One thing I try to do on this blog is alert folks to the sneaky, underhanded and frequently toxic chemicals that Big Food processors add to their products.
One of these dirty little secrets is the fact that propylene glycol, a cosmetic form of antifreeze, is added to commercial ice cream.
You see, when you make ice cream at home, you immediately notice that it is as hard as a rock very unlike store ice creams (even the organic ones) that seem to scoop out of the container so conveniently.
Homemade ice cream has to be taken out of the freezer and softened on the counter for a few minutes before you have any hope of scooping some out into a bowl. I even store mine in a shallow, Pyrex baking dish as this makes it much easier and faster to scoop out when I want some.
Antifreeze, then, is simply ice cream manufacturers’ answer to hard as a rock ice cream and the ice crystals that inevitably form as it is shipped long distances and moved between many different freezers before it finally makes it to your supermarket.
If you’ve ever left homemade ice cream on the counter too long and then put it back in the freezer, you notice how icy it can get. Antifreeze added to store ice cream helps prevent this from happening!
Sometimes when I tell folks this for the first time, they have trouble believing it. Why? Because propylene glycol isn’t listed anywhere on the ice cream label or ingredients list.
While it may come as a shock to some of you, there is such a thing as an “Industry Standard“, which means that if everyone does it, you don’t have to label it! For those who need specifics, USDA reg 21 CFR 101.100 deals with labeling exemptions dealing with incidental food additives.
Nice, huh? Where I grew up, this was called deceit.
Can you believe it? Just because commercial ice cream manufacturers make a practice of adding a little bit of antifreeze to their ice cream, then it doesn’t have to be labeled! I don’t even trust organic ice cream as it is way too easy to scoop out of the container right out of the freezer for my comfort level. My efforts to confirm this one way or the other were not successful, so at this time, it is only a very strong hunch.
Just to get you a little more hot under the collar, the FDA actually had the gall to grant GRAS status to antifreeze! What is GRAS? It is an acronym for “Generally Recognized As Safe”.
Well, isn’t that interesting? Antifreeze safe to eat! You learn something new every day!
Wait a minute! Antifreeze safe to eat, yet a dog would probably die if a car radiator leaks in his owner’s driveway and he laps some of it up?
Ok, ok, I know that antifreeze used in radiators is ethylene glycol, but the fact is that propylene glycol is a related chemical that is known to cause heart, kidney, liver, and central nervous system damage if sufficient quantity is absorbed by the body.
Given that Americans eat approximately 5 times the ice cream they did only 50 years ago, it is anyone’s guess what the long term effects of the small amounts of propylene glycol in store ice cream might be (source: WAPF).
So, ethylene glycol will kill you quickly and propylene glycol will kill you slowly and perhaps painfully. That seems to be the gist of it to me.
I used to wonder why whenever I ate store ice cream or got an ice cream cone at the Mall, the next day I seemed to have a very close relationship to the bathroom. Turns out that a side effect of consuming antifreeze is loose bowels, even diarrhea. Propylene glycol is even used to clean out the bowel before surgery and is a primary ingredient in some over the counter constipation meds!
By the way, there are MANY other chemicals added to commercial ice cream that are toxic and unlabeled. Piperonal, for example, is used in place of vanilla and is a chemical used to kill head lice, so you’re not even safe getting a basic flavor like plain vanilla ice cream!
What if the ingredients label lists vanilla? Does this mean there is no piperonal in there? Not necessarily. A mixture of piperonal and vanilla could be used with the vanilla listed (to make the customer happy) and the piperonal not listed (to fool the customer and increase profits). Not surprisingly, piperonal is cheaper to use than vanilla.
Food manufacturers are really good at the cat and mouse games and are complete virtuosos at playing the USDA regulations.
So, if you aren’t into eating antifreeze with your ice cream, check out my videoblog on how to make your own, safe, delicious, healthy ice cream!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
*This post is shared at Real Food Wednesday!
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{ 117 comments… read them below or add one }
OH my goodness! I knew there was a reason I quit eating store bought ice cream and started making my own!!!!
Thanks for posting this.
I never knew about this. Can "organic certified" ice cream include this as well? This is so disturbing. I make most of my ice cream, but once in a while I do treat the kids to strauss or haagen daaz. Gives a whole new meaning to "ice cream headache."
Hi Lisa, I don't know for sure about the organic ice cream, but the brands I've tried are way too soft getting scooped out of the carton straight out of the freezer for my comfort level. I am very suspicious that there is propylene glycol in those brands too. Homemade ice cream just is so much harder in comparison.
Wow! This was a real eye-opener. I didn't realize that if everyone in the industry used something, they didn't have to list it on the ingredient list. Sounds like we'll be making our own ice cream, too! Fortunately, I do have access to a source of raw milk cream for a great price. I know what I'm ordering today!
Wow, this is news to me, but not surprising anymore. So glad I have been making all of our ice cream. I am sharing this on facebook today for sure!
Ewww! DH eats a ton of ice cream and always has (I'm not big on ice cream and the kids have it a couple times a week). I noticed the other day Breyers here (I'm in Canada) is no longer called Ice Cream but Frozen Dessert (I couldn't find any of the "natural" kinds, but they are filled with chemicals too). I looked at the ingredients and couldn't believe half of what I saw. Jeepers! You would think it would cost more to have so many ingredients but instead it gets cheaper, so poor people like us get duped into buying it, thinking we are getting a good product. One of the kids had a small bowl and forgot it in their bedroom. Five hours later, it looked the same as when I scooped it out, it wasn't even melted and mostly held its shape. Ewwww!!! I think after our current supply is gone, we definitely won't be buying more! Homemade is the way to go.
One more reason an ice cream maker machine is on my Christmas list!
Sarah,thanks again for spreading the truth. It is so important for people to know what is is industrial food. Now you have explained how anyone can tell if there is antifreeze in the ice cream they buy.
