For some, the jingle of an ice cream truck gets those Pavlovian juices and transports us back to summers past. While some of us will also always carry a torch for the Drumsticks and Fudgesicles of yore, today’s frozen dairy novelties are hardly preserved in amber. This is one sector that genuinely lives up to its “novelty” name. The latest frozen concepts give cupcakes, pie pops and the notorious Cronut stiff competition.
That should bring dairy developers and the category’s devoted fans cause for cheer. Marketing Manager Jillian Hillard of ingredient supplier PreGel America, Concord, N.C., said, “It’s a very exciting time to be in the frozen dessert industry.” Even so, she noted, “With so many trends and ideas swirling, the bar is being set high.”