Texturally speaking, “ice cream” is something of a misnomer. Yes, consumers expect the frozen treat to be creamy; but any hint of actual iciness — either in the scoop or on the palate — qualifies as an unmistakable quality flaw.
Yet, many of these same consumers are now demanding ice cream with less sugar, cleaner labels, healthier nutritionals and even, in some cases, no actual cream (or dairy, for that matter). So frozen dessert developers are finding it harder to keep the textural balance tipped toward the creamy side of the equation when nudging formulations toward what consumers consider more healthful.