It is a crime that the government allows any number of deadly chemical poisons to be put in out food, while ruthlessly persecuting people who make wonderful cheese and milk.
I have not touched any industrial ice cream for over five years. Can't wait for your recipe!
Propylene glycol is an insidious chemical, also found in many personal care products, all food colorings, and vaccines (go read the labels!!). It was actually the primary reason I stopped using food coloring — never mind the actual dyes. That stuff is liquid poison.
Speaking of food coloring, and the "pretty" ice cream picture you have, I don't trust anything with such bright, unnatural colors. I only trust bright, FRESH colors. Ugh. Poison.
Ugh..I threw out a container of iced coffee mix when I saw polypropylene glycol on the ingredients list. My husband is a plumber and he's told me about glycol in air conditioning units. I know enough to realize I do NOY want to be ingesting it!
I was also shocked to see Breyers is no longer labelled as ice cream but 'frozen dessert'. More reason to buy an ice cream maker!! My husband cannot tolerate store bought ice cream or DQ ice cream….we thought he was lactose intolerant!
Hi Tara, many folks erroneously believe they are lactose intolerant or have "milk allergy" only to find out that they are really just victims of Industrial Food Sickness .. when they get fresh from the farm milk, cream, milk, butter they are FINE.
Nice to see this point mentioned again – I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker, even more so now that I'm mostly dairy free and can make my own coconut milk-based ice creams at home. I have often wondered why, let's say, Haagen-Dazs ice cream is so hard out of the freezer but other ice creams are soft… I buy very little commercial ice cream and I try to stick to pure, simple ice creams.. I hate soft-serve anyway. I may just start making all our ice cream anyway – DH and DS love my coconut milk ice cream!!!
Love your blog,
Magda
Good point, Magda. Haagen Daaz is potentially the only one I would say might not have propylene glycol in it because it is so hard right out of the freezer BUT it doesn't get icy either like homemade ice cream so maybe it just has less antifreeze in it than other brands. I do still have trouble when I eat it – much less than other brands – but my homemade ice cream gives me no trouble at all.
I had a recipe for ice cream that called for a small amount of vodka to keep the ice cream from getting too hard. Not enough to do any harm, I have never tried it, but for those who don't mind a little alchohol in their dessert, it might not be bad. Maybe a little rum to go with the coconut?
I make my own 'Ice Cream' with a can of Coconut Milk (the one Sarah recommends). I save the real Jersey cream for the panacotta
It is indeed a good life – having dessert that is real food.
So glad that we've stopped eating commercial ice cream! We just started making our own and it is super tasty.
One trick which someone had posted as a comment on another forum for making ice cream easier to scoop is to partially whip your cream in another bowl and then add to your other ingredients which are already mixed. I tried this on our last batch and it worked great. My hubby definitely noticed the difference!
Haagen Dazs, Breyers, and Ben & Jerry's ice creams also contain a harmful hormone that is known to cause several forms of cancer.
Recipe for my favorite homemade ice cream: http://tiny.cc/o64rx
Paul – you are so right. Dessert CAN be delicious and healthy and still a wonderfully sweet treat. No need to ever feel guilty for indulging on occasion! It's the garbage we've been sold a bill of goods on in the supermarkets that have given all sweets, even wholesome desserts a bad rap.
Gina, that is what we do!! I whip my cream before adding it to the machine and it never gets rock hard..Its really awesome!
can't wait for the recipes…the 1st, and only, time I've made ice cream at home it didn't turn out too good. I've been buying the Haagen Dazs 5 ingredient flavors thinking it was a good compromise…sad to learn this because they were DELICIOUS!
Wow! Even though I don't have ice cream that often, I definitely won't be buying it at the store anymore. Where are the Food Police that tell us not to eat meat and butter?!!!! It is just so wrong for the consuming public to be treated this way by both the producers and the government!!!!
Thank you Sarah for this information. I will be checking back often for that ice cream recipe.
Gloria
Here is another in the abundant examples of where the "Food Industry" feels compelled to put poison in our food. Most people who make ice cream know that you should put a couple of tablespoons of alcohol in it to improve the scoopability. This is mentioned in the wonderful "America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook" (in my edition: page 624). Instead of course Big Food opts to put propylene glycol rather than alcohol…..maybe to save a fraction of a cent. More reason to join the food revolution and either make you own food and/or buy from trusted local sources. The food industry can go to Hades!
The problem with Haagen-Daas is that it is owned by Nestle, which I and others have decided to boycott because of their unethical business practices in the marketing of infant formula.
Not sure what to do about ice cream- honestly I love it and simply don't have time to make everything that we eat, so I may have to just eat less and try to get the best possible, even with the antifreeze.
I make my own ice cream, but sometimes my daughter really wants the "store bought" kind, so I sometimes buy her the Vanilla ice cream from Julie's Organic. After reading your post, I sent them an e-mail asking about propylene glycol. They wrote me back saying that they do not use it and that they don't have ANY hidden ingredients… But the ice cream does have a very creamy consistency and never freezes, so I just don't know. Anyway, anti freeze or not, I really still prefer the stuff I make at home, with grass fed raw cream, pastured eggs and mapple syrup. The consistency will never be the same as the store bought, though.
Oh wow … so disgusting. I haven't had ice cream in years, as I was GFCF prior to doing SCD/GAPS. Now I make my own ice cream with coconut milk, but I feel an awful lot better about not being able to have "normal" ice cream thanks to you!
Where are you getting the information that propylene glycol is in all ice cream? Please give your sources. (I don't think it is true.)Commercial ice cream is not as hard right out of the freezer because commercial ice cream machines whip a lot of air into the product.
P.S.FYI- Breyer's is now called a frozen dessert and not ice cream because they have lowered the butterfat content (to cut costs)and can not legally call it ice cream anymore.
