# Did Breyers vanilla ice cream formula change? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 17, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998 "2007-10-17T04:06:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mark\_Ryle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8dc957/32.png) [@Mark\_Ryle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Ryle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/1 "2007-10-17T04:06:11Z")
It seems to me it did, very suddenly, earlier this year, sometime late last winter. I refer only to “Breyers All Natural Pure Premium Ice Cream – Natural Vanilla,” as the label reads on the half-gallon carton today. It had always been my favorite ice cream, by far, in fact the only brand and flavor I ever really loved. Only homemade ice cream surpassed it (in my not-expert opinion, I want to emphasize). I greatly enjoyed its crisp icy consistency – so close to homemade – and delicate vanilla taste. I savored every spoonful, for years and years. One day last winter a serving from a fresh new carton tasted flat and had none of its former texture. Every spoonful since that time has been, for me, indistinguishable from any other brand of vanilla ice cream, with a creamy instead of icy (thus farther from the homemade ideal) consistency and flat, bland – instead of delicate and transparent – vanilla taste. The difference seemed dramatic, sudden, and unmistakable and continues to the present. Has anyone experienced this or might possibly know what happened? ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/2 "2007-10-17T04:17:03Z")
Yes, they have changed it. There is now a new ingredient called “natural tara gum”, and I don’t recall old cartons listing “natural flavors”, either. Sucks bad now. [Breyer’s Vanilla Ingredients](http://www.breyers.com/products/product.cfm?u=77567-25423&b=1) ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Ryle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8dc957/32.png) [@Mark\_Ryle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Ryle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/3 "2007-10-17T04:49:48Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] [Breyer’s Vanilla Ingredients](http://www.breyers.com/products/product.cfm?u=77567-25423&b=1) [/QUOTE] Thanks for the link: “INGREDIENTS: MILK, CREAM, SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVOR, NATURAL TARA GUM.” I used to read the carton sometimes, years ago. The list was always very short – I certainly don’t recall it including tara gum. I’m glad for such quick confirmation of how much this formerly wonderful product changed – all the way from ethereal to mundane. What a admirable tradition Breyers abandoned! Do you know, **scotandrsn** , approximately when the change happened? ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/4 "2007-10-17T05:26:15Z")
[QUOTE=Mark Ryle] Do you know, **scotandrsn** , approximately when the change happened? [/QUOTE] It’s been a while. The earliest mention I’ve found was from [June 2006](http://adailyscoop.com/2006/06/26/scoop-31-breyers-natural-vanilla/), so I’m guessing it’s not too far before that. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/5 "2007-10-17T05:37:21Z")
I’m guessing early-mid 2006. Another ice cream fan [checked out the label in May 2006](http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13115) and didn’t mention tara gum, (though the chips in the mint chip were only “chocolate flavored” by then). ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/6 "2007-10-17T05:49:09Z")
Yeah, here’s a whole [website](http://www.breyerssucks.com/) devoted to outrage over the change in the Breyer’s formula. I’m not a fan of the changes; I used to love the Mint Chocolate Chip but, as **MrJackboots** points out, the chips aren’t even real chocolate anymore. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/7 "2007-10-17T07:44:55Z")
That whole thing with the cute little 7yo lisping her way through the “chemicals” found in “other” ice creams? _That was a marketing gimmick_. For example, Carrageenan is perfectly harmless, it is \*seaweed. - :rolleyes: [Carrageenan - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrageenan) ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/8 "2007-10-17T07:54:34Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] That whole thing with the cute little 7yo lisping her way through the “chemicals” found in “other” ice creams? _That was a marketing gimmick_. For example, Carrageenan is perfectly harmless, it is \*seaweed. - :rolleyes: [Carrageenan - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrageenan) [/QUOTE] Of course we don’t want seaweed in our ice cream. This isn’t the original Iron Chef… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/9 "2007-10-17T07:54:45Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] That whole thing with the cute little 7yo lisping her way through the “chemicals” found in “other” ice creams? _That was a marketing gimmick_. For example, Carrageenan is perfectly harmless, it is \*seaweed. - :rolleyes: [Carrageenan - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrageenan) [/QUOTE] No kidding. It also makes ice cream gummy and have a crappy mouthfeel. I don’t think the point was that it’s _bad_ for you. The point was what was all this extraneous garbage when ice cream should just be sugar, cream, and natural flavor? Carrageenan? Guar gum? Polysorbate 80? Makes ice cream feel wrong in your mouth. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/10 "2007-10-17T15:05:57Z")
I hadn’t noticed this. Breyers was my favorite ice cream, largely because it contained nothing but the essentials. I agree with **pulykamell** – it’s not that carageenan gum isn’t natural, but it doesn’t belong in the damned ice cream (just as corn starch and tapioca don’t belong in my grape pie). It’s “a marketing gimmick” in asserting the product’s pedigree, which is all to the good. Dammit, now I have to find a new source of vanilla ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/11 "2007-10-17T15:19:07Z")
