It sounds like an urban legend, but those
viral videos are correct: Walmart's Great
Value Ice Cream Sandwiches don't really melt
in the sun.
But the reasons behind this unexpected structural
integrity are totally benign.
Here's why.
Label check
The ice cream in an ice cream sandwich is
different than what's in a gallon of Ben & Jerry's.
It has to be, because if you tried to make
an ice cream sandwich out of regular ol' ice
cream, it just wouldn't work.
It needs to retain its shape for longer, which
is where a few totally natural additives come
in.
According to Geek.com, guar gum and calcium
sulfate are crucial to the creation.
Extracted from the guar bean, guar gum acts
as an emulsifier to stabilize the thawing
process.
Meanwhile, calcium sulfate, a simple calcium
salt, traps moisture to help your treat retain
its shape.
Carob bean gum and cellulose gum, other common
natural additives, also act as thickening
agents, making the ice cream inside the sandwich
a lot sturdier and more melt-resistant than
what's on top of your typical cone.
A Walmart representative told Snopes that
a high cream content is also a factor, but
Consumer Reports says it's really all about
those gums.
Compared to other popular ice cream sandwich
brands, Walmart simply uses more of them,
leading to a seemingly magical non-melting
confection.
Should you worry?
Of all the ingredients in Walmart's ice cream
sandwich, guar gum is the one that might have
given you some pause, especially if you were
trying to slim down in the 1980s.
During that decade's fitness craze, guar gum
was used in diet pills for a time, due to
its mild laxative effect and the way it made
you feel full.
LiveScience says the pills were banned by
the FDA because ingesting excessive guar gum
lead to some nasty side effects, like swelling
of the esophagus, especially if you didn't
drink enough water when you popped the pills.
But, like all of the ingredients listed on
the side of the box, the FDA says it's perfectly
safe in small doses as a natural food additive.
So despite their unexpected sun resistance,
there are no suspicious ingredients or dodgy
surprises hiding in Walmart's treats.
Flavor preferences aside, there's no reason
to avoid buying them.
For what it's worth, the Consumer Reports
panel of experts found them, well, a bit too
gummy ...
"Higher-quality ice creams melt clean on the
mouth.
This is notably gummy, and it has an almost
foamy feel on the tongue."
But if your kids love them, a less-messy treat
is always a boon, and it's all thanks to science.
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