I agree Julie, I buy the Real Dairy, brand at times 50% les fat, and it is frozen when I take it out of the freezer, have to wait a couple of minutes to soften. maybe people dont have their freezer turned up high enough….. even some other brands are real hard….
I’m never surprised at how many Bandwagon jumpers there are or how quick people form opinions based on hearsay or unfounded/undisclosed sources. Glad to see I’m not the only one who finds this, TO SAY THE LEAST, questionable. I was in the ice cream biz for years and I do know ALL ingredients must be listed, PERIOD. There are a number of ways to stretch ice cream as well as effect the rate of melt, thickness, and consistency like aeration, temperature, xanthum gum, the rate of freeze in production and type of milk product used. Glycol is used across the industry to freeze ice cream, but IS NOT added to ice cream. It is considered anti-freeze, but it’s use never touches the actual product. It flows around the stainless steel molds and batch containers to speed up the freezing to meet demand. Glycol and other “antifreezes” like salt brine are used around molds to accelerate freezing, typically to about 15 mins or less. I would think, that if the FDA allows glycol in ice cream, it’s in the same way they allow rat feces in chicken, fish, and hamburger meat. Although none of us want ANYTHING in our food, but FOOD, They(USDA/FDA) know that when you make food by the metric ton there’s bound to be a tiny bit of impurities in them. Therefore they’ve determined that in every 1/2 ton, or whatver, of each poduct, there are exceptable/harmless levels of impurities. In closing, a little information is dangerous in the wrong hands.
I have seen brownies sold at the store that contained propylene glycol, it was listed in the ingredients. So it certainly is something that is used as a food ingredient or additive, and I think there is a good chance it is in ice cream as well.
Thank you Julie. I was waiting for someone to chime in with something rational.
Just because you have a hunch based on information, does not make it so. My partner coaches me on this all the time. Speculation IS speculation and not fact. Cite your sources or move on.
Thank you, Sarah, for this eye-opening information!
If ice cream were the only thing we had to worry about, that would be bad enough, but wait, there's more! No, we don't actually "eat" these other things, but perhaps we put them in our mouths, around our eyes, use them for skin care, makeup (how about your mascara?!), personal hygiene, feminine hygiene, and the list goes on – think transdermal. I know I'm a little off subject here, but I hope you'll forgive me, Sarah, it was just too closely related for me to let it go.
For more information, see Environmental Working Group's sister site, Skin Deep:
And don't miss their list of 5,626 products that they have tested that contain P.G. The hazard ratings are from 1-10 on their hazard ratings, but the hazard ratings are for the use of just one product, and does not take into account the use/consumption of multiple products. In my mind, if multiple products would mean a heavier hazard load.
I'll be looking forward to your ice cream recipe too.
Lindsay – please read the post before jumping in with a judgement. My "HUNCH" was for organic products ONLY. There is most certainly antifreeze used in regular supermarket ice creams! Sources are cited, so please click on them! As for anonymous, I am assuming you are a Big Food troll who is paid to go around anonymously on blogs like mine to deny, deny, deny to further confuse the consumer. Anonymous propaganda is not welcome here.
The link you posted – twice – states very clearly that Propylene Glycol is NOT an ingredient in ice cream. Did anyone read that?
Secondly, propylene glycol is antifreeze just like sodium chloride is chlorine. In other words: it's not.
There's enough fear-mongering going on at all levels. Why can't we just stick with verifiable science?
BTW, I don't eat commercial ice cream and I don't work for or even like the big food companies. But even less, I don't like innuendo and foggy "science."
Thanks for finding this .. I clicked on the link, and the information there has been CHANGED since yesterday when I first posted this blog. Amazing how the Big Food dogs are all over it when the truth leaks out and do whatever it takes to squash the information. No worries. There is another link later in the article that states the same thing. Don't think they can make a phone call to get that one changed.
Gharkenss, oh, and by the way, "verifiable science" these days is fudged and manipulated more times than not. Trying to get this info out to the public is a Sherlock Holmes endeavor in many cases.
What about ice milk? I remember having that many times throughout life but haven't seen it in stores here. I was wondering if that might be something I could make at home since I don't have the $ for cream for ice cream (any cream I get is selfishly used in small amounts on other things, unless I overindulge!)
My lymph glands swell immediately after eating even small amounts of ice cream. I thought it was the sugar but it may be something else as well. Usually we just use it as a chaser (1 teaspoon, maybe) for dc to take oil of oregano when they're sick; or as a special treat.
Thanks!
Bamboo, I have no doubt ice milk would contain propylene glycol also as it would have a tendency to form ice crystals during shipping even more than ice cream due to its higher water content. Yes, you can make ice milk at home with an ice cream maker, so this would be your best bet. Make sure you get a good quality milk – if you can't get fresh from the farm (which is best), then get low temp pasteurized, non homogenized brands like Natural by Nature.
I just checked every source cited in the article. The ehow article cited twice by Sarah CONFIRMS THAT PROPYLENE GLYCOL IS USED IN ICE CREAM.
Just read the second paragraph.
If you search for "ice cream propylene glycol" on google or yahoo, you will find THOUSANDS of entries confirming the use of propylene glycol in ice cream.
As for "Julies" claim that air keeps ice cream from freezing, no it does not. Air is added to ice cream to increase volume and profits. Air is full of moisture, which freezes.
You know that commercial ice cream has propylene glycol in it if the ice cream has the properties of propylene glycol, meaning that it is soft even when frozen. Every commercial ice cream I have ever used has this property, with exactly one exception.
Ok, so propylene glycol IS also considered to be antifreeze, so I stand corrected.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifreeze
I will concede that "GRAS" is not an indicator of health-promoting foods. Since I don't eat foods that contain it, it's a non-issue for me, but you are right – I don't care for the intentional clouding of the issue by any of the companies that use it as an ingredient.
Gharkness, thank you for your integrity.
