The Problem With Sugar-Free Ice Cream

Sugar has become a bit of a taboo word in today’s food and drink world. Since the introduction of the UK Sugar Tax on soft drinks in 2018, there has been increasing pressure for food manufacturers to reduce or remove the sugar in their products.

As a nation, we consume far too much sugar. According to Public Health England, UK adults consume almost double the amount of free sugars (that is, sugar added to food or drink) than the recommended daily allowance – and the number is even higher for 11-18-year-olds. That said, overall sugar consumption by adults has dropped by 20% over the past decade, and by 25% for 11-18-year-olds over the same time period, no doubt in part thanks to vigorous anti-sugar campaigns.

At Beau’s we believe we should all be working towards a balanced diet, which includes treats rather than demonising them. That said, sugar in excess is not good for you. As well as multiple health issues, overconsumption leads to a tolerance to the taste of sugar and so, like salt, the more often we consume it, the more our palate becomes accustomed to this and demands more of it. A good test is whether fruit tastes sweet enough to you. If it doesn’t, then the chances are that you are consuming too much sugar.

What about using sweeteners instead of sugar?

Often the alternatives that are put into products to replace sugar are arguably more detrimental to your health, although the available evidence on this is slightly contradictory. In the grand scheme of things artificial, non-nutritive sweeteners like saccharin and sucralose have not been around long enough for us to conclusively measure their effect. However, artificial sweeteners have been linked to an increased craving for sweet tastes, a deterioration in our all-important gut microbiome, cancer and adverse metabolic effects. 

While there are natural sweeteners that can be used, such as stevia, these are even newer to the market and to our diet and, as such, the effect that they have on our bodies long term is inconclusive.

One of our key ambitions at Beau’s is to avoid using overly processed products or additives as far as possible – and we refuse to use artificial sweeteners. For this reason, we only use Fairtrade and organic unrefined cane sugar in all of our gelato recipes.

Why can’t ice cream just be sugar-free?

Sugar plays a fundamental role in making ice cream taste the way that it does. Sugar keeps ice cream thick, soft and scoopable and limits how much ice is formed when the product is frozen. Beyond this, sugar helps to release the flavours from the other ingredients, preventing the whole thing from tasting like an insipid block of iced milk. And, of course, sugar provides the sweetness that is associated with the dessert.

Ice cream labelled ‘Sugar Free’ does exist, although these ice creams will also need to contain sweeteners and artificial flavourings to make up a palatable flavour profile.

What matters with sugar is not just the amount that is consumed but also how it is consumed. When sugar is combined with fats, protein and/or fibre, the other elements slow the release of sugar into our blood, helping us to avoid the spikes and inevitable sugar dips, which are related to health-related issues, as well as ups and downs in energy and weight gain. 

When creating products at Beau’s, we add sugar with the intention of adding as little sugar as possible and drawing flavour from the other ingredients, as opposed to masking poor quality with sugar. The next step is about combining this with protein, fat and fibre to ensure a lighter glycaemic response.

Why do you use cane sugar, instead of another type of sugar?

At the end of the day, sugar is sugar, whether it comes from maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar or cane sugar. In their raw form, other than slight micronutrient differences, our bodies react to all of these in the same way. Unless you have a health condition, such as diabetes, peer-reviewed research shows time and again that there is no difference with the type of sugar consumed when it comes to metabolic health.

Other sugars, such as coconut sugar, are still sugar and are not significantly nutritionally superior. There is a misconception within the industry that when products use ingredients like coconut sugar, they are then viewed as a health food product, which is not necessarily true. Beau’s is not in the health food product realm and we firmly believe that ice cream is a treat to be enjoyed in moderation, rather than something that can be eaten every day.

In addition to this, we are able to source high quality, Fair Trade and organic raw cane sugar. Fairtrade certification does not yet exist for other such sugars, which means we cannot reliably trace the product supply chain and be assured that the product is grown in an ethical manner.

Delicious food is one of life's greatest pleasures – and treats are a big part of this. We believe, however, that if you are going to have a treat then you should make it a good one. Don’t waste your sugar on low quality, artificial stuff; instead, have something decadent, delicious and packed with real ingredients.