Vanilla ice cream is traditionally made from milk, cream, egg, sugar and vanilla. However, a survey conducted by the UK consumer watchdog Which? found that a fifth of vanilla ice cream surveyed did not contain any cream, fresh milk or vanilla.

Of the 24 brands examined, a further seven were missing one or more of those ingredients. That left just 50% of vanilla ice creams containing fresh milk, vanilla and cream.

If something is not specified as 'natural flavouring' it is most likely from vanillin, a synthetically made vanilla flavouring

Until 2015, a product labelled "ice cream" in the UK had to contain at least 5% dairy fat and 2.5% milk protein. However, those rules no longer apply and there are no requirements to meet before a product can be called ice cream.

Alternatives

This has allowed a different variety of products to be brought to the market, including vegan and reduced fat options. It has also allowed products made with cheaper substitute ingredients to be labelled as ice cream.

These products usually substitute the cream or milk portion with reconstituted dried skimmed milk and, in some cases, whey protein.

Vanilla is often replaced with a general "flavouring". If something is not specified as "natural flavouring" it is most likely from vanillin, a synthetically made vanilla flavouring.

Vegetable oils

Vegetable oils such as palm oil and coconut oil are used to replace the cream element as they give a smooth and creamy texture.

In Ireland, the rules governing the make-up of ice cream were revoked in 2017 in a bid to tackle obesity. Up to that point, a 1952 regulation stated ice cream needed to consist of more than 5% milk fat, more than 9% milk solids and more than 10% sugar.

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