Ice cream is a frozen food made from a mixture of dairy products, containing at least 10 percent milk fat.

“Reduced fat” ice cream contains at least 25 percent less total fat than the referenced product (either an average of leading brands, or the company's own brand).


“Light” ice cream contains at least 50 percent less total fat or 33 percent fewer calories than the referenced product (the average of leading regional or national brands).

“Lowfat” ice cream contains a maximum of 3 grams of total fat per serving (1/2 cup).

“Nonfat” ice cream contains less than 0.5 grams of total fat per serving.

“Superpremium” ice cream tends to have very low overrun and high fat content, and the manufacturer uses the best quality ingredients.

“Premium” ice cream tends to have low overrun and higher fat content than regular ice cream, and the manufacturer uses higher quality ingredients. It is the largest category in terms of sales, with more than 50 percent of the volume.

5 things you need to know for fresh-tasting ice cream:

Be sure your freezer temperature is set between 5° F and 0° F.

Store ice cream in the main part of the freezer. Never store ice cream in the freezer door, where it can be subject to fluctuating temperatures since the door is repeatedly opened and shut.

Never allow ice cream to soften and refreeze. As ice cream's small ice crystals melt and refreeze, they can eventually turn into large, unpalatable lumps.

Keep the ice-cream container lid tightly closed when storing in the freezer; in fact. what I always do is to put a covering of heavy-duty plastic wrap or aluminum foil around the mouth of the container first — then put the lid over that to ensure a tight seal.

Don't store ice cream alongside uncovered foods; odors can penetrate ice cream and affect its flavor.