I tried to post a comment last night. I hope it wasn't the one that was removed. I did want to know where your information came from, but I also complemented your blog and said that I was sure it was true; just wanted back up information. I had clicked on one of the links in the article, but must have gotten one where the information had changed because it said that propylene glycol was not used in ice cream. This morning, I checked out more of the links and I see that you do have back up sources. I just hope that it wasn't my post that you saw as propaganda, because I am in no way representing anyone other than my family.
For the fraction of people who care about issues like this (for we know there are those who don't), let's please take the time to contact the manufacturers and request only real, whole food ingredients, without all the pseudo ersatz junk masquerading as food. Take the time, contact them! Consumer demand is a strong motivator for positive change.
-Beth
Thanks for the update. This explains why the certified organic ice cream we buy is so hard and we have to leave it on the counter to soften. I've changed all of my skincare/cosmetic products to certified organic to avoid it already but it's good to know about IC.
Hi Anonymous, I'm sure there are organic brands that are good out there, but be careful as the ones I've checked out are way too soft for my comfort level. Something is being added – maybe even propylene glycol just like the cheap commercial brands.
I am sure that propylene glycol is in many ice creams. It is actually on the label of many cheapo brands. I do not think it is in the organic brands and some of the others and I am suspicious of the fact they they can use it and not put it on the label. Additionally, I live in the San Francisco area. We have many artisan ice cream shops that use organic, seasonal ingredients and make their ice cream in commercial machines. This ice cream is not hard straight from my freezer like homemade and there is no way they are using propylene glycol.You just can not get the same consistency in a home machine as you can in a commercial one. But there are other factors affecting whether ice cream freezes hard or soft. Sugar content is one of them.
http://www.ici-icecream.com/menu.html
http://biritecreamery.com/
Hi Kris, no I did not remove your post .. it just ended up on the spam folder for some reason. I have no idea why. I just found it and got it posted. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Julie, that's an interesting take on sugar making the ice cream softer. I don't see how that is possible though as Haagen Daaz has more sugar than Julie's Organics per serving, but is hard as a rock and Julie's ice cream is very soft and scoopable. Considering how ridiculously watered down the USDA Organic label has become, I'm not sure an organic ice cream is much protection from many of the toxic additives found in regular supermarket brands.
Sarah, re: the sugar. Ask a pastry chef. I am professional chef but not a pastry chef and that has been what I have been told about sugar content in ice cream by a local pastry chef that runs an ice cream business. But there are other factors involved as well that affect scoopability. I don't think you can assume that just because an ice cream is not hard it contains propylene glycol. The thing I am questioning here is whether propylene glycol can be added without listing it on the label. That may or may not be true but I would like to know it as a verifiable fact. But regardless, I don't think the organic companies are using it nor do I think many of the others are. Why would some companies list it as ingredient if they didn't have to do? It sure doesn't sound appealing to anyone.
Julie, because propylene glycol has "GRAS" status (see post above for this explanation), this is how it can be included with no labeling because it is an "industry standard" additive. Because of all the loopholes in labeling these days, it is best for your health to assume the worst especially if a product like organic ice cream does not have the same characteristics of homemade!
GRAS status means that an item can be used without prior approval by the FDA.I don't think it means that an item can automatically be left off the ingredient list on the label.
Julie, GRAS status means much more than that. MSG for example also has GRAS status and it is also unlabeled in many cases. For example, if a "spices" ingredient on the label has less than 50% msg, then the msg can be hidden is the "spices" label and not listed individually. There are all kinds of tricks in the USDA that can be played if an additive has GRAS status. You need a food attorney to decipher all the exceptions and loopholes. The fact is, you have NO IDEA what is in there. So, for me, if an ice cream is suspiciously soft, I am going to assume the worst. Knowing all the tricks these food manufacturers play, suspecting the worst is the safe way to go.
I know that certain things that are GRAS can be hidden under "umbrellas" of spices, natural flavoring, etc. I am just not sure and I am curious about propylene glycol in ice cream and I'd like to know for sure. I will try to find out tomorrow. I suspect it is mostly being used in lesser quality brands to make up for deficiencies in the product. It is on many, many ice cream labels. It seems to be mostly in brands with less fat.
Carla's comment reminded me of this. I recall once that a friend in Arizona suggested I get a shake from a local fast food place that I had never gone to. I asked why and he said, "Don't eat it. Just drive around with it or take it home and notice – it doesn't melt." I tried it. It was true. The next day it looked pretty much the same and of course I threw it out. Thanks for writing about these things.
Goodlife.
I remember how quality ice cream was in the 1980s. It was much harder, so much so that you had to let it warm up before you could scoop it our of the container. They used just as much sugar as they do now.
Mow just about every commercial ice cream is soft right out of the freezer. Why did it change?
Propolene Glycol.
It is important to remember that our wonderful congress seriously weakened organic standards a few years ago. The label "Organic" now means that only 95% of the ingredients have to be organic. The food industry got that change made so they could use artificial chemical additives and still label their concoctions organic.
If a product says "100% organic", then it is totally organic and does not have these additives.
Just try and find even one commercial ice cream that is labeled 100% organic.
Stanley, very perceptive! Your comment got me thinking of another important point to keep in mind. A couple of the comments above have mentioned that some brands of commercial ice cream are now called "dairy dessert" instead of ice cream as they have lowered the butterfat content so much it can no longer even qualify as ice cream. This is deliberate because when the butterfat content decreases, the customer EATS MUCH MUCH MORE and the ice cream becomes more addictive as sugar replaces the butterfat! It is the goal in life of these ice cream manufacturers (and Big Food in general) to get folks addicted to their products much like cigarette companies added so many toxic additives to their smokes for years to get folks addicted. You can get addicted to sugar but you can't get addicted to butterfat as butterfat does not encourage the growth of pathogens in the gut but sugar MOST DEFINITELY DOES! Making your own ice cream at home is critical to avoiding the ice cream addiction that so many people suffer from.