I noticed this a while back and thought I was imagining things. It just tasted less custard-y. From [this site](http://adailyscoop.com/2006/09/11/breyers-natural-ice-cream-and-tara-gum-unilevers-response/) > [@](#): > > In response to your questions regarding the use of tara gum in its ice cream, Breyers is proud of its all-natural heritage. It’s a position we take very seriously and one we work hard to maintain. We value the confidence our customers have in our products and go to great lengths to ensure exceptional quality and great taste. > So when consumers expressed concern over the texture of our products, we responded. By adding a natural gum to Breyers All Natural Vanilla ice cream, we’ve helped to protect the product’s texture while staying true to our all-natural commitment. We use tara gum from natural plant sources to help Breyers ice cream stay creamier and more enjoyable for longer periods of time. > Because ice cream is temperature-sensitive, this addition has further allowed us to ensure the ice cream’s quality throughout it distribution. As you can imagine, ice cream’s taste and texture can be unfavorably affected if exposed to temperature fluctuations during shipping or storage. Our customers describe the problem as ice cream with a “gritty” or “grainy” texture. In fact, growing distribution and increased handling of our ice cream in the marketplace has indeed resulted in greater chances for temperature abuse and heightened potential for texture problems. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/12 "2007-10-17T16:14:38Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] Yes, they have changed it. There is now a new ingredient called “natural tara gum”, and I don’t recall old cartons listing “natural flavors”, either. Sucks bad now. [Breyer’s Vanilla Ingredients](http://www.breyers.com/products/product.cfm?u=77567-25423&b=1) [/QUOTE] _Noooooooooooooooooo!_ I thought it was me, or maybe just a funky batch. First [Goldberg Peanut Chews](http://media.www.theloquitur.com/media/storage/paper226/news/2004/11/12/Perspectives/Peanut.Chews.May.Not.Stay.As.Chewy-800001.shtml), and now this. Another perfect thing gone from the world. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Ryle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8dc957/32.png) [@Mark\_Ryle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Ryle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/13 "2007-10-17T16:39:02Z")
It was a pleasure to wake up this morning and have my question answered – thanks for all the links, especially – and with no dissenting opinions, rare on SDMB. Everyone’s in agreement Breyers has sunk very very low. > [@](#): > > Originally posted by **CalMeacham** > I hadn’t noticed this. … Dammit, now I have to find a new source of vanilla ice cream. Could you expand on how it got past you, Cal? Maybe you’re just speaking of the extra ingredients, not the taste or texture. I was more like **koeeoaddi** (Post 12), who says, “I thought it was me, or maybe just a funky batch.” I knew it _wasn’t_ me, but still I was incredulous so did keep trying half-gallons (or – as I see from the websites – 1.75 liters made to _look_ like the old half-gallons) from time to time. No more! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/14 "2007-10-17T17:13:15Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/15 "2007-10-17T17:24:40Z")
[QUOTE=Mark Ryle] It was a pleasure to wake up this morning and have my question answered – thanks for all the links, especially – and with no dissenting opinions, rare on SDMB. Everyone’s in agreement Breyers has sunk very very low. [/QUOTE] Huh. I just dropped into this thread specifically to say how much I _loved_ the new taste of Breyer’s. The tara gum really smooths out the unevenness of the flavor, and the chocolate chips aren’t as obnoxiously “aggressive” as they used to be. It’s smooth and sweet without being sharp. Carob and carageenan, that’s what I like! Now if only they could make it with some kind of non-dairy soy base, and add a little FD&C Yellow #5 to make it a more “creamy vanilla” look than the plain white color without actually adding in more cream, it’d be the best ice cream ever!! takes corporate payoff and exits stage left ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/16 "2007-10-17T18:19:26Z")
Wasn’t Breyer’s “gritty” because it had bits of actual vanilla bean in it? Or maybe I’m conflating with some other brand. BTW, carageenan is teh roxxor in many instances. It’s for all intents and purposes non-animal gelatin. No opiniojn on whether or not it belongs in ice cream though. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/17 "2007-10-17T18:23:30Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Wasn’t Breyer’s “gritty” because it had bits of actual vanilla bean in it? Or maybe I’m conflating with some other brand. [/QUOTE] Yes, it used to have flecks in it. We should all write Breyers expressing our dismay with the formula change. Believe me, they HATE to see dissatisfied customers. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/18 "2007-10-17T18:43:10Z")
Breyer’s is my favorite ice cream. They have multiple types of vanilla, don’t they? French, double churned, regular, fat free, etc. I always bought the one with the specks, but my husband noticed a difference. I told him he was trippin’. Evidently, I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Ryle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8dc957/32.png) [@Mark\_Ryle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Ryle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/19 "2007-10-17T20:41:00Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] … but my husband noticed a difference. I told him he was trippin’. Evidently, I was wrong. [/QUOTE] Nobody believed me either, until I brought it up here. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998/20 "2007-10-17T21:30:42Z")
FYI: The black specks in there weren’t actual vanilla seeds, they were crushed up, spend vanilla pods and contributed nothing to the flavour. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-breyers-vanilla-ice-cream-formula-change/422998.md?page=2)