# Wal-Mart Ice Cream doesn't melt, apparently **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059 "2014-07-25T21:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![chancetx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@chancetx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chancetx)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/41 "2014-07-29T09:23:54Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > I don’t eat sugar so I don’t know about ice cream, but us salty old irrigators stuff white bread into main lines to dry them while we work, I’ve noticed lately that an opened loaf of white bread stays mold free and soft for _weeks_ now, and this frightens me. What are you people eating? Real bread gets hard and crusty and moldy in 3-4 days, and the best part of an ice cream sandwich was always the race to eat the dern thing before it melted out the sides on a hot summer day… This! I live alone and can never finish a loaf of bread before it goes bad. Except lately, I’ve noticed that even loooooong after the sell-by date the bread is still soft and hasn’t molded. And even weirder, I buy the stuff that claims to have no HFCS and no preservatives. Must not really be bread. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/42 "2014-07-29T12:26:25Z")
Or maybe you’ve just managed to eradicate the mold spores from your apartment, for now at least. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/43 "2014-07-29T23:49:37Z")
Just as a note. I know someone who creates ice cream for a major northeast brand. The company also produces ice cream used by a well known national brand for “ice cream cakes” and the like. She explained to me how she developed ice creams that keep their shape during the variety of temperature changes that frozen products go through between the production line, storage, shipping, more storage, more shipping, etc., before it gets to your home. It really does have a lot to do with a higher butterfat content. So Walmart might not be too off base claiming claiming “a lot of cream” in its product is part of the reason. It’s quite a problem if a product turns to soup too quickly between the production line and the deep freezer or between the truck and the supermarket freezer case. She prides herself on her ice cream. It’s not all scarey stuff that goes into foods. Sometimes there’s really cool food science at work. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/44 "2014-07-30T00:05:25Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yep. I use Xanthan gum as well fairly regularly. And – god forbid – that poison known as “MSG.” I don’t even have the “Accent” bottle. I have the cheap 99 cent bottle of MSG that says “MSG” in big letters right in front. But that’s straying from the topic at hand. It’s practically essential for gluten-free breads, since gluten is part of what holds the bread together. I haven’t seen a gluten free bread product without it, unless you count corn tortillas. The thing is, I just don’t understand why this is even news. It’s been like this for quite a while, since I haven’t eaten ice cream sandwiches in a while, and I remember it working like this. They melt, but not into pools of liquid, but more a gloopy mess that will keep its shape if you are careful. I’ve not seen any sort of ice cream sandwich that drips liquid in a long time. The same goes for any other already prepared ice cream treat. Only plain ice cream (hard or soft serve\*) melts like that. I do wonder if it’s in any way connected to freeze-dried ice cream, which doesn’t melt at room temperature at all, since all the water has been removed. Obviously, there’s other stuff involvied, but I wonder if that played a role in the development of this less melty ice cream that actually still tastes like ice cream. \*I’m pretty sure that most soft serve ice cream should be a lot meltier than it is, if it were pure ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/45 "2014-07-30T00:17:19Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The thing is, I just don’t understand why this is even news. It’s news because a mom noticed it and Internet. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/46 "2014-07-30T00:31:03Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > [Walmart's Ice Cream Sandwiches Don't Melt In The Sun | HuffPost Life](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/25/walmart-ice-cream-sandwiches_n_5621240.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592) > > Wal-Mart responded that their ice cream contains a lot of cream, and therefore melta at a slower rate. > Yeah > > See – THIS is why I miss the old Breyer’s Ice Cream. I refuse to buy it since the new management started adding gums. > I didn’t realize that Haagen Dazs still doesn’t. I’ll have to try some again. Pepper Mill claims that Turkey Hill doesn’t, either. She wasn’t surprised about the Wal-Mart stuff though. > > “Sea weed doesn’t melt” she said. So what was its internal temp in its unmelted condition? I’ve often wished there was some way to slow down the melting process. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/47 "2014-07-30T16:55:41Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > I couldn’t agree more. The mouthfeel is all wrong. My favorite growing up was the vanilla bean with fudge swirl. It’s also weirdly whipped or something, or maybe that’s partly the gum additive. Gross. Agreed also. Breyers is now just a sugar delivery platform and doesn’t otherwise hold any of the other positive qualities of ice cream that make it enjoyable as ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/48 "2014-07-30T17:13:12Z")