I just spoke to someone at the FDA.Here is what I was told. All ingredients in an item must be on the label including propylene glycol. The exception to this rule is that small amounts of certain things can go under the three headings of artificial flavors, natural flavors and spices. Propylene glycol can not go under any those headings.The FDA's number is 1-888-463-6332. Let's fight big food but let's have our facts correct.
Sara, I think you have just explained why fat has been demonized by the establishment and the media.
Take away fat and people will gorge on sweeteners and refined carbs, and never be satisfied.
Which means that they will eat and eat and eat and still be hungry.
As always, its all about profit.
Thank you for this most insightful comment.
Julie, I appreciate the straightforward nature of your inquiry, but if you actually believe that you can ask a straightforward question and get a simple "yes" or "no" from the FDA, you are very mistaken. Remember, this is the same agency which denies that there is 1 RAD of radiation in a single mammogram and which touts the safety of vaccinations. As I've said before, the regs are VERY complicated .. your question was also directed at the wrong agency as well. The USDA has jurisdication here once a food has been granted GRAS by the FDA. Not that I think for one minute that getting a customer service rep (who knows absolutely nothing) on the phone at the USDA would be helpful at all. Only a food attorney is useful in these situations. One of the commentors in this thread is Stanley Fishman, Esq. He is an attorney whose comments should prove more helpful than a phone call to the FDA.
Sarah,
I actually had a much more in depth conversation with the person at the FDA and just gave you a brief summary. Believe me. I don't like or trust them in any way. I think you AND Stanley should research the issue much more thoroughly. You are making huge assumptions and accusations about ice cream without any verifiable fact.You can not just assume propylene glycol is in most ice cream without being on the label. Stanley is saying he knows ice creams contain propylene glycol by his layperson observations. He is not presenting any proof. I really appreciate much of the info you disseminate through your blog but I think you may have it wrong on this one. If it really is true that they are adding propylene glycol without labeling, I'd like to see some proof.
Hi Julie, where there is smoke there is fire, my friend – particularly where the FDA and the USDA are concerned! As I mentioned in the blog, some folks refuse to believe this "industry standard" cloak and dagger approach to food labeling, it is ok if you can't seem to believe it. It IS hard to imagine other human beings so devious and flippant with other people's health. But it is true. I am glad you don't eat the stuff at least.
Julie, I did not say I "know" all commercial ice creams contain propolene glycol. I don't.
I did say the change in softness did not occur until the introduction of propylene glycol as an ingredient in ice cream. I suspect it may be there, because I know of no other ingredient that keeps ice cream soft in that manner.
If an ice cream has the qualities of ice cream to which propylene glycol is added, is it unreasonable to suspect its presence?
Do you have another explanation why it does not stay hard?
I would be happy to consider it, and I would be willing to reconsider my reasoning.
Julie, the proof you seek may be very hard to find. The industry knows what they put in, and we do not. If some of them are trying to conceal something, that makes it very hard to find. Even lab tests showing the presence of propylene glycol could be explained away or challenged, or dismissed as "trace amounts", that were not intended to be there.
Julie, if we trust our own observations and experience, use our ability to reason and common sense, we are much more likely to find the truth then if we simply let the "experts" decide for us. Experts often disagree, often know far less than they claim, and simply do not deserve the blind faith we are taught to put in them. And many of them can be bought.
There is an old saying, if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, well, it probably is a duck.
I know what ice cream used to be like, and I know what it is like now. I know that ice cream was hard until propylene glycol was introduced to the industry. Am I absolutely sure that all commercial ice cream contains propylene glycol? Mo.
Do I want to eat something that behaves as if it does contain propylene glycol? No.
I also want to add that a number of public interest groups have accused the food industry of hiding preservatives and all kinds of additives under the label of "spices", or "natural flavors", or "artificial flavors".
The government makes lots of mistakes, especially when it comes to the safety of food and drugs. Hundreds of drugs approved by the government have collectively killed millions of people over the years, and many have been withdrawn.
I do respect your right to disagree.
In general, I think we are all really on the same side.I am under nor misconceptions about the FDA or USDA and I considered myself pretty informed about the latest "food issues". BTW, I eat and feed my family a strict WAP diet with all of our meat, chicken and eggs pastured and from local farmers and local raw milk. All of our produce is organic with most of it from the farmer's market. But I do feed my boys organic ice cream from the store and I am confident that it does not contain propylene glycol because it is not on the label.
P.S. I think the FDA is not only devious; they are often just plain ignorant, as are many people.I believe that they think that it is just fine to eat propylene glycol among other things. I am not sure they are trying to hide it.
Just out of curiosity, I checked all the plain vanilla ice creams labels today at the supermarket. I haven't bought ice cream at the store other than Haagen Daaz on occasion for many years so wanted to see if propylene glycol was listed. Not one brand listed propylene glycol – even the cheapest of the cheap vanilla ice creams. It is definitely in there though .. I could squeeze the cartons the ice cream in there was so soft. The "industry standard" loophole allows devious and shocking things to be added to food!
I dont understand what you guys are all saying about icecream not being hard, well the ones I buy and put in my freezer are ALWAYS hard, that you cant scoop it out. ….
Margaret, have you ever made ice cream at home? Now that stuff is hard as a rock. I have to put mine in a flat, glass casserole dish as it is completely impossible to scoop out if you put it in a tub even after 10-15 minutes on the counter. This is what I am comparing it too.
There you go again claiming that just because you could squeeze the carton that “it is definitely in there”. Come on! Let’s get honest here.
I have four freezers at home. Some of them are colder than others. In some of them our store-bought ice cream is rock hard, and in others it is scoopable. Scoopability has a lot to do with temperature and how much air is whipped into the product.
Stop the scare mongering!
