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
Carla's comment reminded me of this. I recall once that a friend in Arizona suggested I get a shake from a local fast food place that I had never gone to. I asked why and he said, "Don't eat it. Just drive around with it or take it home and notice – it doesn't melt." I tried it. It was true. The next day it looked pretty much the same and of course I threw it out. Thanks for writing about these things.
Goodlife.
I know that certain things that are GRAS can be hidden under "umbrellas" of spices, natural flavoring, etc. I am just not sure and I am curious about propylene glycol in ice cream and I'd like to know for sure. I will try to find out tomorrow. I suspect it is mostly being used in lesser quality brands to make up for deficiencies in the product. It is on many, many ice cream labels. It seems to be mostly in brands with less fat.
Julie, GRAS status means much more than that. MSG for example also has GRAS status and it is also unlabeled in many cases. For example, if a "spices" ingredient on the label has less than 50% msg, then the msg can be hidden is the "spices" label and not listed individually. There are all kinds of tricks in the USDA that can be played if an additive has GRAS status. You need a food attorney to decipher all the exceptions and loopholes. The fact is, you have NO IDEA what is in there. So, for me, if an ice cream is suspiciously soft, I am going to assume the worst. Knowing all the tricks these food manufacturers play, suspecting the worst is the safe way to go.
GRAS status means that an item can be used without prior approval by the FDA.I don't think it means that an item can automatically be left off the ingredient list on the label.
Julie, because propylene glycol has "GRAS" status (see post above for this explanation), this is how it can be included with no labeling because it is an "industry standard" additive. Because of all the loopholes in labeling these days, it is best for your health to assume the worst especially if a product like organic ice cream does not have the same characteristics of homemade!
Sarah, re: the sugar. Ask a pastry chef. I am professional chef but not a pastry chef and that has been what I have been told about sugar content in ice cream by a local pastry chef that runs an ice cream business. But there are other factors involved as well that affect scoopability. I don't think you can assume that just because an ice cream is not hard it contains propylene glycol. The thing I am questioning here is whether propylene glycol can be added without listing it on the label. That may or may not be true but I would like to know it as a verifiable fact. But regardless, I don't think the organic companies are using it nor do I think many of the others are. Why would some companies list it as ingredient if they didn't have to do? It sure doesn't sound appealing to anyone.
I am sure that propylene glycol is in many ice creams. It is actually on the label of many cheapo brands. I do not think it is in the organic brands and some of the others and I am suspicious of the fact they they can use it and not put it on the label. Additionally, I live in the San Francisco area. We have many artisan ice cream shops that use organic, seasonal ingredients and make their ice cream in commercial machines. This ice cream is not hard straight from my freezer like homemade and there is no way they are using propylene glycol.You just can not get the same consistency in a home machine as you can in a commercial one. But there are other factors affecting whether ice cream freezes hard or soft. Sugar content is one of them.
http://biritecreamery.com/
Julie, that's an interesting take on sugar making the ice cream softer. I don't see how that is possible though as Haagen Daaz has more sugar than Julie's Organics per serving, but is hard as a rock and Julie's ice cream is very soft and scoopable. Considering how ridiculously watered down the USDA Organic label has become, I'm not sure an organic ice cream is much protection from many of the toxic additives found in regular supermarket brands.
Hi Kris, no I did not remove your post .. it just ended up on the spam folder for some reason. I have no idea why. I just found it and got it posted. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Hi Anonymous, I'm sure there are organic brands that are good out there, but be careful as the ones I've checked out are way too soft for my comfort level. Something is being added – maybe even propylene glycol just like the cheap commercial brands.