Blue Bell still sells real half gallon sizes and I’ve heard theres no fillers added. Its what I always buy. [http://www.bluebell.com/what\_were\_crankin\_out/our\_ice\_cream.html](http://www.bluebell.com/what_were_crankin_out/our_ice_cream.html) > [@](#): > > We top it off with the special skills and knowledge we’ve > developed over years. And, we never skimp on quantity. Blue Bell Ice > Cream is still a true half gallon. Our half gallon cartons contain > two quarts of ice cream, nothing less. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/49 "2014-07-30T17:41:35Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Blue Bell still sells real half gallon sizes and I’ve heard theres no fillers added. Its what I always buy. > [http://www.bluebell.com/what\_were\_crankin\_out/our\_ice\_cream.html](http://www.bluebell.com/what_were_crankin_out/our_ice_cream.html) [Ingredients in their “Homemade” Vanilla Ice Cream](http://www.samsclub.com/sams/blue-bell-gold-rim-homemade-vanilla-flavored-ice-cream-1-2-gal/131295.ip): > [@](#): > > Ingredients: Milk, cream, sugar, skim milk, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, natural and artificial vanilla flavor, cellulose gum, vegetable gums (guar, carrageenan, carb bean), salt, annatto color. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/50 "2014-07-30T19:09:35Z")
“Those people are right–they don’t melt! Among the love–ly – bones!” –Allan Sherman 😃 ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/51 "2014-07-30T23:20:30Z")
With 7 billion drooling mouths to feed on this planet, no one should be surprised at food additives, or anything else to do with food, to keep it from spoiling for as long as possible until it gets TO those mouths. (It’s the wave of the future, yo. It’s why they are foisting GMO foods on us and dooming bees, butterflies, and who knows what else to extinction.) There are plenty of $5 and up pints of goor-may ice creams to be had, I’ve noticed a whole bunch of ultra-expensive stuff that just recently turned up in the grocery store. Pure milk. Pure cream. Pure fruits/sugar/flavorings. Carefully whipped up in small batches for the discerning. Well, have at it…The guar gums, etc. are all just part of the recipe. People are shocked, shocked at seeing what goes into a finished product. (Let me give you two examples of shocked (nothing to do with ice cream): Mr. Sally Barry watches me cook, say, beef soup. Is utterly shocked to see vegetables go into the mix. He seriously thought beef chunks + water = soup. SERIOUSLY. Same with meatballs. Just a month ago, he was utterly shocked to learn you do not fling handfuls of hamburger into sauce to make meatballs.) He has learned to make ice cream in the ice cream maker, from gallons of cream and sugar and cocoa powder. It’s very good, but it’s practically butter. I think I would rather have store bought ice cream. It’s full of guar gum and cornstarch and whatever, but I can eat more than a tablespoon at a time. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/52 "2014-07-31T16:01:18Z")
I seriously doubt that WalMart is adding gums to its putative Ice Cream sandwiches to ease World Hunger. I suspect they’re doing it to aid the Bottom Line. This showed up on the Internet recently: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SozZHZAWS64/hqdefault.jpg "Walmart Ice Cream Sandwich Won't Melt! We Prove It.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SozZHZAWS64) Edited to add: When I checked the link just now, it was preceded by a WalMart ad (!!) – that wasn’t there when I first viewed it. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/53 "2014-07-31T20:26:03Z")
They do it to reduce waste, which absolutely helps their bottom line. It’s the same reason almost every other large-scale ice cream maker on the planet has done the same thing. There is nothing at all wrong with this. Ice creams often thaw slightly, then refreeze, multiple times during the distribution process. Without gums in the ice cream, a certain percentage of their product arrives with a slightly grainy texture, which creates returns and complaints. It’s unfortunate, because I tend to seek out ice cream that doesn’t contain guar gum, but I get why they do it. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/54 "2014-07-31T20:38:40Z")
