BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM

Information updated April 2024

I received an interesting query this week regarding Kroger Private Selection Butter Pecan ice cream, “Am I wasting my money?”

WE’RE PAYING FOR EACH INGREDIENT: Have you ever watched one of those How It’s Made type shows where you can see each stage of the production process? In the world of food and beverages, each ingredient we see on an ingredient list requires its own ordering, storage, management and integration into the production line >> each ingredient takes up space and costs money and time. We are paying for each ingredient, yet most products contain many ingredients which are not in a homemade recipe.

Why are we paying for ingredients which don’t need to be there?

Let’s compare the manufactured ice creams’ ingredients to homemade. So we have a means of comparison, here’s a look at the ingredients for homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream >> Cream + Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Pecans, Butter, Vanilla Extract and Salt.

MANUFACTURED ICE CREAMS: We’ll start by looking at the requested Kroger Private Selection Southern Butter Pecan (shown below). This ice cream is Far From Homemade™ with 5 Thickening Agents, 4 Emulsifying Agents, 2 Added Coloring Agents, Natural Flavors and an FDA-recognized Chemical Preservative >> Citric Acid. This 48oz. package costs $6.99 at Kroger’s. (Source for non-sale pricing and ingredients: Kroger Web site 4/24)

In terms of value, we are paying for ingredients we don’t need in this ice cream; there are 16 ingredients in this Kroger Butter Pecan ice cream which would not be in our home kitchens to make a Butter Pecan ice cream. Perhaps purchase an ice cream where each penny spent is on ingredients which are (closer to) the real thing >> a closer-to-homemade product may cost more in dollars and cents, but the value is greater because there are no/not as many unnecessary ingredients. Ideally, closer-to-homemade products taste better which also increases their value in terms of satisfaction.

WHY DOES KROGER ADD CITRIC ACID PRESERVATIVE TO THIS ICE CREAM? Unless it specifically notes “Naturally-occurring Citric Acid” — which is made from real citrus, Manufactured Citric Acid is made using Black Mold.

Learn more about potential reactions to Manufactured Citric Acid from a study — Potential role of the common food additive manufactured citric acid in eliciting significant inflammatory reactions contributing to serious disease states: A series of four case reports

From the study:

“Citric acid naturally exists in fruits and vegetables. However, it is not the naturally occurring citric acid, but the manufactured citric acid (MCA) that is used extensively as a food and beverage additive. Approximately 99% of the world’s production of MCA is carried out using the fungus Aspergillus niger since 1919. Aspergilus niger is a known allergen.”

The conclusion of this study is:

“We cannot conclusively affirm that Manufactured Citric Acid is the causative factor in the subjects’ inflammatory symptoms. However, our findings demonstrate a significant likelihood that MCA may be the culprit and are suggestive of valid concerns which warrant proper double blind studies to determine presence or absence of harm.”

Source: National Library of Medicine U.S. Institutes of Health

The greater issue of concern is Accumulation >> it wouldn’t necessarily be a big deal if we consumed these Chemical Preservatives once in a while, but they are pervasive, especially in leading brands which tend to be from the biggest food companies. Store brands like Kroger and private label brand products are manufactured by large food companies. Check your pantry and fridge for just Citric Acid and you may be shocked by what you find. Click here to learn more about the study:

Following is what’s inside some Butter Pecan products from leading U.S. Brands and others . . . I would say “ice creams” but this Unilever Breyers Butter Pecan product (below) isn’t even real ice cream >> it’s “Frozen Dairy Dessert” because it can’t legally be called ice cream >> the ingredients don’t meet the Standard of Identity for real ice cream. (Source for ingredients: Unilever Breyers Web site 4/24)

JUST LIKE KROGER AND BREYERS, FRONERI-OWNED EDY’S AND DREYER’S BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAMS USE MILK AS THE PRIMARY INGREDIENT: When less-expensive-than-cream Milk is the #1 ingredient in an Ice Cream, multiple Thickening Agents are required to give the product the texture which consumers expect from an ice cream. (Source for ingredients: Froneri Dreyer’s and Edy’s Web sites 4/24)

AMAZON HAS REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF CREAM + PECANS IN WHOLE FOODS 365 BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM: Seen below right, Milk is now the #1 ingredient in Whole Foods 365 Butter Pecan and there are fewer Pecans and more Natural Flavors vs. 2020 seen below left. This Whole Foods 365 ice cream also contains Not In Kitchen™ ingredients such as Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum and Citric Acid. (Source for ingredients: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 2020 and 4/24)

The following Butter Pecan Ice Creams all contain multiple ingredients Not In Kitchen when making homemade ice cream (Sources for ingredients: Brand Web sites, Instacart and Stop & Shop Web sites 4/24):

Seen below, Häagen-Dazs Butter Pecan contains two ingredients not in the homemade version >> Corn Syrup and Coconut Oil. (Source: Froneri Häagen-Dazs Web site 4/24)

Other Häagen-Dazs flavors include Not In Kitchen ingredients such as Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Fructose, Corn Oil, Pectin, Canola Oil and Added Natural Flavors. (Source: Froneri Häagen-Dazs Web site 4/24)

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAMS: We found only one Butter Pecan ice cream which didn’t have multiple ingredients Not In Kitchen >> Wholesome Country Creamery made with Grass-fed Milk - seen below.

Consider making ice cream at home yourself, especially if you eat it often >> the economical-in-the-long-run ice cream machine will pay for itself in a couple of years with the money you save making it yourself. Plus, you’ll be able to perfectly customize it to your taste >> maybe you wish your Butter Pecan also had some shredded coconut or chocolate chips? Yum!

In addition, always consider local ice creams and dairy. Local products are often Closest To Homemade and a great way to support your local farmers.

See what’s in Vanilla Ice Creams and discover which ones are Closest To Homemade:

Discover some Chocolate Ice Creams which are Closest To Homemade:

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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And we leave you with a Butter Pecan ice cream flashback . . .