Nutrient Content in Ice Cream: Næringsstofindhold i is

This project aimed to obtain information about the nutrient content of the most common ice creams available on the Danish market. Based on a market survey, the ice cream samples were selected to represent the best-selling and most widely available varieties. A total of 20 ice cream types were included, comprising 15 dairy-based, three water-based, and two plant-based variants, the latter included to represent products targeting specific dietary preferences.

The 15 dairy-based ice creams included nine tub ice creams, one of which was sugar-free, and six ice cream bars, two of which were waffle-based. The vanilla-flavoured dairy-based tub ice creams were further stratified into three distinct samples according to their cream content: <50% cream, >50% cream, and no cream.

In June 2021, 138 samples were collected from supermarkets in the Greater Copenhagen area. All available subsamples within each ice cream type were equally combined into composite samples.

The 20 ice cream types were analyzed as composite samples for macro- and micronutrient content, including sugars, starch, fatty acids, amino acids, and cholesterol, as well as 12 vitamins and 13 minerals. Additionally, five ice cream types were analyzed for dietary fibre and vitamin D, while the content in the remaining 15 types was estimated. All analyses were performed in duplicate and accredited in accordance with ISO 17025 at Eurofins Steins Laboratorium A/S.

The analytical as well as the estimated data from this project will be included in the Danish Food Composition Database and published in Frida, version 5.4 (www.frida.fooddata.dk).