Pippuri.fi found out what melon really is in mango melon ice cream.
Mango melon is one of the best selling ice cream flavors. Manufacturers, Tiina Somerpuro
Mango melon is one of the favorite ice cream flavors of Finns. The combination of flavors is available both in ice cream kiosks and in liter packages from stores.
Reading the ingredient lists for mango melons, it is clear that the variety of melon is not specified on the packaging of any manufacturer. So what does a melon in your favorite ice cream really taste like?
The picture of Pirkka’s one-liter ice cream package shows mango slices and a block of dark-skinned, light-fruit melon. The melon looks like a pie de sapo variety in the eyes of the supplier. However, such ice cream does not contain, it turns out surprisingly.
– The melon used in ice cream is watermelon, says Kesko’s product manager for ice cream in the grocery business Alina Andersson.
Why then doesn’t there be a picture of watermelon in Pirkka’s ice cream package?
– The serving suggestion pictures in the package often communicate tips on how and with what the product can be served, so a melon that suits the taste and color of the ice cream has been selected for the picture, Andersson says.
Watermelon in loose penguin ice cream
Mango melon ice cream is also manufactured by Froneri Finland under the Penguin brand. Loose ice cream can be found at Penguin Ice Cream Kiosks. What melon does a penguin mango melon contain?
– The melon used in mango melon is watermelon. It’s not a secret, the product is just old and traditional and sometimes just named that way, says Froneri Finland’s Marketing Director Minna Brunberg and says the flavor combination is the best-selling ice cream right after the basic flavors, i.e. vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.
Ingman does not tell the variety of melon
Mango melon ice cream can also be found at Ingman. Pictures of an orange cantaloupe melon can be seen on Ingman’s liter ice cream pack.
However, whether the ice cream contains cantaloupe or some other melon remains a mystery, as Ingman is not wanted to open it.
– Our ingredients listed on the packaging fully comply with all legal requirements, and consumer safety is our first priority for Unilever and Ingman. In Ingman’s mango melon, we indicate mango melon jam on the packaging, because the melon is not an allergen, comments Lotta Blomster About marketing Unilever.
FACTS
The share of melon in all three brands is quite small. Pirkka and Penguin ice creams contain 0.1% melon juice concentrate. There is one percent mango in ice cream. In Ingman’s product description, the proportion of melon is stated to be 1.5 per cent. The share of mango in ice cream is also 1.5 percent.