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
Another prime example of misrepresented data, and you all fell for it.
Propylene Glycol is non toxic! It’s in tons of things, and people even use it in their water supplies on RV trips to keep it from freezing. Its also used in asthma inhalers to vaporize the medicine. Just because something is used as antifreeze, doesn’t mean its bad for you! We’re not talking about the stuff we put in cars, if that were the case, we’d all be dead. We’re talking about something safe, non-toxic, and in tons of everyday consumable items. The reason they don’t mention it on the ingredient list is because it’s NOT HARMFUL
Do some research, people…
I could very easily say that you and Kevin have drunk the KoolAid of Industry and “Science”. I seem to remember those same groups of money hungry SOB’s saying Agent Orange was harmless too! “The reason they don’t mention it on the ingredient list is because it’s NOT HARMFUL -” So I guess, milk, eggs, cream, and sugar are listed because they are harmful? From the Environmental Working Group: About PROPYLENE GLYCOL: Propylene glycol is a small organic alcohol commonly used as a skin conditioning agent. It has been associated with irritant and allergic contact dermatitis as well as contact urticaria in humans; these sensitization effects can be manifested at propylene glycol concentrations as low as 2%. The thing of it is this: How many things can you put into your body, that your body wasn’t designed to deal with? Think about this: A woman gets up to go to work, or wherever. She jumps in the shower where she washes her hair with chemical laden shampoo and conditioner. Then she uses a different combo of chemicals in her soap.She dries herself off with a chemical laden towel which picked those up from the laundry detergent and softener. Most likely she used dryer sheets as well. Then she proceeds to lather her body in more chemicals body lotion, makeup, moisturizer, hair styling products, and those quick spray chemicals called perfume! She may also be using chemical laden feminine products and a quick spray to the shoes to stop foot odor. And best of all–deodorant! How many different phony fragrances did she just apply to the biggest organ of her body–the skin? So, I guess you would say, PG-it’s just one more!
Propylene glycol is non-toxic! DIETHYLENE glycol is the toxic stuff in antifreeze. Proplyene glycol is only added to antifreeze make it FAR less toxic if ingested. Fact: propylene glycol is used in HOSPITALS to santize the air! It’s also in a number of products that most people use on a daily basis. So according to you, they’re pumping poison into the air in hospitals. Riiight…
From the FDA: “Propylene glycol can be ingested over long periods of time and in substantial quantities (up to 5 percent of the total food intake) without causing frank toxic effects.”
Jesus, do some research before writing this garbage.
Ah yes! The FDA.That bastion of honesty. Have you looked to see how many who sit on the board of the FDA has worked for chemical companies in the past? Or, really, still do? While your at it, find out how many in the USDA, FDA, and EPA have worked for the big Ag companies. What a joke!
Just because the FDA is corrupt doesn’t mean that science and chemistry is evil. Ethyl alcohol is can be used as a supplement to the gasoline in your car. It is also flammable. And it is poisonous in high amounts. But it is also part of the NATURAL fermentation process that produces beer, wine and spirits, which you can drink in moderation without ill effect. Some research says it is actually beneficial to health in moderation. Was your body “designed” to make use of it? It Was it designed to drink cow’s milk? Who knows.
All this crap about something either is or is not a poison or a hazard is a gross oversimplification, fear mongering at its worse. look at chemicals on a case by case basis and use good judgment! I avoid unnecessary use of chemicals not found in nature, but nature has created some some doosies: DID YOU KNOW:
The two most toxic chemicals for humans, that we know of, are botulinum toxin and tetanospasmin. Botulism is caused by botulinum toxin, which is a protein and neurotoxin produced by bacteria spores. Tetanospasmin is a neurotoxin produced by bacteria that causes Tetanus. Life is complicated. Read more here.
blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2013/04/10/natural-vs-synthetic-chemicals-is-a-gray-matter/
I can’t believe someone is spreading a rumor that ice which is easy to scoop right out of the freezer contains propylene glycol. I also can’t believe there are so many gullible people who believe her. Imake ice cream at home from milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and whole foods for flavoring and my ice cream is easily scoopable right out of a freezer at 0F. Why is this? Well, because I make it properly. Please get your facts straight.
Its all about the balance your right Bob. 😀
Also, I know this isn’t really the exact point of the article…but peripheral concerns might be important as well.
In Europe, people eat more junk than people eat in the States. Looking for healthy food is generally considered an American trait. And I’ve lived in a LOT of different countries.
That’s not to say that everyone is like that, but it’s very prevalent.
I just don’t want people idealizing this continent that is not in any way ideal. Where they often make laws just to make things ridiculous.
And their food laws are right up there.
Hey Megan. I live in Australia (not near the Alps) and wonder why you think that Europeans eat more junk foods than Americans. Looking at all the high obesity problem you seem to have in the States and the incredible amounts of fried everything being consumed. Give me European foods over your highly sugared, fried, high cholesterol diet any day. Wake up kiddo. There is a lot more of this world than what you seem to be fed, both orally and verbally in USA
Amazing to me that you classify an entire continent based on what your (supposed) personal experiences were.
Although I guess it shouldn’t be so surprising when it comes from a person who would argue 20 minutes over a few cents. And then still refuse to accept cultural differences when a guest in another country. Obviously it’s a problem with them; they should change; not like you should consider that other people in other countries have different ideas of the way things should work in their own country.
As an American studying here, i would say that younger people in NL seem to eat a lot of junk food relative to Russians for example; and this consumption by the Dutch is still in a much lesser proportion than their American counterparts. The kitchen stove very rarely goes a night without being used by all of my roommates. To cook things like pasta, meats, vegetables. Frozen pizzas, chips, etc. are not a common sight.
I don’t really believe this article about NL being THE most healthy country; I think places like Finland or Iceland have healthier habits. Still, it likely obliterates any notion that Europeans (or the Dutch) have less healthy diets vs the US.
nydailynews.com/life-style/health/healthiest-country-world-article-1.1582013
Also, a cursory look at a large Dutch grocery chain shows your story about finding peanut-butter (pindakaas) with only one ingredient, ‘peanuts’ to likely be an exception or an untruth.
ah.nl/producten/product/wi3579/calve-pindakaas-pot
Ingrediënten:PINDA 85%, plantaardige olie (raapzaad, soja, volledig geharde palm), zout
Ingredients: Peanuts (85%), vegetable oil (rapeseed, soy, palm), salt
Still, I will admit that companies do their best to dodge EU regulations (or regulations from anywhere) by utilizing ingredients that can be legally called by simple names but which have actually been thoroughly modified.
theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/21/a-feast-of-engineering-whats-really-in-your-food
Actually no. Sorry. The tuna didn’t taste like garbage…it tasted like a combination of garbage and how our medicine cabinet used to smell when I was a kid…with the mouthwash and stuff for cuts and band-aids, and shaving cream, etc. The strangest thing I’d ever encountered.
Of course, not one of those cans of tuna EVER got eaten. They all went in the garbage. Sounds stupid, but in certain parts of Europe, you just don’t return stuff to the store…they’ll just tell you to get #$%^, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Like in the NL, if you over pay for something by a few cents, you don’t get all of your change back. Only if your change due is 5 cents or more do you get it back. The first time I encountered that, I argued for 20 minutes…very nicely. They just told me to go back to America. And people in line don’t even back you up. They think it’s a good idea. Because it makes it so you have less change in your pockets. Meanwhile they could have also just made it so that ALL Euros (the currency) were paper. But anything up to two Euros is a coin…and one and 2 euro pieces are very heavy (like silver pieces used to be…2 to 3 times the weight of quarters). And eventually you get loaded down with those.
Anyway, do NOT EVER think that Europe has an answer for ANYTHING that has to do with people and convenience or respect…especially when it comes to food.
Most of the EU countries are on the road to complete computerization of every SINGLE thing a farmer does. Like in France….they have to record every fertilizer they use and how much…and if it’s not enough, there are reprisals.
The EU even makes it illegal for farmers to grow tomatoes other than EU sanctioned ones. Even if the farmer is only going to eat the tomatoes themselves!
Feudalism is still alive and the royal Wizard is the food corps and chemists, et al.
Please don’t think that this is only a US problem, or that it’s any BETTER in the rest of the world. The EU has laws that are no doubt worse as far as disclosure of ingredients. My speculation is based only on experiences during my life in Europe for 7 years…up until this year. The first time I ate peanut butter in the Netherlands, I read the label and it said “ingredients: peanuts”…PERIOD. I have made my own peanut butter HUNDREDS of times and I know what peanuts taste like. The peanut butter that I ate in the NL tasted like what my mother’s PB cookie dough used to taste like after the sugar, brown sugar and shortening had been added. Fine, maybe all of that wasn’t in that PB. But it was definitely NOT just peanuts. Also, in the EU they must have very similar regulations as the US. You guy an orange juice, which was apparently from concentrate and it is overly acidic, too sweet and also has a texture as if some sort of thickener were added to it. In most cases, I actually think that the laws in the EU are worse. I’ve had tuna that tasted like garbage. And just to be sure, tried bits from three other cans, purchased on separate occasions. Still the same garbagey taste. And twice the price of tuna in the States.
Holy cow! That’s disgusting and absolutely terrible. I had no idea. Mind you, I’ve not been able to eat ice cream for years. I found your post because I bought some So Delicious coconut milk ice cream. I served it yesterday, we got to chatting and noticed it never melted. It stayed in one, glob. That was the first and last time I’ll be buying that product. I was trying to search Google to find out why that would happen. I’ll have to check out your ice cream recipes. I don’t have an ice cream maker any more, but I’m sure I can figure something out. Thanks for sharing, Lisa
This article is wrong and the author is misinformed. Diethylene glycol is the toxic ingredient in antifreeze, propylene glycol is added to it to make it less harmful if ingested. Don’t let her scare you. It’s in multiple products that you use every day. I’m sure she thought that using some sensationalized headline would get views on her page, but if she believe what she wrote she has no business being any type of journalist. It’s idiotic. So please don’t go telling everyone you know that this crap is true.
From the FDA website: “Propylene glycol can be ingested over long periods of time and in substantial quantities (up to 5 percent of the total food intake) without causing frank toxic effects.”