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
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.
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
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.
Gharkness, thank you for your integrity.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.