One in five young people regularly eat 500ml tubs of ice cream – five times the recommended serving size – to themselves in one sitting, an exclusive poll for The Grocer has revealed.
This article is part of our Ice Cream Report 2014.
Twenty two per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds admit to regularly taking on a tub solo in one go, versus 13% of the general population, according to our survey (see below).
| How do you eat 500ml tubs of ice cream? | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | 16-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55+ | |
| To myself in a one sitting | 13% | 16% | 10% | 22% | 19% | 11% | 12% | 6% |
| To myself over several days | 30% | 31% | 29% | 34% | 38% | 30% | 28% | 22% |
| With others in a single sitting | 13% | 14% | 12% | 14% | 13% | 16% | 12% | 10% |
| With others over several days | 44% | 39% | 49% | 31% | 30% | 43% | 47% | 62% |
“These are alarming figures,” says Lucia Juliano, head of consumer & retail research at Harris Interactive, which carried out the poll. “Ben & Jerry’s suggest a single portion of 100ml, not 500ml.
“By eating a full tub to yourself you’re easily eating over 1,000 calories and exceeding your recommended daily amount of sugar and saturated fat.”
Ben & Jerry’s owner Unilever UK says it clearly states recommended serving size on its products and claims its research shows that if consumers do overindulge, they compensate by exercising.
“We advocate that consumers eat no more than 250 calories per serving as part of a healthy lifestyle,” says Ben & Jerry’s brand manager Alessandro Salvo.
“Consumer research shows that our audience likes to treat themselves but also maintain a healthy lifestyle, keeping active to balance out their treats.”
Meanwhile, 28% of consumers say ice cream manufacturers should do nothing to address concerns about obesity.
| What should ice cream manufacturers do to address obesity concerns? | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | 16-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55+ | |
| Reformulate | 48% | 47% | 48% | 39% | 38% | 45% | 55% | 54% |
| Develop frozen yoghurts | 9% | 7% | 12% | 16% | 10% | 10% | 8% | 6% |
| Reduce portion sizes | 7% | 6% | 8% | 15% | 10% | 6% | 4% | 5% |
| Develop dairy free alternatives | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 6% |
In association with
Harris UK Interactive is a full service, consultative custom market research agency working internationally out of offices in the UK, Europe and the US. With in-house expertise covering all areas of research, design, implementation, analysis and reporting, it has particular strengths in loyalty and brand. For more information, visit the Harris UK Interactive website.
No comments yet