WHAT'S IN BREYERS VANILLA?
BREYERS “VANILLA”-FLAVORED PRODUCTS >> NOT Closest To Homemade®
Information updated December 2024
Breyers Ice Cream was founded by Mr. William Breyer in 1866. Today, Breyers is owned by Unilever.
Mr. Breyer felt so strongly about purity in his Breyers Ice Cream that he created and signed a ‘Breyers Pledge of Purity’ to declare his commitment to using only the best ingredients >> Pledge shown below.
“I pledge that Breyers Ice Cream has never contained adulterants, gums, gelatins, powders or fillers, extracts or artificial flavoring of any nature. Real cream, granulated sugar and pure flavorings are used to make Breyers Ice Cream.” The Old Fashioned Kind. (signed) Henry W. Breyer.
Once upon a time, Breyers ran numerous advertisements all focused on the purity of the ice cream. Who can remember the TV ad when the kid can read the Breyers ingredient label, but can’t read all of the ingredients on the other ice cream carton?
The ads reinforced Breyers’ Pure positioning with messages such as, “Breyers never uses filler, emulsifiers, preservatives or artificial colorings or flavorings”.
Here’s an old ad for Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream stating, “This may be the first time you’ve ever seen natural vanilla.” This is back when Breyers noted real Vanilla Extract as an ingredient.
THERE IS NO VANILLA EXTRACT AS AN INGREDIENT IN BREYERS ‘VANILLA’ ICE CREAMS: Today, Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream and all of Breyers “Vanilla” flavored products defy the vision of Mr. Breyers and not one of them lists real Vanilla Extract on its ingredient label. Although Vanilla Extract is not listed as an ingredient, two of the Breyers packages show real vanilla beans and/or vanilla blossoms. (Source for ingredients: Unilever Breyers Web site 12/24)
Real vanilla is wildly expensive because it is extremely difficult to grow.
Not only is there no Vanilla Extract ingredient listed in these Breyers items . . . the Extra Creamy Breyers Vanilla-flavored product — far left below — is not even real ice cream.
There is a legal Standard of Identity which products must meet to be called ‘Ice Cream’. Many Breyers products are not legally able to be called ice cream because they contain so many ingredients not found in real ice cream. The Breyers Extra Creamy product below has to legally be referred to as “Frozen Dairy Dessert” which is in tiny type on the package front.
Mr. Breyers’ ‘Pledge of Purity’ was Changed
Unilever conveniently revised Mr. Breyers’ ‘Pledge of Purity’ from its origins. Instead of a pledge to use only pure ingredients, it is now simply labeled an ‘Ingredient Pledge’ with the word Purity deleted and all of the words have been changed.
Below left is Mr. Breyers original ‘Pledge of Purity’ and below right is Unilever’s current Ingredient Pledge: Note the asterisk at the end of the current pledge which degrades the founder’s vision even further.
Via the asterisk, Unilever has excluded certain ingredients in some of Breyers’ products from having to deliver on their own revised pledge. In other words, * “Cookies, candies or sauces or fruit from other suppliers” inside certain Breyers offerings are not held to Breyers Ingredient Pledge.
Even though Unilever is obviously in charge of sourcing their own ingredients, certain ingredients which they themselves select do not meet Breyers Ingredient Pledge.
Regarding Breyers Ingredient Pledge, Unilever states: “Breyers created our pledge as an homage to the standard set by our founder.”
Q: Does Unilever actually believe they are paying homage to Mr. Breyer when they change the very Pledge of Purity to which Mr. Breyer was fully committed and personally word-smithed . . . then make products under his name that aren’t even real enough to be called ice cream?
The current day Breyers Extra Creamy Vanilla product (below right) — as another example — is also not real ice cream and has multiple ingredients Mr. Breyer pledged to never have in Breyers-branded products.
Since the Ingredient Inspector is all about finding products which are Closest To Homemade, let’s look at Breyers Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.
Q: Looking at the package below with the ‘Homemade’ designation plus an ice cream churn combined with the Breyers’ Brand equity, what ingredients do you think will be in this Breyers ice cream? The package claims “It’s how homemade should taste”.
Here’s a close-up look at what’s inside Breyers Homemade Vanilla Ice cream which is Far From Homemade with 15 ingredients including Water, Corn Syrup, Whey, 3 Thickening Agents, 2 Emulsifying Agents, Added Flavoring and Added Coloring. This is what we are paying for in this Breyers “Homemade” ice cream with no real Vanilla Extract as an ingredient.
VANILLA ICE CREAM COMPARISON: To see what’s in an ice cream which can legitimately call itself “Homemade Vanilla”, here’s a comparison of Breyers Homemade Vanilla to Straus Family Creamery Organic Vanilla Bean with six natural ingredients.
This Straus Ice Cream contains real Organic Ground Vanilla Beans, Organic Vanilla Extract and Organic Cane Sugar. There are no Corn sweeteners, added Whey, Gums, Flavors, Emulsifiers or added Color.
Q: If Mr. Breyer could see only the ingredients below, which one of these products do you think Mr. Breyer would believe is Breyers ice cream?
CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAMS: Here are some Vanilla ice creams which are Closest To Homemade with real Vanilla Extract on the ingredient list and no ingredients Not In Kitchen when making homemade Vanilla ice cream. Yes, it can be done, yay! (Sources: Brand Web sites 12/24)
Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list
Discover more food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.
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1981 Print Ad for Breyers when it was owned by Kraft Foods
Here’s a look at Breyers Butter Pecan which is not real ice cream:
