Dairy Foods Magazine just came out with this article discussing how inclusions can enhance dairy product sales, so thought it would be a good topic to cover as it pertains to ice cream.
As a ice cream consultant, I am frequently asked, what is an inclusion? It can be anything from chocolate chunks to strawberry pieces and not to be confused with a variegate or swirl like fudge or caramel. Inclusions and variegation are two separate but important processes to deliver extra and sometimes complex flavor additions to an otherwise basic frozen product. In either case the goal is to make a frozen dessert more marketable and exciting. Is it working – you bet.
Thirty years past, an inclusion would have been much smaller in size than what we see today, think chocolate chips or crushed nuts. In the late 70’s, ice cream entrepreneurs and startups started doing something new by adding larger pieces and multiple items to ice cream. Termanology like chips changed to chunk and nut pieces became halves or whole. The startup’s were characters like Darryls’ Homemade Ice Cream Factory in Toledo Ohio, Ben & Jerry in Waterbury Vermont, Steve’s Ice Cream in Cambridge Mass. and Annabelles Super Premium Ice Cream from Portsmouth NH.. Some names are recognized, because they became a national brand, but to be clear they were all introducing flavor concepts never considered and experienced in the past. Terms like high butterfat, low over run, all natural and super premium started popping up and flavors like Cookies & Creme, Chocolate Toffee Chunk, Kahlua Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate with Almond Halves and Raspberry Chocolate Chunk were being sought after. Amazing flavors were being created and sold regionally, while national brands like Borden’s were sitting idle and promoting basic flavors like French vanilla with artificial color. By early to mid 80’s brands started nationally launching their private label brand of Super Premium, All Natural Ice Cream and packed with multiple inclusions. Even the equipment companies that manufactured the filling equipment for pints and quarts were having a heck of a time keeping up with demand. It took about 2 years for manufacturers to get the initial insurgence of creative flavors under control. The interest in multiple inclusions in ice cream is still popular and many flavors from the 80’s are still good sellers today.
The 80’s was a truly exciting time to be in the ice cream business, it represented a wave of creativity and customer appreciation that has not been seen since. It created new decisions a customer made at the ice cream counter and launched an era where simple flavors were simply not good enough. Although vanilla remains the most popular flavor in America, the Chunky Monkey’s remain a hit. So enjoy an inclusion in your favorite ice cream or simply on top of frozen yogurt, in any case the inclusion is here to stay.
Contact Darryl, he can work with you on the proper inclusions to use in your product.
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