Could an ice cream scoop a day keep the doctor away?
It’s not as crazy as it might sound. By tapping into health trends like probiotics, gut health, and even traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), ice cream can evolve into a functional, wellness-focused product that appeals to health-conscious consumers beyond just the warmer summer months.
Combining health and indulgence
In food and drink, the line between health and indulgence is more blurred than ever. While yoghurt has established a strong association with digestive health, ice cream has yet to embrace functional ingredients.
Yoghurt’s success is rooted in years of consumer education and product innovation, with brands targeting digestion, sleep, and even beauty through gut health. Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics can help reposition ice cream as more than just a dessert, transforming it into a functional food with health benefits.
There’s an appetite for change. In Germany, nearly a quarter of 16 to 44-year-olds say they’d be interested in ice cream with gut-friendly ingredients, according to Mintel research. American brand Alec’s Ice Cream has launched ‘Culture Cups’, fortified with pre and probiotics, topped with a chocolate shell. It’s a great example of how ice cream can blur function with pleasure, as done effectively by categories like yoghurt.
Frozen kefir can also capitalise on consumers’ growing familiarity with the benefits of probiotics. Aldi in the UK recently launched a range of kefir-based frozen yoghurts, drawing on the growing interest in fermented foods. In the future, brands can also celebrate the sour flavour of kefir, with these sour flavours particularly appealing to younger consumers.
Trends from China
More adventurous still is the use of ingredients rooted in TCM. In China, a trend known as ‘punk yangsheng’ – or ‘lazy wellness’ – has seen many food and drink categories become viral hits by incorporating medicine and food homology (MFH) ingredients. MFH is a concept in which some foods are considered medicines.
Younger consumers turn to these products to counteract unhealthy lifestyles. One source of inspiration is the Shanghai-based brand Zhong Yao Tang Gelato, gaining attention for its TCM ingredients and apothecary-style shop.
As we enter the colder months, brands can take further inspiration from China, where ‘warming’ ingredients such as fermented soybeans, probiotics, and medicinal herbs are being used in ice cream. With cold treats having no basis in TCM, these additions can help ease concerns for those with ‘cold constitutions’ and position ice cream’s appeal beyond summer.
Ice cream may never be a health food in the conventional sense, but by borrowing from the probiotic playbook – and perhaps a little Chinese wisdom – it may yet reinvent itself as a year-round, wellness indulgence.
Alice Pilkington, research principal analyst at Mintel Food & Drink
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