What Ice Milk Was For Baby Boomers, And Why It Disappeared - Tasting Table

"The main difference is that if a product is called ice cream the FDA requires it to have at least 10% milk fat, and that includes all of your favorite ice cream brands. Ice milk had anywhere between 2% and 7% milk fat; it also used milk powder and other stabilizers instead of eggs. Not only did ice milk have less fat, it was also cheaper than ice cream."

"In 1994, ice milk fell victim to new labeling regulations. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act allowed ice milk to be sold as ice cream if it was labeled "reduced fat." If it contained 25% less fat than the standard version, it met requirements. If it was less than half the fat, it could be called light. So ice milk didn't technically disappear and isn't one of those foods that Boomers love that became less popular."

Ice milk was a frozen dairy dessert similar to ice cream but contained 2–7% milk fat compared with ice cream's minimum 10% milk fat. Ice milk often used milk powder and other stabilizers instead of eggs, producing a lighter, cheaper product that sometimes qualified as reduced-fat soft serve. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1994 allowed products with 25% less fat than the standard to be labeled "reduced fat" and those with less than half the fat to be labeled "light." As a result, products formerly sold as ice milk could be marketed as reduced-fat or light ice cream. The name "ice milk" suggested milk with ice and contributed to its poor image, limiting its appeal despite lower cost and fat.

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