Birds Eye Wall's claims a technologyfirst with soft ice cream while smaller companies are adding vitamins or yogurt or going organic Smaller companies are keeping the ice cream industry on its toes with their innovative products. Unusual flavours, better for you and more organic lines are emerging outside the confectionery led lines which dominate the market. However, Birds Eye Wall's has delivered a short, sharp shock to even the smaller companies with what it claims is a major technical breakthrough with the launch of Cornetto Whippy. It claims this Mr Whippy soft style ice cream with a milk chocolate stick is the UK's first soft ice cream available straight from the freezer. Innovation from the smaller players comes in the shape of healthy and better for you ice cream. Two companies are firm in their belief that there is a gap in a market not normally associated with products of this kind. Icefresh Foods has moved into the functional food arena with two products which boast a host of health-giving vitamins or minerals. Made by Dutch firm Dedert, Vitamin Pops is a fruit flavoured lolly containing 10 vitamins. Energy Ice is a fruit flavoured lolly with six vitamins plus calcium and magnesium. Organic and yogurt based products are still niche but growing. This season sees the arrival of Colombo fat free frozen yogurt from the US, and Yeo Valley Organic's acquisition of Rocombe Farm has enabled it to enter the organic ice cream market, while Rocombe Farm, operating separately, has expanded its organic spring water sorbet range. Thayers New England which owns Loseley ice cream is aiming for a contemporary look for the Loseley brand to appeal to a wider audience. Its latest range has gone minimalist, encapsulating the brand's heritage but without the Loseley House hallmark. It has also stepped up its launch activity with a raft of unusually flavoured products to rival the likes of Häagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry's. Under Thayers, there is Turkish Delight and coconut swirl, and under Loseley premium rhubarb and sticky toffee pudding. The Loseley brand has also moved into alcoholic flavours in a luxury range. Truly Scrumptious contains Marsala wine while Simply Delicious contains Calvados. Askeys acquired Concept Foods last year and has set about revitalising ice cream desserts with new shapes for its premium Café Society range. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}

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