Okay, so apparently I am behind the 8 ball on this one as I’ve googled the subject and found lots of angry posts about Breyer’s addition of tara gum to their ‘all natural ice cream.’ I’ve been happily buying Breyer’s vanilla, chocolate and coffee ice cream for about 5 years after concluding that I can make my own healthier versions of the nasty loaded ice creams like super-chewy-brownie-fudge-oreo-sugar-chemical-soup-with-caramel by starting with a natural ice cream and adding nuts, home-made cookies or brownies or fruit. Lately, my husband has been purchasing Breyer’s butter pecan and cherry vanilla. What’s so un-natural about that? Add a little cherries and vanilla right? Add a little butter and pecans, right? Indeed. It would seem that adding more things requires the removal of some cream and the addition of a number of other chemicals. These actions demotes these Breyer’s ice creams to ‘frozen dairy desserts.’ I’m scooping out some of what I thought was ice cream for my son last night and I notice the vanilla says ice cream on the carton and the butter pecan says ‘frozen dairy dessert.’ After yelling like a crazed health whack, reading the ingredient list, then yelling some more and finally reassuring my son that, “Yes, you can still eat this bowl of whatever-it-is that’s sitting in front of you,” I resolved to do a little research today. Here’s what I found and what Breyer’s is hiding from you!!!
The Breyers website has nutrition and ingredient information from April of 2010 when all of the flavors in the natural line (we won’t even talk about their version of super-chewy-brownie-fudge-oreo-sugar-chemical-soup-with-caramel now) were still called ice cream. Very convenient. The ingredients listed for the 2010 butter pecan ice cream on the Breyer’s website are: Milk, Cream, Sugar, Butter Pecans (Pecans, Butter, Cottonseed Oil, Salt), Whey, Natural Flavor, Natural Tara Gum, Salt. 10 ingredients if you don’t count salt twice, and I would argue that the natural flavor is suspicious… which natural flavor would that be? This is a far cry from the Breyer’s ice cream which only had recognizable, could be found in your own kitchen, ingredients. But wait! It gets worse! The ingredients on MY carton of 2012 Breyer’s Frozen Dairy Dessert are: milk, sugar, corn syrup, butter pecans (pecans, cottonseed oil, butter (cream, salt), salt), cream, whey, mono and diglycerides, salt, carob bean gum, guar gum, natural flavors, carrageenan, lactose enzyme, annato (for color), vitamin A palmitate, tara gum. 20 INGREDIENTS. Did I mention CORN SYRUP. I AM MOST UNHAPPY WITH YOU BREYERS!!
Upon further investigation I find that some of the 2010 flavors, like coffee, include caramel color which is REALLY bad – CSPI list of ‘food additives to avoid.
Shame on you Breyers. And shame on me for not being more vigilant about reading labels before buying. Apparently you can no longer assume that a company that built it’s reputation on all-natural ingredients continues in that vein. We are going to purchase a Cuisinart ice cream maker and make ice cream from organic milk and other ingredients that are in my kitchen. We can then add the following toppings for added zing…
crushed natural graham crackers (be sure to read the label) & slivered almonds
strawberries and banana or pineapple
crumbled homemade cookies or brownies
natural or homemade granola
a drizzle of maple syrup and walnuts
shredded coconut – also a yummy addition if you toast it lightly in the oven or toaster oven
And yes, we will finish the ice cream and ‘frozen dairy dessert’ in the freezer. I am a ‘health whack’ AND a cheapskate, so the former self will have to be satisfied with an alternate plan for the future in this case. Enjoy the most natural ice cream you can find or afford, but don’t forget to read your labels because you never know what they are sneaking into the food these days! Tell us what you add to your ice cream?
Total Bummer. I have to see what kind we bought during the last Breyer’s stock up sale… In the meantime I’ll continue experimenting with my blender, frozen bananas, fronzen berries, honey and some almond milk. Fruity soft-serve goodness sans crap!
Yes the blender experiments are good! I am going to post about our kale smoothie adventures beginning of next week. Cole has consumed every one I’ve made so far!!
Isn’t it awful? I certainly wasn’t in one of the focus groups that told Breyer’s to sell out and try to compete with all the other dealers of chemicals in the ice cream aisle! Thanks for stopping by!
I just realized that the Frozen Dairy Dessert existed! I have only bought Natural Vanilla and Neopolitan in the past, but my husband happened to bring home Rocky Road when I noticed the label, and ingredients! I posted this on Breyers FB, hopefully they keep it on the site!
