New Swedish Glace Almond Dairy Free Ice Cream

I have a conundrum - to rejoice, or... not to rejoice. 

Which shall it be I wonder?

Technically, perhaps I should be rejoicing - not so long ago, there wasn't a great deal of choice when it came to dairy free ice cream - mostly it was made with soya, or cashews, which was fine for the Kiddo, but not so great for me, as I'm intolerant to both!

Then there was Dairy free Dream's Almond Ice Cream and more recently Alpro's new Coconut Ice Cream, that really met my  dairy and soya free ice cream needs, and now here is a new ice cream that aims to do the same:

Here it is!

'So where's the conundrum?' you might ask.

Well...

For some, the announcement that Wall's (who now own Swedish Glace), has produced a new dairy free ice cream made with almonds, is not so good. For them, the question arises as to whether the soya ice cream that Swedish Glace still make as well, will be cross-contaminated with nuts - by virtue of being produced on the same machinery. If it is - I think the information regarding this has yet to be gathered. 

Whilst this doesn't directly affect me, as such, it could affect Kiddo She is not nut free, but her school is. They sometimes buy this ice cream for her and other dairy free individuals at her school. Should it prove not to be nut free, her nut-free school will be unable to provide it any longer. 

Anyway, in the interests of research, I have of course, ho hum... sampled it. And here's what I found out:

What's in it?

Well, it ticks a lot of the boxes for me: no dairy, no soya, no cashews and it's specifically labelled as gluten free.

Ingredients:

Water, sugar, glucose syrup, almond paste (5,5%), coconut oil, fat reduced cocoa powder (0,8%), pea protein, stabilisers (locust bean gum, guar gum, carageenan), emulsifier (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), flavouring, acidity regulator (citric acid), salt.

Allergens in bold. 

It's also Vegan approved.

Ready to consume...

What is it like?

Hmm! Again I have a quandary. It's creamy at first taste, a bit like the old Wall's ice cream, and the texture is great - really smooth. However, the cocoa doesn't really feature very strongly on my taste buds - where did it go? And there is the small matter of an after taste. Not unpleasant but not particularly pleasant either. Am not sure where it comes from. However, it doesn't last for long, so this I could perhaps overlook.

How much?

From Ocado, where we bought it, it is £3.99. A tad more pricey than the soya version, which is £2.20 at Ocado. I've not noticed the almond version anywhere else just yet.

Looks good!

In Summary:

It's an interesting move by Wall's, but could backfire if they lose the customers who have hitherto been loyal, due to the nut free soya version.

I wouldn't refuse it if it was served to me, but if I had a choice, I would opt for the Almond Dream dairy free and soya free ice cream, which I reviewed here, or the new Alpro ice cream which I reviewed here.

Update:

Walls (who make Swedish Glace) have confirmed it's made on the same equipment but say that it is cleaned between batches (info via Clare Hussein @allergy_mumof1 on Twitter). They say the tub does not carry a 'may contain nuts' warning, as they believe it is safe. 

Many may beg to differ. I would exercise caution, if you are worried. 

A friend who spoke with someone in the food industry told me about the extent a completely nut free factory went to, in order to prevent traces would end up in their finished product. They even used a vacumn-type corridor to hoover any potential dust traces off clothing, on the approach to their manufacturing equipment, to try to make sure nothing was left to chance. Walls clearly wouldn't meet those standards.

Please note: 

This post is not an advert. I have not been paid to write this post. I am not sponsored in any way, even by advertising. I do not receive products free to review, although I have often been offered them. This is to try and maintain an unbiased approach. All views expressed are my own (unless I've asked for The Hub's or Kiddo's). I try to tell is 'as-it-is'.

Related posts:

Swedish Glace Strawberry Choc Ice

Mint Choc Chip Almond Dream

Choices! Choices! Tesco's Dairy Free Ice Creams

Alpro's New Ice Cream

Eat your dairy free heart out with Alpro's new ice cream

I've been secretly lamenting my lack of dairy free and soya free ice cream recently - ever since I realised I was beginning to react to the lovely range of Tesco free from ice creams. No idea why, but eventually, as much as I loved them, the tummy discomfort that followed became too much to ignore. 'Is it the lupin?' I wondered. Well, maybe! 

I tried a few coconut-based ice creams, but they didn't really float my boat, so I ended up going back to Almond Dream's Mint Choc Chip. I love it, but sometimes you just want a bit of variety! 

Then, the other night... THESE hit my screen (courtesy of @chubbania & @_ayrtonnn on Twitter). 

'Huzzah for Alpro!' I thought!

And I wasted no time in tracking them down!

Huzzah for Alpro!

In fact Alpro has not produced just one, but actually THREE ice creams!! A Coconut flavoured iced dessert, a Chocolate and Hazelnut one, and also a Vanilla version. That one is made with soya, so no good for me, although Kiddo can have it, but the Coconut and the Chocolate and Hazelnut are just right!

