Unlabeled propylene glycol, a form of antifreeze, lurks in commercial ice cream, risking health issues for those that consume it.
One thing I try to do on this site 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. (1)
You see, when you make ice cream at home, you immediately notice that it is as hard as a rock.
This is 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!
Why is Antifreeze Not Listed in Ingredients?
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”.
This 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.
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! (2)
What About Organic?
I don’t even trust organic ice cream brands. It is way too easy to scoop out of the container straight from 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 is 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 the antifreeze used in radiators is ethylene glycol (EG). However, the fact is that propylene glycol (PG) is a closely related chemical.
Studies show that it causes heart, kidney, liver, and central nervous system damage if sufficient quantity is absorbed by the body.
Propylene Glycol Contamination
In addition, depending on the manufacturing process used, propylene glycol may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ethylene oxide as a known human carcinogen and 1,4-dioxane as a possible human carcinogen.
Ethylene oxide can also harm the nervous system, and evidence has shown that it may interfere with human development.
Americans eat approximately 5X the ice cream they did 50 years ago. Hence, it is anyone’s guess what the long-term effects of frequent consumption of small amounts of PG might be.
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.
Beware of maple syrup too. If it isn’t labeled organic, chances are propylene glycol was used in the production process as well.
Side Effects of Eating Antifreeze
Many people might wonder why whenever you eat commercial ice cream or devour an ice cream cone at the Mall, the next day you might seem 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 for conventional colonoscopy preparation.
It is also a primary ingredient in some over-the-counter constipation meds!
Other Unlabeled Toxins
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! (3)
Watch out for so-called “premium” ice creams like Jack Nicklaus Ice cream. Even the ludicrously named “Homemade Vanilla” has zero vanilla actually in it. You get to pay extra for …. chemicals!
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 cat and mouse games and are virtuosos at playing the USDA regulations.
Are Any Brands Safe?
I recently received an email about this post that inquired as to whether ANY brands of commercial ice cream are safe.
My reply was to examine the ice cream brand you like. Is it scoopable very quickly (immediately or within a few minutes) of removing from the freezer?
If so, it almost certainly contains unlabeled propylene glycol. Even organic brands are suspiciously scoopable. But, they can add unlabeled PG too since the FDA inexplicably granted this chemical GRAS status.
I personally have not found ANY brand that is as hard as homemade. This is my test of purity.
The only exception is the locally made ice cream from my grassfed farmer. It is hard as a rock just like the ice cream I make myself.
How to Naturally Soften Ice Cream
So, if you aren’t into eating antifreeze with your ice cream, check out my recipe plus a video demonstration on how to make healthy ice cream!
It uses a very small amount of vodka to keep the ice cream naturally and safely scoopable!
(1, 2) Foods & Drinks With Propylene Glycol
(3) Harmful Chemicals Turn Ice Cream From a Treat to a Threat
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!
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.
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!
One more reason an ice cream maker machine is on my Christmas list!
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.
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!
Please be aware that this article is referencing propylene glycol which is PG. (PEG is a completly different chemical – and as a person with an anaphylactic allergy to PEG, articles that have not been properly researched – such as this – cause confusion). Propylene glycol is commonly found in many packaged foods, such as drink mixes, dressings, dried soups, cake mix, soft drinks, popcorn, food coloring, fast foods, bread and dairy products as an indirect food additive.
PEG, as noted above, is a completely different chemical called Polyethylene Glycol. PEG is a form of plastic and is used as the basis of a number of laxatives (eg: miralax) and is also used as an excipient in many pharmaceutical products (soaps, deodorants, beauty products, household cleaners, Tylenol, allergy and cold meds – plus much more.)
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!
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.
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."
this article is also *misleading*- because the reason propolene glycol is added to automotive antifreeze (ethylene glycol) is to make it far less toxic than it would be otherwise, in the event that a vehicle anti-freeze gets accidentally ingested by animals or children- most adults would (hopefully) be smart enough to not drink vehicle anti-freeze.
No there isnt vehicle anti-freeze in your icecream. It has the ability to be used *as an anti-freeze* (much in the same way as grain alcohols) because of its hydroscopic properties and because of it’s resistance to freezing crystalization in very cold temperatures. Typically known as Anti-freeze protiens (or AFPs) as they are found in nature in various fishes and plants, into ice cream and yogurt products to keep them from becoming rock-hard in your freezer. . This ingredient, labelled ice-structuring protein, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The proteins are isolated from fish and replicated, on a larger scale, in yeast.
Propylene Glycol: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=240
And what’s even better, is most people WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD if it wasn’t for certain grades of propylene glycol. (there are four, I believe: Industrial,
Propylene Glycol was developed in the 1940’s, and approved for use by the FDA in the early 50’s if my memory serves me.
Hospitals have been using PG to disinfect their A/C systems, to prevent patients from contracting airborne illnesses.
From propylene-glycol.com: That that most of you scare-weenies would even care to listen to science…
Propylene Glycol is “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) by the US FDA (21CFR § 184.1666).In the body, under conditions of normal low exposure, propylene glycol is quickly metabolised and excreted. Its metabolic pathway is comparable to that of sugar: propylene glycol is rapidly converted into lactic acid, just like what happens with the sugar (energy) in the muscles when being exercised during sports. The lactic acid is then excreted via the urine.
This whole article screams of scare tactics that should be considered dangerous. Author, you should be very ashamed of yourself.
OH my goodness! I knew there was a reason I quit eating store bought ice cream and started making my own!!!!