I suspect that the WalMart ice cream from the OP and the YouTube video contains much more than it needs of gums in order to preventthe effect you mention – the YouTube video shows a “control” sample of Blue Bunny ice cream (which isn’t exactly premium, and certainly contains such gums). It melts within 20-30 minutes, while the WalMart Ice Cream sandwich hasn’t even begun to leak clear fluid at that point. I seek out non-gum containing ice cream, too, but it’s getting harder. The only one I could find at my supermarket was Haagen Dazs. I’m sure there are others – but not that day at my supermarket. And, for the record, I’ve never had a “grainy” container of pre-gum Breyer’s Ice Cream. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/55 "2014-08-01T01:24:29Z")
So, you think Bryers just decided to add gums for the fun of it? Your anecdote isn’t very persuasive. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/56 "2014-08-01T01:30:47Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > So, you think Bryers just decided to add gums for the fun of it? Your anecdote isn’t very persuasive. They claimed the consumer requested the smoother mouth feel. My guess is that it was cheaper and easier to produce. And, in my opinion, the quality suffered for it. [QUOTE=Breyer’s web page] 6) Why did Breyers make the change to Frozen Dairy Dessert? Our consumers are at the center of every recipe decision we make. We work hard to understand what people want most and work to give them the best possible product experience. People have told us they have various flavor or texture preferences. For example, some tell us that they want a smoother texture, which is what we’re able to deliver with our Frozen Dairy Dessert products. [/QUOTE] > [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > They do it to reduce waste, which absolutely helps their bottom line. It’s the same reason almost every other large-scale ice cream maker on the planet has done the same thing. There is nothing at all wrong with this. > > Ice creams often thaw slightly, then refreeze, multiple times during the distribution process. Without gums in the ice cream, a certain percentage of their product arrives with a slightly grainy texture, which creates returns and complaints. It’s unfortunate, because I tend to seek out ice cream that doesn’t contain guar gum, but I get why they do it. I basically only eat Haagan-Daz vanilla which has no such stabilizers and tastes fresh, smooth and creamy. Somehow they’re managing. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/57 "2014-08-01T01:40:57Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > They claimed the consumer requested the smoother mouth feel. My guess is that it was cheaper and easier to produce. And, in my opinion, the quality suffered for it. > > I basically only eat Haagan-Daz vanilla which has no such stabilizers and tastes fresh, smooth and creamy. Somehow they’re managing. Hilarious. It’s a huge mystery how those guys are surviving with a product that costs 3 times the industry average. I’m blown away that all the other ice cream makers haven’t gone that route. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/58 "2014-08-01T01:43:53Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Hilarious. It’s a huge mystery how those guys are surviving with a product that costs 3 times the industry average. I’m blown away that all the other ice cream makers haven’t gone that route. I’m not sure what you’re implying or what’s hilarious. I was responding to your quote that gums make it easier to produce and protect against freeze-thaws. I was saying that HD produces a mainstream, gum-free product that survives manufacturing while retaining quality. That they manage to produce it well while keeping the product gum-free. Not everyone has to like or buy it. I prefer how gum-free ice cream tastes and I think it’s a better product. So I buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/59 "2014-08-01T01:46:11Z")
From Bryers: > [@](#): > > 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:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059/60 "2014-08-01T01:48:14Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I’m not sure what you’re implying or what’s hilarious. > > I was responding to your quote that gums make it easier to produce and protect against freeze-thaws. I was saying that HD produces a mainstream, gum-free product that survives manufacturing while retaining quality. That they manage to produce it well while keeping the product gum-free. > > Not everyone has to like or buy it. I prefer how gum-free ice cream tastes and I think it’s a better product. So I buy it. I can’t believe I’m having to explain that a higher price makes it easier for Haagen Daz to absorb any losses or excess costs they incur throughout the distribution process. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-ice-cream-doesnt-melt-apparently/694059.md?page=4)