What's in them?


Coconut:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Coconut milk (13.3%) (Coconut cream, Water), Sugar, Vegetable fats (Rapeseed, Shea), Fructose-glucose syrup, Emulsifier (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), Stabilisers (Locust bean gum, Guar gum, Carrageenan), Sea Salt, Flavouring. 

Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of soya & nuts (no peanuts).



Hazelnut & Chocolate:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Sugar, Vegetable fats (*Palm kernel, *Palm), Fructose-glucose syrup, Hazelnuts (2.9%), Chocolate (1.7%), Fat-reduced cocoa (1.7%), Emulsifier (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), Stabilisers (Locust bean gum, Guar gum, Carageenan), Sea salt. 

Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of soya & nuts (no peanuts).


Vanilla:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Sugar, Hulled soya beans (6.1%), Vegetable fats (Rapeseed, Shea), Fructose-glucose syrup, Emulsifier (Mono- and Diglycerides of fatty acids), Vanilla extract (0.4%), Stabilisers (Locust beangum, Guar gum), Sea salt, Vanilla seeds. 

Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of nuts (no peanuts).

(*Sustainable sources of Palm have been used.)

Can decide which to have? Have two or even three at once!!

What are they like??

I like them all (I had a sneaky lick of the soya and am hoping for no ill after effects. So does Kiddo! The coconut was a definite improvement on some I have tasted before. Unlike another I've tried, quite recently, it wasn't too sweet, and, although it tastes of coconut, it's not over-poweringly coconutty. It's also quite creamy. 

I really like Alpro's hazelnut milk and as chocolate and hazelnut are a classic flavour combo, I enjoyed the Chocolate & Hazelnut flavour too. I was a bit surprised that Kiddo liked this one, as she can be a fussy mutt. I was mainly worried becuase hazelnut can add a slightly acrid after-taste, but Kiddo doesn't seem to have noticed, or if she has, she hasn't minded it!

And here's the Vanilla flavour!

The Vanilla is really creamy and actually tastes (from what I could tell from my small sample) a lot like a Mr Whippy ice cream. Kiddo was ecstatic when I told her this, as it has been her ambition for a long while, to be able to have a Mr Whippy ice cream. Now *all* she wants is for me to buy a machine that will serve it like a commercial ice cream machine, in a nice little swirl!! Hmm! I've looked online... looking at the prices of them THAT isn't gonna happen any time soon!

How much?

In Tescos, which is the only place that I know of so far, that stocks the new Alpro ice cream, Each 500ml tub costs £3.50. This is pretty well comparable with the cost of Almond Dream, so not too bad. Swedish Glace is certainly cheaper, so I'll probably stick with their vanilla for Kiddo, but I would definitely buy the other two flavours again - for me, if no-one else - although I suspect that Kiddo (even though, being able to have soya, she has a lot more choice than I) will want more too!

So well done Alpro! Now, when are you going to make us a yogurt without soya?? Now that you've done it with ice cream, we know you can do it!

Pretty please??

Please note: 

This post is not an advert. I have not been paid to write this post. I am not sponsored in any way, even by advertising. I do not receive products free to review, although I have often been offered them. This is to try and maintain an unbiased approach. All views expressed are my own (unless I've asked for The Hub's or Kiddo's).

Related posts:


Mint Choc Chip Almond Dream



Choices, Choices, Tesco's Free From Ice Creams

Free From Creamy Iced Vanilla Dessert - New at Tesco!!

Huzzah!

A new dairy free ice cream... from Tesco's own Free From label!!

I was alerted to this on Twitter the other day (sorry I can't remember who, if it was you, please let me know)! So, off I went... to hunt some out!!

Details! Details!

It's not exactly a huge tub, there's 500ml in the tub - whereas you get 750ml in a tub of Swedish Glace... I only compare it to Swedish Glace because it's a popular dairy free ice cream, which is pretty good value.

BUT!! Unlike Swedish Glace (which I gather is not only great value, but also a good dupe for vanilla ice cream), not only is it dairy free, and gluten free, it is also SOYA FREE as well!!

AND, like Swedish Glace, it's a great deal cheaper than some of the other dairy and soya free frozen desserts out there - it's only £2.00 a tub!!

Yippee!!

Here it is!

So what's it made with, you might well wonder!?

What's in it??

Ingredients:

Water, Coconut Oil, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Lupin, Protein Isolate, Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Emulsifier (Mono- and Di- Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Colours (Calcium Carbonate, Beta Carotene), Stabilisers (Locust Bean Meal, Guar Gum), Salt, Flavouring, Vanilla Powder.

Allergens:

Lupin.

May contain nuts.

