A non-melting ice cream: What is China up to!
An ice cream brand has come under inspection after some internet users claimed that its products do not melt even after being baked with a blowtorch! The brand dubbed Hermes of ice cream is a product of Zhong Xue Gao or Chicecream, a premium ice cream brand in China. Viral videos show that the ice creams remained solid even with lighters held to them.
Netizens question the brand's high pricing
The viral videos also showed ice cream not melting fully when left in a room at 31 degrees Celsius for one hour, and even when held under an extremely hot flame. The ice cream in question costs up to $10. Following this revelation, netizens also started questioning the company's high pricing, asking whether the products were loaded with additives and artificial thickeners.
Products made in line with national food safety regulations: Chicecream
Talking about whether the ice cream is safe for consumption, Chicecream said that the products were made in line with national food safety regulations. The company also claimed that the ice cream is made with milk, coconut milk, light cream, whole milk powder, and sweetened condensed milk. It contains over 40% solid matter, which is 20% higher than the national standard.
The ice cream is safe for consumption: Chicecream
Another video of their salt coconut ice cream also went viral. According to the company's official statement, this product is safe for consumption. It contains 0.032 grams of the thickener called Carrageenan which is in accordance with national standards. Carrageenan is a natural extract of red algae which is used in beverage and ice cream production to help stabilize the milk proteins in them.
'Unscientific to judge ice cream quality by heating'
Chicecream claimed that their ice creams usually melt within three-four minutes at room temperature. However, this is the first time they have come across information about their products not melting even when burnt. "We believe that it is not scientific to judge the quality of ice cream by baking, drying, or heating ice cream," they further said in a Weibo post.
Products used for thickening ice cream are safe: Food inspector
Local authorities have launched a probe after the videos went viral and the company has promised to cooperate. Wang Silu, a senior national food inspector, said that the products used for thickening the ice cream were safe. Chicecream has become a popular Chinese alternative to Western brands like Häagen-Dazs and Magnum, by claiming to use locally-inspired product designs and natural ingredients.
