Instead of just being a treat consumed on hot summer days, ice cream and gelato are nowadays considered as snacks that can be savored all year round and releases stress. Mintel research reveals that three in four ice cream consumers in the UK agree that it is appealing to eat ice cream all year round.
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True though it is that pleasure and taste are the dominant criteria when it comes to buying ice cream, it also needs to be mentioned that consumers are more and more attentive and aware of their eating habits. According to a Zenith Gobal study, the most appreciated varieties in the world are ice creams that are vegan, albuminous and have a reduced sugar content.
UNITED STATES IMPORTS OF ICE CREAM (data in million USD)
| Country | 2018 | 2019 | Trend % | Market Share % (2019) |
| Thailand | 12.7 | 7.5 | -40.7 | 9.5 |
| Canada | 7.6 | 10.2 | +33 | 12.8 |
| Italy | 8.3 | 8.3 | -0.3 | 10.4 |
| South Korea | 7.2 | 10 | +38.7 | 12.6 |
| Germany | 5.4 | 7.8 | +46 | 9.9 |
| South Africa | 6.6 | 6.7 | +2.1 | 8.4 |
| Australia | 5 | 5.3 | +5.4 | 6.6 |
| Mexico | 3.3 | 3.3 | +0.4 | 4.2 |
| Taiwan | 2.1 | 2.7 | +30.7 | 3.5 |
| India | 2.7 | 2.7 | +0.1 | 3.4 |
| World | 82.5 | 79.6 | -3.6 | 100 |
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On top of that, associating the brand with Italy can make a difference as well, as ice cream is seen as an iconic Italian food abroad. The “Made in Italy” concept is hence a bonus that players in the market can take advantage of: Italian gelato is a different product from its American counterpart.
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ICE CREAM AND GELATO
- Fat. Compared to the most popular American ice cream recipes, gelato has less fat in the basic preparation and less air in the freezing process. American ice cream contains much more cream than milk, so the fat content is much higher: at least 10%;
- Air. Ice cream contains much more air because of the higher processing speed. This allows to increase the mass of the product by 25% (a percentage that rises a lot in low quality ice creams: from 50% to 90%). The low processing speed of gelato, on the contrary, makes it richer in flavour;
- Temperature. While an ice cream is served at -22° C, gelato needs higher temperatures.