Comments on: Great news: probiotic ice cream!

By: Taste T.O. - Food & Drink In Toronto » Food For Thought - Thursday, April 9th

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:31:28 +0000

[...] jeez. Lamest idea ever – probiotic ice cream. Marion Nestle explains [...]

By: Cathy Richards

Cathy Richards — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:05:51 +0000

Carolyn — the frozen yogurt will definitely reheat as soon as it goes into your mouth. Yum!

By: Brad

Brad — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:37:32 +0000

Marion
I would be grateful if you could substantiate the “freezing, killing the bacteria theory.”

I love to freeze my yogurts, and have read on numerous sites on the web that counts are not impacted, or minimally.

What gives?

Either way, I am not running to get my buggies through ice cream. I will take the churrascaria, hold the franken-vanilla.

Thanks
Brad

By: Michelle @ Find Your Balance

Michelle @ Find Your Balance — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:37:21 +0000

Oh, marketing. Sigh. Next there will be probiotic cigarettes. ‘Cause THAT will make them healthy.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:54:13 +0000

For Mr. West: What happens if you never reheat the food? I personally prefer to eat my ice cream while it’s still frozen, so I wonder whether the bacteria would ever regain their probiotic activity.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:53:01 +0000

What’s next. But I mistrust all health claims. I never even believed in “no cholesterol” margarine.

By: Christopher West

Christopher West — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:23:50 +0000

Love the blog.

I’m getting my undergrad in Food Science at Brigham Young University. If I understand correctly, freezing doesn’t actually kill many bacteria. The formation of ice crystals may lyse some cells. And freezing locks up water so the microbes can’t use it, and slows metabolism. But once reheated, the majority of bacteria would survive and be good to go.

I naturally mistrust all “healthy” foods that are processed and wrapped in a box. But this might be an honest gimmick.