Ben & Jerry’s launched its first non-dairy ice cream alternate options in 2016. 4 years later, the model was acquired by FMCG Unilever, and at this time the model’s vegan vary has grown to twenty flavours.
For Ben & Jerry’s, non-dairy ice lotions now make up 25% of its international product portfolio.
The choice to broaden its non-dairy vary is probably going fuelled by two elements: shopper demand (though no vegan providing made it into Ben & Jerry’s high 10 flavours of 2023 within the UK) and Unilever’s dedication to realize annual gross sales of €1.5bn from plant-based merchandise by 2025.
To higher mimic its dairy ice cream vary, and in the end win over extra customers, Unilever has been experimenting with Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy base. Having trialled as much as 70 completely different flavour mixtures, the corporate believes it has discovered its reply in oat.
“It’s been an extended journey,” mentioned Unilever flavour specialist João Piva. “However we’re assured we’ve created the best-tasting non-dairy base for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream but.”
What was improper with Ben & Jerry’s earlier dairy-free ice cream base?
Ben & Jerry’s vegan ice cream bases have historically been made with both almonds or sunflower butter. However to higher cater to plant-based and flexitarians, the corporate examined different substances with reformulation potential.
“With almond you possibly can expertise a nutty aftertaste,” defined Piva. “And as chunks and sauces are a signature of Ben & Jerry’s flavoured ice lotions, we had been eager to discover a base that allow our hero substances shine extra.”
Unilever was additionally involved in regards to the texture of its bases, having carried out a survey amongst customers. “Shopper testing informed us that non-dairy ice cream merchandise can generally really feel thinner or watery,” an organization spokesperson informed FoodNavigator.
“We wished to search out an ingredient that will shut that texture hole.”
The aim was to search out an ingredient and base formulation that ensured the model’s ‘signature’ style was maintained. The crew – made up of Piva, Unilever science and know-how consultants and Ben & Jerry’s US contingent – believes it has achieved that with oats.
Plant-based ice cream takes a shine to oats
Oats usually are not new to plant-based dairy, nor new to plant-based ice cream. Between April 2022 and March 2023, Mintel information suggests oats had been used as a base ingredient in dairy-free ice cream in round three in ten (27%) launches. The share of European plant-based ice cream launches with oats as an ingredient was virtually double the share of launches with almonds in that very same interval.
A notable instance consists of Oatly’s Delicate Serve product, which launched final yr.
The news on reformulation challenges
Reformulating ice cream – whether or not dairy or not – is not any imply feat. The matrix should permit for ample ice content material to allow firmness, but in addition soften and coat the mouth in hotter situations. “Ice cream is a technical product, and you should perceive the half every ingredient performs, in any other case you find yourself mixing good substances with out making ice cream,” defined Piva.
Even simply when it comes to look, the crew claims to have recognized they’d discovered the winner once they began scooping the oat-based ice cream, “The ice cream expertise doesn’t begin together with your first chunk. You begin consuming together with your eyes.
“The oat base was smoother and richer, which meant we anticipated a greater texture, even earlier than we took a spoonful.”
Shopper testing suggests customers would purchase the product, as a result of the consuming expertise is ‘pretty much as good as dairy’. The brand new formulation shall be used within the model’s tubs and scoop outlets worldwide from spring 2024.
Unilever busy in reformulation throughout Magnum, Wall’s and Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s will not be the one ice cream model Unilever has been reformulating of late. The FMCG main is reformulating its ice lotions throughout the board to face up to hotter temperatures, that means it may scale back the associated fee and power use of its freezer cupboards.
Unilever owns shut to a few million ice cream cupboards, which it leases out to sellers worldwide. The business commonplace temperature in lots of markets is -18˚C, however Unilever desires to heat up its freezers to -12˚C. The power advantages in doing so are huge: ice cream contributes to twenty% of Unilever’s greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions, with roughly half of that coming from its cupboards.
Since Unilever leases out its cupboards, it wants different ice cream manufacturers to additionally reformulate their merchandise to face up to hotter temperatures. To encourage reformulation efforts, the corporate is granting a free non-exclusive license to the ice cream business for 12 reformulation patents.
“By way of collaboration, we consider we will scale back the ice cream chilly chain’s influence on the surroundings, while persevering with to ship prime quality merchandise for our customers,” a Unilever spokesperson informed us.
Eager to study extra about plant-based dairy and reformulation? Tune into our upcoming Constructive Vitamin occasion 12-14 March 2024.
