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Diabetic ice cream

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,675
Location
South of England
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Is a tub of ice cream legally allowed to carry this label in the uk? I thought it was banned a few years ago to label food “diabetic”

The Single portion tub in question (at a well known buffet restaurant) from memory had dextrose and maltodextrin pretty high up the list of ingredients and no nutritional breakdown. And no I didn’t eat it. Considering an email but want to fact check a bit first.
 
Those type of food labels were banned over three years ago. Here’s some info from the ‘blue’ organisation:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/suitable-for-diabetics-food-labels-outlawed-from-today
 
I found this https://assets.publishing.service.g...on-legislation-information-sheet-may-2019.pdf

page 23.
Seems to states there are no rules unless I’m reading it wrong. The particularly confusing sentence for me is

“Food labelling terms indicating suitability for diabetics are not specifically permitted under food law”​

As opposed to “specifically not permitted.”. So there’s no allowance for such a label. Is that the same as a ban though?


And in this document https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resources-s3/2017-09/Positionstatementlivefinal_KS200716.docx

this quote again implies a “shouldn’t happen” position rather than a definite law against it

“statements such as ‘suitable for diabetics’ and ‘diabetic’ would be difficult to consider as being compatible with EU law and should be regulated in line with legislation that currently exists that labeling of food must not mislead the consumer”​


Does anyone know of anything clearer? Actual regulation rather than recommendations?
 
I seem to think that resteruants have different rules regarding food labelling.

I may be wrong, but also they are proberbly using cheap old stock from some where rather then having it intentionally as a lure for diabetics
 
I just looked up what used to be called Franks Diabetic ice cream, now called Dialicious!
So getting around the so called ban! I wouldn’t touch it with a carb count of 19.7g carbs/100g never mind the fructose used to sweeten it!
 
My plan is to contact the restaurant first yes, but someone is still making/importing it. If it’s old stock being used up, it’s been frozen and waiting to be used for 3 and half years now. Wouldn’t that’d be another issue there?

The label said “diabetic ice cream” so no plays on words, it was very clear. They were individual serve pots and on the lid was the ingredients which from memory were pretty much the same as those on the ones @Rachox posted. I simply can’t remember a brand name as i was focussed on the diabetic thing.
 
Ice cream used to be a custard of cream and eggs, mixed, warmed over hot water until it thickened and then cooled, whipped and frozen. A small amount of alcohol was found to soften it - Rum and Raisin is a very old flavouring, Whisky and Walnut is another, as is cherry and - the cherry flavoured spirit. It was not considered suitable for children....
 
Response from the .org link


Thank you for your email and for your question about food labelled ‘diabetic’. We are sorry to hear your concerns.
It appears that it may be “bad practice” rather than actually being ‘illegal’ – see the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Nutrition Legislation Information Sheet, May 2019 – Section 5.10 Diabetic Foods (page23) - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nutrition-legislation-information-sources
The second paragraph indicates that “Food labelling terms indicating suitability for diabetics are not specifically permitted under food law and the Department of Health considers them to be not helpful and possibly misleading.”
If you wished to raise your concern and for guidance about consumer rights please see the following link - https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office
I do hope this has been helpful but please do get in touch with us again if you need to. You can also call the Helpline on the number below if you would like to talk things through.
 
Saw some this summer in Keswick, Cumbria. Had a dig around on the company’s website - turns out it would have had my bloods bouncing around the stratosphere for the next eight hours!
 
Best bet if you like ice cream is to make your own in an ice cream maker. Lots of low carb recipes about on the web. Here's one we like to make, but you can easily adapt and experiment with the fruit and/or flavourings.

Clotted Cream & Frozen Strawberry Ice Cream


Prep Time 5 minutes

Setting time 1.5 hours

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g Frozen Strawberries

225g Extra Thick Double Cream

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1-2 tsp. Truvia

Preparation Method

  1. Blend the strawberries, leaving a few large chunks
  2. Add the strawberries and remaining ingredients to the container of the ice cream maker.
  3. Switch the ice cream machine on and set to prepare the ice cream according to the machine’s instructions.
  4. Alternatively, combine the mixture in a container and place in the freezer.
  5. Take the mixture out of the fridge every 30 minutes and mix using a whisk or spoon.
Nutritional values per serving

Calories 361kcal|Carbohydrates 8g|Total Fat 36g|Protein 2g|
 
Handful of Frozen berries into food processor, chilled double cream, roughly same amount as berries, blitz and eat straight away. No messing around with freezing just do enough to eat straight away, delicious!
 
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