KNOWLEDGE: Greyston Bakery, The Company Behind the Brownies from Ben & Jerry's

If you've ever had a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Half Baked or Brownie Chew Gooder (all A's in my book), you've experienced first hand some of the best brownies in the ice cream business. Many think that these sensational squares are made in house by Ben & Jerry's, but I'm here to enlighten the uneducated ice cream consumer. The only thing better than the taste of my favorite mix-in from Vermont's Finest, is what goes on behind the scenes at Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, New York, the place where Ben & Jerry's buys their brownies from. Here's what they have to say about their mission statement, "At Greyston, we think of ourselves as Bakers on a Mission. For over 30 years, we have been at the forefront of social responsibility by advancing our people and community through employment, affordable housing, and child care. We believe a strong community benefits everyone and its been a part of our recipe for baking the most delicious brownies for decades because we know that inspired bakers make inspired baked goods."

Back in April, when I was in Vermont at the Ben & Jerry's headquarters, they made it evident that they intended to try and make all their flavors Fairtrade. This immediately raised the question of whether or not they would start severing ties with some of the companies they've sourced from in the past. Ben & Jerry's quickly clarified that despite their 100% Fairtrade aspirations, they wouldn't do so at the expense of breaking bonds with companies like Greyston Bakery, that are making real differences in the lives of people. By hiring people that may not otherwise be employable, their giving second chances to hard-working Americans that actually deserve them. I can only hope that Ben & Jerry's and Greyston Bakery continue their partnership for many years to come, not only because of the surrounding social mission, but also for selfish, personal reasons having to do with my infatuation with their fudge brownies.

KNOWLEDGE: Frozen Dairy Desserts and Why They Should Die

Over the past year, I’ve sampled hundreds of ice creams and gelatos. I’ve tasted the good, the bad and the ugly, but ones featuring frozen dairy dessert in the description consistently rank among the worst. When major manufacturers want to cut spending and increase profits, they have a number of different approaches. Increasing prices usually results in decreased sales and outraged consumers so they typically try to avoid this at all costs. This leaves lowering quality and size as the only viable options to reach their corporate sales goals. Breyer’s used to be synonymous with all-natural ingredients and dependable ice cream, but recently they’ve taken a turn for the worst by making the transition into frozen dairy dessert.

Not only has Breyer’s adopted this new method of lower-quality production, but they also downsized their product from a full half-gallon to only 48 ounces over the years. The decreased amount of ice cream in their cartons must not have met the demands of the corporate higher-ups because they slowly started integrating an entirely new recipe. What used to be labeled as all-natural ice cream is now referred to as flavored frozen dairy dessert. In accordance with the FDA, ice cream must contain at least 10% milk fat; which means Breyer’s can’t call their product ice cream anymore. Their revised recipe has nearly all the calories of the original, half the fat and less than half the taste. One look at the ingredients list shows some major differences; most notably the fact that cream is mentioned very low on the ingredients list when compared to their ice cream of the past.

The classic recipe used in Breyer's Neapolitan (image courtesy of Food Health Reviews)

The revised, frozen dairy dessert recipe with less fat, less taste, more calories and a far longer ingredient list.

Breyer’s even dedicated an entire portion of their site to tackling the questions associated with the change. Out of the eleven questions addressed in the FAQ section of their site, seven have to do with the switch to frozen dairy dessert.

The same high-quality ingredients, just in far less amounts.

Sounds doubtful that you'd revamp an entire operation because some tell us that they want a smoother texture.

I'm not sure what "fans" they speak of, but I haven't heard one person say they like the new recipe as much as the original. The Blasts! lineup seems only popular because Breyer's bought other big corporations to entice people with the brand recognition associated with their cookies and candy.

At the expense of taste and texture.

Considering Breyer's has kept their all-natural favorites, this only further disproves numbers 5 and 6.

Breyer's might need to switch back to the half-gallon carton to fit the new, lengthy ingredient list.

I would certainly hope not considering they now use lower-quality, artificial ingredients.

Sounds like yet another excuse.

The artificial, gummy consistency of this new product has grown so horrid that my reviews of their Blasts lineup have been for the sake of science (and to deter people from purchasing some of their products). As you can see, the grades given to the current Breyer’s flavors are consistently low with C being the highest.

From here on out, I'll be boycotting this brand (unless I can bring them some bad publicity) and hopefully educate some of the unassuming consumers as to how exactly Breyer's is cheating them out of ice cream while continuing to charge the same price.

KNOWLEDGE: So What are the Differences Between Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt and Gelato?

