ALDI shoppers complain over ‘strange’ change over well-loved treat: ‘It was disgusting’
- Replies 10
The humble tub of vanilla ice cream holds a special place in the hearts of many. It's the unsung hero of desserts, a versatile canvas for many toppings, from the classic Aussie Milo to more adventurous pairings like olive oil and sea salt.
With such a penchant for this frozen delight, it's only natural that changing our cherished ice cream brands would cause a stir.
Recently, a storm brewed in the freezer aisles of ALDI as shoppers discovered a 'disgusting' change to a popular ice cream product.
The uproar began when an eagle-eyed shopper posted a photo of Blue Ribbon Classic Vanilla ice cream, a product made by the well-known Streets company.
The customer's complaint? The ice cream they knew and loved had been replaced with something else entirely, and the difference was palpable.
'Anyone else notice the Blue Ribbon ice cream is a bit strange?' she asked.
'Well, that is because they have sneakily replaced it with Blue Ribbon Classic Vanilla, which, in the fine print, is ice confection. Packaging is the same, but it is NOT ice cream! I could scream!'
The sentiment was echoed across social media, with other members commenting on their tales of disappointment.
‘It was gnarly when we had it last,’ one disappointed customer said. ‘Never again. Shame though.’
‘I bought this the other day…we noticed the difference. It was disgusting,’ another said.
‘Tastes so gross,’ a third consumer noted. ‘Definitely has a weird aftertaste.’
‘If it doesn’t say ice cream on the container, it’s not actually ice cream,’ one commenter explained. ‘I only just learnt this.’
‘To be real ice cream, the first ingredient listed must be cream; otherwise, it’s not ice cream,’ another said.
‘If it says dessert, it’s not real ice cream,’ one person commented.
The confusion stemmed from the product's labelling. While the packaging remained largely unchanged, the contents had been subtly altered.
The tub that once proudly declared itself as 'vanilla flavoured ice cream' now bore the title 'vanilla flavoured frozen dairy dessert'.
This change wasn't exclusive to ALDI—it was a global shift across all supermarkets stocking the Streets brand.
Upon closer inspection, the nutritional labels revealed the crux of the issue.
The original ice cream contained 10.8 g of fat per 100g, while the new 'frozen dairy dessert' contained a mere 7g of fat per 100g. The new recipe also included vegetable oil, an ingredient absent from the previous formulation.
Unilever, the British parent company that owns Streets, confirmed the recipe change when approached by media.
They claimed the adjustment was made to enhance the product's texture and reduce shrinkage after repeated freezing and thawing.
However, the change also coincided with rising global milk fat costs, suggesting a cost-saving motive.
Edward McCartney, a food scientist from Food Safety Plus, shed light on the technicalities.
‘To be an ice cream, you have to have a certain minimum percentage of fat, and if they go below that percentage, they have to call it a frozen dessert,’ he said.
‘The texture, taste and mouthfeel might not be too dissimilar, but it’s probably a cost-saving exercise because milk fats are becoming quite expensive globally.’
According to Australian and New Zealand Food Standards, a product must contain at least 10 per cent milk fat to be labelled 'ice cream'.
Falling below this threshold necessitates a different classification—hence the term 'frozen dairy dessert'.
Have you experienced a similar switcheroo with your favourite products? Share your stories and tips on how to spot the imposters in the comments below!
With such a penchant for this frozen delight, it's only natural that changing our cherished ice cream brands would cause a stir.
Recently, a storm brewed in the freezer aisles of ALDI as shoppers discovered a 'disgusting' change to a popular ice cream product.
The uproar began when an eagle-eyed shopper posted a photo of Blue Ribbon Classic Vanilla ice cream, a product made by the well-known Streets company.
The customer's complaint? The ice cream they knew and loved had been replaced with something else entirely, and the difference was palpable.
ALDI shoppers noticed a ‘disgusting’ change over Streets’ Blue Ribbon Vanilla Ice Cream. Credit: Facebook
'Anyone else notice the Blue Ribbon ice cream is a bit strange?' she asked.
'Well, that is because they have sneakily replaced it with Blue Ribbon Classic Vanilla, which, in the fine print, is ice confection. Packaging is the same, but it is NOT ice cream! I could scream!'
The sentiment was echoed across social media, with other members commenting on their tales of disappointment.
‘It was gnarly when we had it last,’ one disappointed customer said. ‘Never again. Shame though.’
‘I bought this the other day…we noticed the difference. It was disgusting,’ another said.
‘Tastes so gross,’ a third consumer noted. ‘Definitely has a weird aftertaste.’
‘If it doesn’t say ice cream on the container, it’s not actually ice cream,’ one commenter explained. ‘I only just learnt this.’
‘To be real ice cream, the first ingredient listed must be cream; otherwise, it’s not ice cream,’ another said.
‘If it says dessert, it’s not real ice cream,’ one person commented.
The confusion stemmed from the product's labelling. While the packaging remained largely unchanged, the contents had been subtly altered.
The tub that once proudly declared itself as 'vanilla flavoured ice cream' now bore the title 'vanilla flavoured frozen dairy dessert'.
This change wasn't exclusive to ALDI—it was a global shift across all supermarkets stocking the Streets brand.
Upon closer inspection, the nutritional labels revealed the crux of the issue.
The original ice cream contained 10.8 g of fat per 100g, while the new 'frozen dairy dessert' contained a mere 7g of fat per 100g. The new recipe also included vegetable oil, an ingredient absent from the previous formulation.
Unilever, the British parent company that owns Streets, confirmed the recipe change when approached by media.
They claimed the adjustment was made to enhance the product's texture and reduce shrinkage after repeated freezing and thawing.
However, the change also coincided with rising global milk fat costs, suggesting a cost-saving motive.
Edward McCartney, a food scientist from Food Safety Plus, shed light on the technicalities.
‘To be an ice cream, you have to have a certain minimum percentage of fat, and if they go below that percentage, they have to call it a frozen dessert,’ he said.
‘The texture, taste and mouthfeel might not be too dissimilar, but it’s probably a cost-saving exercise because milk fats are becoming quite expensive globally.’
According to Australian and New Zealand Food Standards, a product must contain at least 10 per cent milk fat to be labelled 'ice cream'.
Falling below this threshold necessitates a different classification—hence the term 'frozen dairy dessert'.
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