BTW, when you go for a colonoscopy you have to drink a huge amount of propylene glycol and it will sure clean you out, but it won’t kill you.
Laxatives and colonoscopy preps are not made of propylene glycol. They are made of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Very different. PEG is essentially plastic. It is inert as a food. Your body cannot digest it, break it down, or absorb it.
Take a look at the ingredient lists online. Here are just a few:
http://www.starspangledicecream.com/New/info-ConserativeIceCream.htm
http://www.dreyers.com/brand/grandlight/flavor.asp?b=112&f=1670
http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=704016
http://www.breyers.com/products/Smooth-and-Dreamy-Bars-and-Sandwiches/Vanilla-Fudge-Brownie-Sandwiches.aspx
Propylene ice cream seems to be in ice creams with a low fat content. It must have some property that makes up for what the fat does in real ice cream.
P.S.I use higher end brands when I do catering jobs(which I do for a living). Haagen Daz, Straus, etc. They are never soft out of the freezer. It is always a bummer to have to scoop 30 scoops to garnish a dessert at a dinner party when we forget to take out the ice cream during the entree.
Julie, I was not referring to ice cream sandwiches and other processed food products that contain commercial ice cream – only plain ice cream itself sold as is. Several of the brands I checked were definitely labeled as "lowfat" yet there was no propylene glycol listed despite a very squeezable, soft carton!
I consider myself a natural foods advocate and I oppose Propylene Glycol’s GRAS status because of it’s metabolic byproducts. After reading this article I was motivated to compile a list of ingredients exempted from labeling requirements on the basis of this article’s statement of “Industry Standard” exemptions; and then researching safety studies behind each such exempted ingredient. However after reviewing Title 21 CFR 101.100* I could not find the section that implies such an exemption the article describes. Therefore, I must respectfully request that the said attorney give clarification on the information sourced in this article.
In its completed form Title 21 CFR 101.100 subsection (a) paragraph (3) states “Incidental additives that are present in a food at insignificant levels and do not have any technical or functional effect in that food.” By definition Propylene Glycol as antifreeze in ice-cream does “have a technical and functional effect”. I cannot reconcile the article’s statements of “industry standard” exemptions and sourced Title 21 CFR 101.100. I respectfully request that the attorney help me understand, because as it is, I find my faith in food activism already shaken.
Could this be a regional thing? Breyer’s is still labelled as ice cream here, not dessert. Nothing on the nutrition label has changed. It forms ice crystals, and, along with Haagen Daz (sp?) and Ben & Jerry’s (the only ones we ever buy), have to sit on the counter to soften before we can scoop them usually. Haagen Daz does not use hormone-free milk & cream, but Ben & Jerry’s does…. I’m not sure about Breyer’s. The ice cream I made at home last year wasn’t all that much harder than the store-bought stuff. ?
Davidas, it very likely could be. I know that chocolate here in Canada tastes different than in the U.S., and I know others who share the same view. The taste of some other things, like milk, changes between provinces. For all we know, it could be different between states as well.
And here propylene glycol is listed I’ve notice! It makes me want to make my own ice cream again…sea salt ice cream especially…
Sooooo what about gelato then? I buy one that is made locally and I usually have to leave it out 15-20min minimum…the label suggest 30 min so that it is at the appropriate soft texture…however, it seems pretty easy for them to scoop out at Whole Foods, if I have it hand packed from them. I hear that gelato is better (or maybe less damaging would be more appropriate) because of a different ratio of ingredients…can you shed some light on that for me?
I too love Ben and Jerry’s but too much ice cream or fluid milk seems to make me a little unsettled as well…I thought maybe it was actually the milkfat, but now I’m thinking about trying some organic whole milk…DH (from Vermont and a former dairy worker) is ecstatic
I emailed Alden’s Ice Cream since it is our favorite and this is the response that I got:
Dear Heather,
Thank you for writing in to us here at Alden’s Organic Ice Cream concerning the ingredients we used in our products.
We do not use propylene glycol in our Alden’s Ice Creams. Propylene glycol is prohibited for use in all organic products. If you have any other questions, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Evan Bondioli
Quality Assurance
Youre a nut. Plain and simple.
Just great. First Beaver Anal Gland (see Jamie Oliver talk about it: in Ice cream, and now antifreeze. Good heaven. I guess it is time to dust off the ice cream maker and start making our own. This is just ridiculous.
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Really!? Propylene glycol is used in so many products…this doesn’t even touch the extent of its use. Even many injectible medications use it as a solvent. It’s in shampoo, toothpaste, moisturizers, and many, many food products on the market. But to scare the public into thinking this products is like antifreeze!? Propylene glycol is metabolized into propylene glycol is metabolized in the human body into pyruvic acid (a normal part of the glucose-metabolism process, readily converted to energy), acetic acid (handled by ethanol-metabolism), lactic acid (a normal acid generally abundant during digestion),[9] and propionaldehyde.[10][11] Serious toxicity generally occurs only at plasma concentrations over 1 g/L, which requires extremely high intake over a relatively short period of time.[12].
Take a basic life chemistry course before you post something so ridiculous!
9.^ Hamilton, D. J. “Gastric Dyspepsia.” The Lancet. Volume 2 1890: p306.
10.^ Miller DN, Bazzano G (1965) Propanediol metabolism and its relation to lactic acid metabolism. Ann NY Acad Aci, 119: 957-973.
11.^ Ruddick JA (1972) Toxicology, metabolism, and biochemistry of 1,2-propanediol. Toxicol App Pharmacol, 21: 102-111.
12.^ Flanagan RJ;Braithwaite RA;Brown SS;Widdop B;de Wolff FA;. The International Programme on Chemical Safety: Basic Analytical Toxicology. WHO, 1995.
