No matter the season, who doesn't love eating chilled ice cream? But is what you are eating ice cream, actually, or could it be a frozen dessert? Yes, not every cold dessert you mistake for ice cream actually qualifies as one.

Frozen desserts differ significantly from ice cream, yet people often make the mistake of thinking they are the same. Although they may look and taste similar, they are quite distinct. Let’s explore the differences between ice cream and frozen desserts and learn how to distinguish between them.

**Difference in Ingredients**
The primary difference between ice cream and frozen dessert lies in the type of fat used. Ice cream is made from milk, cream, and milk fat; to be classified as ice cream, a product must contain at least 10% milk fat. In contrast, frozen desserts use vegetable oil or vegetable fats—such as palm oil or palm kernel oil—instead of milk fat. While milk solids are added, milk fat is not used.

**Difference in Taste and Texture**
Due to the presence of milk fat, ice cream is creamier, richer, and smoother, melting easily in the mouth. Frozen desserts, on the other hand, can feel slightly sticky or oily. Additionally, the melting point of vegetable fat differs from that of dairy fat.

**FSSAI Regulations and Packaging Labels**
To prevent consumer deception, companies are required to clearly state on the packaging whether a product is ice cream or a frozen dessert. If a product contains more than 0.5% vegetable oil, it cannot be sold as ice cream; it must be labeled and sold as a frozen dessert.

**Difference in Price**
Vegetable oil is significantly cheaper than dairy fat. That is why frozen desserts are quite cost-effective for companies to produce and are priced lower. In contrast, ice cream is made using milk fat, which makes it more expensive than frozen desserts.

What should you look for when buying?
Whenever you buy a packaged product from the market, carefully read the list of ingredients on the front or back of the container. If the ingredients include palm oil or vegetable oil, it is a frozen dessert; if it contains milk fat, it is ice cream. Additionally, the packaging will explicitly state whether it is a frozen dessert.

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