve the production process with new specialised equipment to make it increasingly automated.

[01:12.92] For now, however, even with the help of robots and 3D printers, it can take up to two years from testing a new frozen dessert product to it being available to consumers.

[01:28.33] And demand is only going up.

[01:31.78] According to the food packaging company Tetra Pak, more than 25 billion litres of ice cream were eaten worldwide in 2021.

[01:43.47] While the US and China are the biggest consumers, data from NielsenIQ shows that people in the UK bought 28% more ice cream during the UK's record-breaking summer compared to a year earlier.

[02:01.26] Clearly, rising temperatures can explain why some people are buying more ice cream, but it's not the only explanation.

[02:10.03] The pandemic has seen people reaching for pleasures they can enjoy at home, which include eating indulgent foods.

[02:19.06] And worries about the cost-of-living crisis could have a similar effect, as even a premium ice cream is an affordable treat.

[02:29.42] So, what new things can we expect on a stick or in a cone?

[02:34.73] Consumers of all ages buy ice cream, but it is millennial consumers who are driving interest in more original flavours, including spices.

[02:46.42] Dairy still dominates, but plant-based ice cream, sorbets and low-calorie choices are a growing part of the frozen dessert market.

[02:57.84] But, according to Elsebeth Baungaard, portfolio manager at Tetra Pak, the next global trend will be less about innovation and more about portion size.

[03:11.39] "I'm sorry to say it's simply shrinking", she says. "But the quality will be higher."