THEice cream is loved by adults and children. People like it because it’s sweet, fresh, prêt-à-porter, and responds to everyone’s tastes. Strawberry and lemon, chocolate and vanilla, hazelnut and pistachio. To each his favorite combination. March 24th is celebrated European Artisan Gelato Daycome to his eleventh edition. Many events, meetings and initiatives to contribute to the enhancement of this product loved all over the world and its important supply chain. A love for artisanal ice cream that knows no crisis.
Ice cream in Italy
After the months of the pandemic, 2022 saw a record sales of homemade ice cream in Europewith a turnover reaching almost i 10 billion eurosgrowing by 13% over the previous year. Even more important are the growth trends in the Belpaese, where in 2022 the sales of artisanal ice cream reached 2.7 billion euros between ice cream parlors, pastry shops and ice cream bars, in 16% growth compared to 2021 (2.3 billion in 2021 and 1.85 billion in 2020). Also increasing is the number of ice cream shops on the national territory (+139 points of sale), with Lombardy, Sicily and Campania on the podium of the regions with the greater presence of artisan production workshops. And this despite the increases in energy and raw material costs keep the profitability of craft businesses under pressure.
A real food
“Once the ice cream it was the dessert at the end of the meal. At best, a pleasure, a sweet sensory break to indulge in during a walk or in an open-air café in the summer. Now it has conquered the place it deserves, namely that of a real food. Ice cream has an important nutritional rolerepresents an Italian fast food better than many other food choices and is an integral part of Mediterranean diet», explains Professor Pier Luigi Rossi Specialist in Food Science and Hygiene and Preventive Medicine and professor (ac) at theUniversity of Siena – Arezzo.
When to eat it
«After a light meal you can focus on that with cream, after a rich meal it is good to choose that at the fruit. And, in any case, the ice creams are ideal intermediate mealit snack in the afternoon or in the morningfor everyone, adults and children. AND for those in a hurry or has no option to make a lunch regular, it is certainly an excellent solution. Alone or in combination with other foodsas fresh fruit seasonal or healthy plate of raw vegetables and fresh in season. A quick, pleasant and valid meal on a nutritional level», continues the expert.
How to avoid the glycemic peak
«Ice cream contains added sugarssuch as sucrose, glucose syrup, fructose, in addition to those coming from milk (lactose) e from fruit (fructose). It is therefore a food ad high glycemic index. Fructose ice creams are available, with sucrose substitution, but they do not have effective glycemic control. It is necessary to choose an ice cream a low sucrose contentchecking the list of ingredients displayed in the artisan ice cream parlor (or reading the label in industrial ice cream), or associate to ice cream a drink such as a smoothie or centrifuged composed of fruits and vegetables fresh in season, containing dietary fiber able to limit the intestinal absorption of glucose. I recommend the homemade ice cream made with the Avena’s milk, capable of controlling the glycemic peak. Well that too with almond milk», advises Professor Rossi.
No to bans
“AND the dose that makes the poisonthe ice cream in the right dose wisely inserted into the daily food load it has no prohibition. It all depends on nutritional quality of the ingredients used. board of check the ingredients table used in the ice cream shop, whose exposure to the public is mandatory and to read the individual ingredients. If they appear in the first places hydrogenated vegetable fats then ice cream is not healthy», warns the expert.
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