Ice cream category report 2016

Ice cream is just an indulgence, right? Maybe, but in this obesity obsessed age, health can’t be completely removed from ice cream manufacturers’ minds. In fact, it’s causing something of a schism in the category.

In the red corner are the ‘ice cream as indulgence’ supporters. Recent decadent NPD, such as salted caramel Häagen-Dazs sticks or Ben & Jerry’s ’Wich, doesn’t appear too concerned with health. And that’s as it should be, say many. “There’s an unhealthy obsession with health,” says Licktators founder Matt O’Connor. “But in ice cream that’s an oxymoron.”

In the green corner are a growing number of brands that would disagree, such as protein-rich ice cream Wheyhey, which claims to be on the cusp of signing two national big four listings, and Nana Nice Cream, made from banana, apple, avocado and dates, and billed as nutritious enough to eat for breakfast. 

And it’s not just smaller players. Unilever, the sector’s biggest hitter, announced in January it was imposing a cap of 250 calories across its single-serve range through a mix of size reductions, minor recipe changes and the withdrawal of some products.

But do shoppers really want ice cream to be made healthier? Should ice cream remain indulgent and proud? Or is it possible for ice cream to be both indulgent and healthy?