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:
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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'.
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