I did some research too…comparing the toxicity of ethylene glycol to propylene glycol is a silly comparison. The difference between ethylene glycol and propylene glycol is one carbon in the chain. Incidentally, that’s the same difference between methanol and ethanol. We all know methanol is deadly in small amounts, while we all ingest ethanol regularly. But, to be more scientific:
LDLo – lowest known lethal dose
LD50 – dose known to cause mortality in 50% of the population
Methanol: human (adult) oral LDLo: 428 mg/kg
Ethanol: oral child LDLo: 2000 mg/kg
Ethylene glycol: oral human (adult) LDLo: 786 mg/kg
oral rat LD50: 4700 mg/kg
Propylene glycol: oral rat LD50: 20000 mg/kg (!)(no human info listed)
All info taken from the MSDS (Material safety data sheets) here: http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/
Thank you Amy for the note of sanity!
I believe you will find that if you melt a cup of ice cream you will have less than a cup when it is ‘done’ melting. One of the reasons for that is the large amount of air whipped into some brands of ice cream so they are easier to scoop. They are, in effect, ‘whipped’ ice cream. That, more than any non-labeled antifreeze, likely explains the difference in your homemade stuff vs. the store-bought.
Miralax – for constipation – PURE Propylene Glycol
Nitrogen in it’s pure form is a poison, but makes up almost 80% of the air that you breathe every single day ((http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/pdf/airgas.pdf) notice the .edu) , so I don’t know that this bit of information is actually at all relevant to the discussion.
Miralax is Polyethelene Glycol!!
OH… MY… GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After reading this article, I paid more attention to the ingredient labels and found some soft butter in my frig and read the label on it. On the label was listed propylene glycol, antifreeze. The government is trying to kill us. I will not be buying any more ice-cream or soft butter!
Hi, I used to love making ice cream but I found using my Donvier ice cream maker such a pain because of trying to get the seal on it. I’ve thought about buyiing the attachment to my KitchenAid or even the Cuisinart maker. Any suggestions? What brands do others use/suggest?
Thanks!
Um, actually, a quick web search will reveal that it takes pretty much an intravenous overdose to harm anyone – as a food additive, you can’t eat enough to cause harm.
I assume by ‘related’ the author means similar. So to put this alarmist article into perspective, the deadly carbon monoxide is only 1 atom away from being pure oxygen. One atom can make all the difference.
This allegation is an absolute crock. Propylene Glycol (PG) is not anti-freeze; however, I can see why one might think it is (presumably). If you research PG, you will find that low-grade, industrial-quality PG is used as an agent in anti-freeze (it is NOT anti-freeze in and of itself). However, in foods, food-grade (or pharmaceutical-grade) PG is used, as well as in hand creams and other products that are absorbed in someway or another into humans. No matter what the grade, however, it is not directly harmful to humans (see the NFPA 704 rating, which states that it is as harmful to humans as water is). The only negative effect found in studies was liver damage in rats, which had PG administered to them (daily) in their diet over the period of 2 years(!) in concentrations humans would never be able to consume through ingesting food products with PG as an additive.
Some people here are using coconut milk instead of dairy to make ice cream. The two brands that I have found here contain carrageenan. There is a lot of negative things said about putting that into your body.
What a bunch of bunk! Before you spout off more nonsense, learn some chemistry and toxicology.
Don’t you just love these emotional outburst type of comments with nothing to back it up?
YOU have nothing to back up your claims. Sheesh.
You just described your own original blog post, how ironic.
haha what a stupid article.
You know, typtophan is VERY similar to DMT (think ayahuasca). Does this mean Im going to trip out whenever I eat meat, seeds, nuts, eggs or bananas?? Not a chance! And I refuse to put propylene glycol in my radiator. Ill use vegetable glycerin, very similar! Although, when it comes to keeping away neighborhood cats and other undesirables…
Even Tom’s of Maine says PG is used in ice creams! http://www.tomsofmaine.com/research/ingredients/ingredient-detail/propylene-glycol
Piperonal is a naturally occurring component of the oils from many plants. Chemically, it’s very similar to vanillin and tends to get used in things that have a vanilla like aroma – quite a few perfumes have it in them. It’s not particularly bad for you in the minute amounts it’s used in. Not as bad as all that sugar anyway. It’s used in delicer because they don’t particularly like the smell, but it smells nice to humans. Numerous strong smelling oils will drive insects away as it disrupts their pheromone based method of sense / communication, e.g. menthol -> clothing harassing moths.
Piperonal is also a component in actual vanilla pods. dun dah daaaaaaaaaaaaa! 8^O
Really? Anything that lowers the freezing temperature of water is antifreeze. Propylene and ethylene glycol, for sure, but also things like ethanol, salt, glucose, and even vitamin C. If you can dissolve it in water, the resulting solution will have a lower freezing temperature than water.
You say that it can kill you when sufficient quantities are absorbed by the body. Same goes for all the above substances, including water. Too much of ANYTHING will kill you.
Do you know how much commercially prepared ice cream you would have to eat in order to get propylene glycol poisoning? Neither do I, but as has been pointed out above, you’d have to inject pure propylene glycol directly into your bloodstream to get toxic plasma levels, so you’d die of a ruptured stomach, or even malnutrition, long before you’d consumed enough through your ice cream.
I hope you’re not asthmatic, because if you use an inhaler, you’re inhaling propylene glycol every time you use it. Yep. Propylene glycol is the carrier in asthma inhalers.
This “article” is ignorant fearmongering at its finest.
Mike, you took the words right out of my mouth.
I did a lot of research on PG before I started smoking ecigs. As I understand it, some people do have allergic reactions to it, so maybe some of the people leaving comments have experienced that. But that doesn’t make it poison – are peanuts poison? Are eggs? Are shellfish?
Propylene glycol is NOT anti-freeze. It is a chemical compound that is found in anti-freeze, yes, but so is another one… H2O. Will you stop drinking water because you believe that one piece of the whole is the same substance as the whole? No.
