When pushing a cart down the frozen foods aisle, the Canadian consumer has a choice to make of vanilla ice cream, mint with chocolate chip or Cherry Garcia.
For the Dairy Farmers of Canada, flavour preference is not a primary concern. Worried that consumers are not buying real ice cream, the group is running an advertising campaign to promote ice cream made with 100 percent milk ingredients.
The purpose is to educate consumers about the difference between real ice cream and frozen dessert products, said Solange Heiss, assistant director of marketing and nutrition communications for the Dairy Farmers.
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“There is a big difference. A lot of frozen desserts out there in the market are actually made with vegetable oils, (like) palm oil … they do not contain real cream or 100 percent milk,” she said.
The organization ran its first ad May 14 in 38 daily newspapers across Canada. The advertisement has an ice cream cone with a bandit’s mask in chocolate and the words, ice crime, “Beware of ‘frozen desserts’ masquerading as the real thing.”
Heiss, who wouldn’t release the cost of the campaign, said two more print ads will run in June and July.
She said the education is needed because consumers need to know what they are buying.
“Often people do not take the time, unfortunately, to read the labelling on the product,” said Heiss.
The ads could also slow a food trend over the last 15 years. In 1995, the average Canadian consumed 11.48 litres of ice cream per year, based on data from the Canadian Dairy Information Centre.
By 2007, Canadians were only eating 8.7 litres per year.
The consumption of other dairy products has jumped over the last two decades. In 2007, Canadians ate 7.13 litres of yogurt, compared to 3.05 litres in 1995.
The U.S. dairy industry has witnessed a similar move, said Kathryn Quanbeck, an agricultural economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington.
“People are drinking less whole milk and drinking more skim and two percent … so you’ll see a greater consumption of yogurt over ice cream,” said Quanbeck.
The shift away from ice cream is explainable, but it’s more difficult to understand the sustained popularity of cheese in North America.
In 2007, the average Canadian ate 12.49 kg of cheese, up from 10.87 kg in 1995.
The majority of cheese is served in restaurants and Americans and Canadians are eating out more than ever, she said.
“That’s where most of our mozzarella and cheddar is consumed,” Quanbeck said, noting that more than 50 percent of all milk in the U.S. is used to make cheese.
Tom Kane, president of Ontario Dairy Council, said the price of ice cream is “horrendous,” but the market for premium brands is strong.
“The high end ice cream, indulgences, is a growing market but ice cream overall is not.”
