Let that flavour freeze!

Hungary’s ice cream culture made great progress in the last few years – Ferenc Németh, commercial director of Tutti Kft. told our magazine. Ice creams made from carbohydrate-, lactose- and additive-free ingredients and natural products are available in more and more places. Consumers are open to trying new ice cream varieties, but the best sellers are still the good old basic flavours. It is a good thing the best ingredients and machines are available to ice cream makers now. According to András Gangel, product developer of m-GEL Hungary Kft., consumption habits and trends change from one year to another. His view is that in 2015 three distinct groups of ice cream eaters developed: those looking for top quality, price-sensitive buyers and people with special needs (they want lactose- or sugar-free products). The artisan ice cream market is slowly expanding.

Mr Németh revealed that few places offer cooked ice cream because using fresh ingredients (eggs, fresh milk and cream) is very risky. He added that the best ice cream ingredient manufacturers use the same natural ingredients (sugar, powdered milk, cocoa powder) as those who prepare artisan ice cream. Mr Gangel opines that if modern ingredients are used, delicious ice cream can be made with both the cold and the hot method. He spoke about chocolate ice cream’s never-fading popularity and the conquest of yogurt ice cream combined with some kind of fruit. Programmes such as ‘Ice Cream of the Year’ and special ice cream products for children have great marketing value.

As for innovation activity in ice cream making, the main focus is on ingredients, especially on reducing the role of sugar – with the exception of sugar extracted from fresh fruits. Mr Gangel told there is great potential in using natural sugar extracted from fruits such as apple: ice creams made from these are tastier than those made with sugar from sugar beet. As today there is definitely a ‘retro’ trend going on, so-called soft ice cream is more and more popular. These ice creams are made without any additional component. Mr Németh told that there is a growing number of natural sweeteners available to ice cream makers at affordable prices. At the moment they manufacture 6 types ice cream ingredient which contain no added sugar. The company is busy developing a protein ice cream base powder.