4 ms·

(Semi-)Serious question: does McDonald’s soft serve “ice cream” contain dairy?

mcpackieh 3y ago
It does contain dairy, but they can't legally call it ice cream. (Or at least they can't call their shakes "milkshakes": https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/desserts-and-shakes.html https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/desserts-and-shakes.h... ) Q: Why don't you call your 'shakes,' 'milkshakes'? A: Great question. Our shakes contain milk from our reduced-fat soft serve, which makes them thick and creamy. Dairy regulations actually vary from state to state on what can officially be called a 'milkshake.' We like to keep it simple and refer to them strictly as 'shakes.' (Note they say "reduced-fat soft serve" and not "ice cream")
- Clent 3y ago
  I really don't want keep defending a corporation here but it's quite clear form that messaging that it may be consider ice cream in some states. If we're going to dunk on corporations can we do it for legitimate reasons?
  - mcpackieh 3y ago
    They can't call it ice-cream because legally it isn't in at least some states. They likely aren't using enough cream, or they're adulterating it with other ingredients that some states don't permit. What exactly are you refuting?
- bandyaboot 3y ago
  In order to call it simply “ice cream”, it would need to have at least 10% fat content. They could choose to call it “reduced fat ice cream”, but I’m guessing they’ve decided that that doesn’t sound as appetizing to consumers as “soft serve” since to most people, “soft serve” is just a type of ice cream. Marketing finds a way. said in the voice of Ian Malcolm
rufus_foreman 3y ago
"Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Ingredients: Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Mono And Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate." -- https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/vanilla-cone.html#accordion-c921f9207b-item-283bee7dbd https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/vanilla-cone.html...

It does contain dairy, but they can't legally call it ice cream. (Or at least they can't call their shakes "milkshakes": https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/desserts-and-shakes.html https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/desserts-and-shakes.h... ) Q: Why don't you call your 'shakes,' 'milkshakes'? A: Great question. Our shakes contain milk from our reduced-fat soft serve, which makes them thick and creamy. Dairy regulations actually vary from state to state on what can officially be called a 'milkshake.' We like to keep it simple and refer to them strictly as 'shakes.' (Note they say "reduced-fat soft serve" and not "ice cream")

Clent 3y ago
I really don't want keep defending a corporation here but it's quite clear form that messaging that it may be consider ice cream in some states. If we're going to dunk on corporations can we do it for legitimate reasons?
- mcpackieh 3y ago
  They can't call it ice-cream because legally it isn't in at least some states. They likely aren't using enough cream, or they're adulterating it with other ingredients that some states don't permit. What exactly are you refuting?
bandyaboot 3y ago
In order to call it simply “ice cream”, it would need to have at least 10% fat content. They could choose to call it “reduced fat ice cream”, but I’m guessing they’ve decided that that doesn’t sound as appetizing to consumers as “soft serve” since to most people, “soft serve” is just a type of ice cream. Marketing finds a way. said in the voice of Ian Malcolm

rufus_foreman 3y ago

"Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Ingredients: Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Mono And Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate." -- https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/vanilla-cone.html#accordion-c921f9207b-item-283bee7dbd https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/vanilla-cone.html...