Over the extent of this blog, I’ve exchanged emails and had a few conversations about what exactly the differences are between all the types of frozen desserts currently available. While the freezer aisle used to consist strictly of ice cream, the market has recently become saturated with a wide array of intriguing and more health-conscious options. Now that same aisle can be the cause of some serious confusion when it comes to what your next purchase should be. This site was originated to assist in helping the masses get the most for their money, but sometimes flavor won’t be the only deciding factor. Although the enjoyment derived from ice cream, gelato or frozen yogurt usually depends on the preferences of the end user, here’s some more information on what exactly makes each type significant in its own regard.

In the United States, there are a set of guidelines from the Food And Drug Administration that manufacturers must follow in order to officially call their product ice cream. Any product that claims that name must contain at least 10 percent milk fat (also referred to as butter fat) per half-cup serving. Super-premium companies like Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen-Dazs hang around the mid-teens as far as butterfat percentage is concerned, but some of the flavors from the small-batch artisanal brands can accommodate far more. After the company has decided how much fat to incorporate into their ice cream, the next decision has to do with how much air to whip in during the production process.

Ben & Jerry's test kitchen uses a single flavor batch ice cream maker from Taylor that can create a variety of different consistencies.

The overrun as it’s commonly referred to, is the amount of air that is whipped into a given ice cream mixture and as Turkey Hill’s Ice Cream Journal explains, “For example, an overrun of 100 percent would mean for every gallon of ice cream mix, you get two gallons of finished ice cream. Without this air, the frozen ice cream mix would resemble an ice cube, the same as if you were to freeze milk or any other liquid. This would make the ice cream pretty difficult to scoop and very icy to eat, which would also make for a pretty frustrating dessert experience.” This churning stage traps air within the mixture and gives us the texture we normally associate with ice cream. The amount of air inside is vital in the final consistency we associate to each particular brand. When companies whip in high amounts of air, the texture becomes light and fluffy, while low amounts of air produce a heavy, dense finished product. In order to protect the consumer, the FDA has capped the maximum overrun to 100 percent and doesn’t allow any offering referred to as ice cream to weigh less than 4.5 pounds per gallon.

Graeter's uses a secret recipe of fresh cream and egg custard that is gently swirled along the chilled sides of a slowly spinning French Pot Freezer. As the mixture grows thicker, a blade scrapes the side of the pot and folds the ice cream into itself. This gentle process prevents air from whipping into their ice cream and is responsible for the extremely dense consistency associated with their unique product.

Whereas ice cream is made with milk and cream, the majority of gelatos contain no cream whatsoever. Their rich and creamy consistency can be attributed to the fact that they have a miniscule amount of air whipped during the vertical spinning process (as opposed to horizontal spinning of most ice creams). The amount of milk fat in gelato tends to range anywhere from 3-10% and must contain at least 7% of egg yolks by weight. This puts the texture somewhere between that of ice cream and a soft-serve because gelato freezes less solidly; meaning it melts faster in your mouth. The lack of overrun (only about %50) contributes to, what some would consider, a more flavorful finished product. This also means that gelato can’t be kept as long in storage, which usually results in a fresher, higher quality frozen treat (but not always).

When we hear gelato we typically think of the wide array of artisanal flavors garnished with fresh fruit and gourmet toppings, but as of late you can find some worthy substitutes at your local supermarket. Companies like Talenti, and even generic brands like Target and The Fresh Market, are getting in on the action. Although I’m not partial to either, I’ve been impressed with many of the offerings currently available and they should have no problem stealing away some of the market share from the ice cream competition. Recently however, there’s been another frozen product trying to target the more calorie-conscious consumer: frozen yogurt.

Over the past decade, we’ve seen a large influx of brick and mortar, self-serve frozen yogurt shops popping up across the United States. These allow the consumer to come in, grab a large cup, load it with various flavors of frozen yogurt, sprinkle on a variety of toppings, and then pay based on the weight of your own creation. Although the likes of Pinkberry and Menchie’s haven’t starting sending their products to the supermarket, companies like TCBY, Yoplait and Ben & Jerry’s have all capitalized on this budding market.

Frozen yogurt, as its name implies, is made from yogurt and some of the ingredients you’d find in ice cream like milk and sweeteners. Along with the lower calorie count, many consumers feel like they’re eating the same live bacteria found in standard yogurt that's associated with a healthier digestive system, but that isn’t always the case. If the yogurt base was put through a heat-cycle during the processing stage, it’s likely the cultures were killed off. The milk fat in frozen yogurt is the lowest of all three of our frozen variations; only comprising 0.5-6% of the ingredients depending on whether the frozen yogurt is non-fat, low-fat or regular. Milk solids are then added for sweetness, increased resistance to melting and the protein provides smoothness. Without the addition of cream, frozen yogurt contains far less calories than the competition and, in cases where Greek yogurt is used, has more protein as well. Unfortunately though, taste and texture are usually sacrificed when compared to a more premium product.

Hopefully this article has helped some of you become a more conscious consumer and will assist with the tough decisions associated with picking a frozen treat from the freezer. Please add to the conversation in the comments section!