We all scream for ice cream — but not in a good way, this time.
A recent change to a fan-favorite ice cream brand is causing quite the sundae stir. People are indignant at the popular Edy’s and Dreyer’s ice cream company rebranding the containers of their sweet treats.
In the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit on Reddit, a user posted a photo of a vanilla bean Dreyer’s ice cream container labeled as “frozen dairy dessert” instead of once upon a time being called “ice cream.”
For some context, Edy’s and Dreyer’s are the same brand — Dreyer’s is typically sold on the West Coast and in Texas, and Edy’s is seen on the East Coast.
The subtle change caused the Redditor to post photos of the original “ice cream” labeling versus what it reads now.
Above the photos, the text reads: “We this cheap now? Even Ice cream ain’t ice cream??” the annoyed ice cream fan disapprovingly shared.
The Post reached out to the ice cream brand for comment.
The Reddit thread welcomed over 400 people contributing to the frozen treat debacle.
“I never did care for that brand. To me, it didn’t taste or feel like ice cream should. Just yuck,” one commenter wrote.
“It’s not even good ice cream. Tillamook and bluebell are where it’s at,” another person shared.
While some of the commenters clearly didn’t favor the subtle change — other comments shared insight into why this almost 100-year-old company might have been forced to alter its product name.
“I used to work at an ice cream place — ice cream has a legal definition ingredient-wise. It’s likely this doesn’t have the right % of butterfat content to be considered ice cream,” a savvy commenter explained.
Another person agreed writing: “I actually heard about this at the farm show. It has to do with the amount of cream/milk ratio that’s used when making the product that ‘technically” requires more specific language.”
A fellow ice cream fan explained that different desserts — gelato, ice cream, frozen yogurt — are all made from various ingredients.
“Just like many brands of American Cheese actually say ‘processed cheese/dairy product’ on the label because they don’t have enough cheese to legally be considered cheese,” they wrote.
It turns out, these ice cream enthusiasts are correct. Many products sold in the frozen aisle are actually labeled “frozen dair dessert” — not ice cream.
For a frozen treat to be classified as “ice cream,” there are specific FDA standards that must be met. For starters, it must be made solely with dairy products — including milk, butter, cream, whey powder, and so on.
Ice cream must also have a certain amount of air whipped into it.
A frozen dairy dessert labeled is often slapped onto a product if it doesn’t meet these requirements. Frozen dessert products are often made with palm, kernel, coconut, or vegetable oils.