One study states: “The results of these experiments in conjunction with the absence of any observed ill effects in patients exposed to both triethylene glycol and propylene glycol vapors for months at a time, provide assurance that air containing these vapors in amounts up to the saturation point is completely harmless.”
According to the Health Canada website, “…there are no endpoints of concern for oral, dermal or inhalation exposure to propylene glycol based on the low toxicity observed in studies near or above testing limit doses. Based on this, the USEPA did not conduct any quantitative human health risk assessments and concluded that exposure does not present a human health risk of concern.”
Stop spreading misinformation and making people more afraid to be alive and eat the foods they enjoy. Although I am 100% behind the idea of being aware of what you’re putting into your body, the FDA and other agencies exist for a reason, and they are not trying to poison the human population as you may think.
I find it interesting that all of you who are concerned with what you’re putting in your bodies are eating so much ice cream. Usually if you have your own ice cream maker, that means you eat quite a bit. I’d be more concerned with the number of calories you’re consuming instead of the harmless, yes harmless, chemicals you’re putting in your body.
But let’s talk about the article. Propylene glycol is not antifreeze. To make such a claim is worse than what the author is accusing the FDA and the big name companies of doing. The main attraction to using propylene glycol (PG) in any product is that it creates a bond between everything in the product keeping them from separating. (Similar to why you need eggs to bake a cake) Who wants to shake their hand cream or any make up products prior to use? I can’t imagine antifreeze, of which PG is only a part, working very well if the ingredients kept separating the way water and oil do. Do you know what small ‘mom and pop’ type places use to make milkshakes that aren’t clumpy? Raw eggs. I’d be more concerned about salmonella than any side effects of PG.
If you do even the most simplest forms of research, ie. looking up antifreeze on wikipedia, you’ll find that ETHYLENE glycol is the main ingredient of antifreeze, not propylene glycol. When is PG used? When consumers want to buy a NON-TOXIC antifreeze. That’s right, PG is used in the non-toxic form of antifreeze, safe to leave around pets and small children.
I find it comical that so many people are throwing away products that contain a chemical that’s used in, and definitely not equal to, antifreeze. Non-toxic antifreeze at that. If you ask me, which I know you didn’t but I’ll give you an answer anyway, the author of this article, and those like her, is doing more harm to this world, by creating fear in all of her readers, than any questionable member of the FDA ever could.
So TO THE AUTHOR: since you have the power to convince the majority of your readers to throw out many of their products, eat an unhealthy amount of ice cream and believe every lie and unfounded ‘fact’ you spew at them, please pick a topic that wont create more fear in a world where 1 in 5 people have mental health issues, a stat that is continuing to climb. You, and people like you, are partly responsible for a lot of depression and paranoia out there. PLEASE stop.
Perhaps the ice cream isn’t soft because your feezer isn’t cold enough? (Just a thought).
Or, because the store bought containers dont allow the product to freeze the same way your home made stuff would (in pyrex or tupperware)?
It’s also approved for dog food! But not for cats because it’ll kill them. It’s like the FDA is out to kill us all.
Do you even know how to read? It won’t kill you. It won’t even harm you, in any way. Don’t be stupid.
I received this response today when inquiring about the use of propylene glycol in the mentioned organic brand (below)…
“I wanted to let you know that Alden’s Ice Cream does not use propylene glycol in any way, shape or form. In fact, the use of propylene glycol is not permitted in any certified organic products, so you definitely won’t find it in Alden’s. Hope this information helps, and please feel free to contact me with any additional questions you may have. Thank you again for trying Alden’s and contacting us! We’re so grateful for our conscientious and informed customers! Hope you have a wonderful day!”
This ingredient is also added to vitamins. Yes, even to PRE-NATAL VITAMINS. It has to be labeled by law but you have to be aware that it could be there and to look for it.
Nice that you mentioned propylene glycol and ethylene glycol in your article but failed to mention 2 very important things. What is in foods (almost all foods, including laxitives, candy bars, nutritional bars, etc…..) is POLYpropylene glycol, What is in your car is DIEethylene glycol.
Irrespective of whether you are feeding on out or in your very own residence, it should be equally conducive to body weight reduction.
Your medical doctor will be capable to notify you which goods to stay clear of and which goods would quite
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I am so sickened by what industry does to our food. I don’t want my food made in a laboratory and definitely don’t want it coming out of a beaver anal gland.
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Ok, you’ll love this:
This was the first link that appeared when I tried doing a Google search for my dad. He was reading the ingredients on our ice cream because he didn’t feel good after eating it. He names one ingredient and says “Isn’t this radiator fluid?” I can’t believe that not only was he about right, but that to top it off companies aren’t even required to list it in the ingredients!
Pure ignorance.
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The reason store bought ice cream isn’t hard is because they inject air into it. Unlike all the un-sourced claims here, this is obvious when you let it melt (which releases the tiny air bubbles) and refreeze it, it because as hard as a rock.
Because ice cream is sold by volume (pint/quart) the more air they add, the less product in the container. Some are so brazen what you can physically feel the weight differences.
I have no doubt about about companies and food additives shenanigans, but this article is complete non-sense. Propylene glycol is not the same as ethylene glycol as suggested, one is a very toxic to humans, the other is not. It’s like stating methyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is the same as ethyl alcohol (grain alcohol) are the same, when in fact one is very toxic to humans and the other is considered a social lubricant and consumed by for centuries.
IOW, if ice cream contained ethylene glycol, which is the inference, regular consumers of ice cream would die. It’s a coveted poison because it’s undetectable, orderless, tasteless, and very small quantities are lethal.
Not that is matters, because there is not one lick of proof that it’s actually a chemical found in ice cream, just the authors belief it is without disclosing as to how that conclusion was reached. No lab report, no expert opinions, nothing but the authors belief, which when you consider the rest of the ‘conclusions’ is highly suspect.
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