From looking at the ingredients list, it is obvious that a lot of processed ingredients have gone into this product, however, what concerns me more, is the addition of Lupin. This ingredient has not been used much in the UK, until quite recently, but is an ingredient commonly used in Europe in gluten free products. As it has become more widely used, it has emerged as quite an allergenic substance - which is why it appears in the EU's list of top 14 allergens. So if you are a multiple allergy sufferer, just take care, in case you turn out to be allergic to Lupin too! *

However, on the positive side, this is a Free From product that is egg free too - as a lot of dairy free folks are also unable to have eggs, this is a great move!

BUT what a shame that, as a Free From product, this ice cream could not somehow have been made nut free too - too many Free From products are not, and here's another one that isn't. I really feel for the nut allergic on this one.

I enjoyed my ice cream with fresh strawberries

What's it taste like?

Well, here's  the thing - it's a long time since I've eaten it - but... well... funnily enough... vanilla ice cream!! 

YAY!!

I'm not a fan, I've decided of vanilla ice creams flavoured with fruit juice - they tend to taste too fruity, rather than purely of vanilla, so this was just right for me, personally.

The way I like it - plain and simple!

To be sure that I was testing it right, I tried it alongside some British strawberries (not sugared or flavoured in any way). AND before I even took a single bite of strawberry, I tasted the iced dessert, and yes, I'm sure it tasted just the same as I remember ice cream tasting last time I ate it!! 

Obviously I haven't taste tested Swedish Glace properly (I once took a sneaky lick, which wasn't enough to affect me) so I couldn't properly tell, but I think they taste pretty similar.

Unlike Swedish Glace, this dairy free ice cream doesn't yet have companions with other flavours, but hopefully they will come along pretty soon! 

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for a dairy and soya free cookie dough ice cream (Hint! Hint!)!!

Related posts:

Other posts about dairy free substitutes can be found by following this link.

* For more information about Lupin Allergy, follow this link.

Co-yo Ice Cream

Finally! After some months of waiting, I've got my sticky mitts on some Co-yo ice cream!! 

Diggin' in  :)

Having heard about it on Twitter, I've been waiting for Co-yo's ice cream for a while. I already enjoy the Co-yo yoghurt, which I reviewed here.

Apparently the ice cream comes in various flavours, Vanilla and Nutmeg, Raw Chocolate and Sticky Date and Tamarind, but this one was Natural.

I found the ice cream in my local health shop. I must admit, I was so excited to see it, I bought a tub before reading the price label - £6.98. Oops!! But, as I told The Hub, it may be more expensive than my 'usual' but at least it's cheaper than Booja Booja (which I can't have anyway, as it's made with cashews)!!

Having got it home, I couldn't wait to dive in!

First thoughts? Creamy, definitely creamy and with a distinct taste of coconut. 

'You can certainly tell it's made with coconut,' I thought. 'So not for anyone who can't eat coconut or won't eat coconut but great for those who can/will!!'

In fact one of my earliest remarks, to The Hub, was that it tasted pretty much like frozen coconut cream. I really liked the creaminess, but thought that (apart from the coconut) it lacked a bit of flavour. For me, the coconut needed something else to go with it and give it a bit of oomph. 

Feeling that it would probably work best as an accompaniment to something else, I added some home made choc sauce and a few walnuts (you could always use some crumbled biscuit instead) which tasted yummy - a bit reminiscent of some Haagen-Dazs, maybe? 

Great with chocolate sauce!

However, I thought the Co-yo ice cream could work equally well served with a scoop of mango sorbet or strawberry - or maybe one of each!?! Not so long ago Tesco made some coconut and strawberry frozen ice lollies, and those were LUSH (unfortunately they no longer make them, now).

I'm really intrigued to see what Co-yo's other flavoured ice creams are like - to see what difference their added flavours make.

So, let's get down to the nitty gritty - what's in Co-yo's ice cream? (Or not, as the case may be!)

Ingredients:
Coconut milk (84%), natural fruit extracts (apple, grape, carob), tapioca.

Additional information:
Worried about traces of other allergens? Co-yo say:

Our natural yoghurt is made with just 3 ingredients and none of these come into contact with nuts; our factory is a nut free environment, we do not produce anything with nuts in it.

Our ice creams are the same, just 3 ingredients, coconut milk, agave syrup and tapioca. Flavoured with raw cacao, date syrup, vanilla extract.

We believe very strongly in preparing our product in an allergen free environment and it makes us very angry to see other products calling them selves dairy free when they are made in and packed on dairy equipment that milk products go through.

Now, if you're interested in trying this product, how you get your hands on some? 

Well it's pretty tricky at the moment, unless you live near a Whole Foods Market, or your health food shop happens to stock it, but, hopefully, it will become more widely available soon. 

Other posts on a similar theme:
Ice - a cream- oh!
Ice, Ice Baby!