What Is The Difference Between Ice Cream And Frozen Desserts?

When it comes to the summer, nothing can beat the taste of cold, refreshing frozen dessert or ice cream to alleviate the scorching heat. 

However, the majority of people are confused between frozen desserts and ice cream, often thinking of the two to be synonymous with each other. So, how are they distinct?

To answer the question, we'll start by looking at the differences between ice cream and frozen desserts. Both are delicious treats, but each has its unique characteristics.

Differences between Ice cream and Frozen desserts

The stark difference between ice cream and frozen desserts is that Ice cream is made from dairy products such as milk or cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and other flavorings. The mixture is then churned into soft, creamy solids called ice cream.

Image: A strawberry ice cream

On the other hand, frozen desserts are similar to ice cream, except they are made from vegetable oil, flour, and sugar. They are often served cold and eaten straight out of the freezer.

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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has categorized ice cream as “a milk-based dessert”. According to the number of total solids, milk fat, and milk protein used, ice cream is further divided into three categories: plain, medium fat, and low fat.

The term "frozen dessert” is used by the food regulator to describe a product made by freezing a pasteurized mixture made with milk fat and/or edible vegetable oils and fat. Such desserts use milk fat to keep the ingredients frozen. 

Compared to frozen desserts, ice cream has less fat and carbs. Ice cream contains 5.6 g of fat per 100 g, on the other hand, frozen dessert has 10.56 g of fat. 

With the aforementioned differences, there is no doubt, which one of the two is better. 

According to Indian food laws, it is prohibited to pass off frozen desserts as ice cream, yet many of the country's leading "ice cream" manufacturers disregard this regulation. 

Image: Nature's Milk Frozen Dessert

This led to a legal dispute between Amul Ice Cream and Hindustan Unilever’s Kwality Walls, India’s leading ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturers, respectively. 

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The bottom line is that ice cream and frozen desserts are strikingly similar yet different from one another. Ice cream is made of milk-based products, whereas frozen dessert is made of vegetable oil, which is often considered a cheap substitute for butter. 

Whenever you buy one of these sweet, cold deliciousness, make sure to check the ingredients label and read the package carefully, in order to distinguish whether you have bought an ice cream or a frozen dessert. 

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