Reblogged this on gardensunshine and commented:
I don’t know what re-blogging etiquette is but I have to share this because this was just recently brought to my attention. I am so disappointed in Breyers. It’s obvious that they only care about themselves and not us the consumers.
Thanks for passing it along! I will say that there is some difference region to region about which of their flavors are ice cream and which are ‘frozen dairy dessert,’ but that they would do it at all, to any of us is indeed very disappointing.
It’s nice to hear so many other people outraged about this. I really did yell when I saw the words on the container as I was standing at my freezer. My poor son. Although he was mostly concerned about getting to eat his ice cream. Breyer’s will definitely not get any more of my money! Thanks for stopping by!
You won’t regret getting an ice cream maker. I love mine…..and if you keep the core in a deep freezer you can quickly make some, anytime! Soft serve in 30 minutes! And it tastes so much better.
I live on the east coast. My first bite of Breyer’s cherry vanilla (my fav) was bad, looked at the label an found it was frozen dairy dessert. I emailed Breyer’s and they replied they had to change the name because this concoction of poor ingredients, chemicals, and artifical flavors does not meet FDA requirements to be called ice cream. Hello? I am reading the labels carefully as some are still ice cream. Shame on Breyer’s for reducing the quality and integrity of their product to save cost. I’ve told everyone to read the label carefully. Very pleased to find this post.
I’m glad you found us as well : ) It is especially disappointing for a company like Breyer’s that bragged about the natural character of its products to start slipping so much gunk in that it no longer qualifies as the original product. Don’t you think? I expect this kind of thing from Frito-Lays.
I just tried my first bite of black cherry frozen dairy dessert and it tastes like cough syrup. This is dreadful and I trusted the Breyers name for so many years.
I guess I’m a little behind the times too. I’ve been a Breyers fan since I was a little boy, but things have been going down hill since merging with Good Humor. I guess this what happens when you go down the slippery slope of multinational corporate ownership…
I just noticed the “Frozen Dairy Desert” on my Mint Oreo Blast, and found you blog… Yeah.. I think I’ll be looking for a new Ice Cream ( … maybe one that comes in a 1/2 gallon size… do they still exist?)
I think you are right about the slippery slope of joining up with a multinational. We have not had a whole lot of luck finding an affordable new ice cream yet, but hope to do so…. and they do keep shrinking in size while growing in price, don’t they? So glad you found our blog! Hope you’ll stop by again : )
After about 45 years I’ve given up on Breyers now that they’ve worsened their product beyond an acceptable level. I was happy to see that Blue Bunny still makes an all natural vanilla ice cream, and it’s excellent. Still 1.75 quarts too (sad that it’s now a plus for ice cream to be sold in 1.75 quart containers!). They also have a very good pistachio-almond, but that one does have some of the “extra” ingredients like the gums that Breyers now also uses.
Good to know about Blue Bunny! Thanks for sharing. Certainly I am not as surprised when there is extra stuff in a complicated flavor… but it would be nice if someone would make some all natural flavors. Thanks for stopping by!
I always read the ingredient list when buying a new product, even if it is just a different flavour of the same brand I usually buy– but sometimes they are sneaky and change things, so it is good to check! I recently bought some Open Nature vanilla bean ice cream (available at Safeway)– milk from cows not treated with rBST
no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup. But homemade is better.
Yes but what you didnt mention is that the new improved FROZEN DAIRY DESSERT tastes like polyester. I got a new carton of CHERRY VANILLA which looks ilk the same ole CHERRY VANILLA Breyers I have buying since 1975 (37 YEARS), served it up took a bite and nearly gagged it tasted like artificial cake frosting from a can, might as well have been eating polyester. You may have gone ahead and eaten yours, but I took mine right back to KROGERS for a refund. I”M NOT FINISHED COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS INJUSTICE. IT GOES ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE, TWEETER ACCOUNT LETTERS TO THE EDITTERS….POWER TO THE PEOPLE……
Right on Dale! You go! I confess that I did not eat any of the cherry vanilla, but as mentioned in the article I decided to let my 11 year old consume the rest of it. But guess what? It sat in my freezer for a very long time as he doesn’t really like it either! Carry on with the fight against injustice and letting others know about this crazy trend towards poisoning the people!
I got the Rocky Road… see my link below in comments with photos of how deceptive Breyers is being. I was so angry that I brought it back to the grocery store, got my money back, and notified as many people in the store as I could, employees and customers, about this FRAUD.
Thanks for sharing this. Amazing the 2 types were right next to each other in the freezer case. I can only hope that Breyer’s has lost more business than it has gained due to the sneaky change in formula!
My favorite is vanilla bean with cinnamon added to it. Simple, but so yummy! Sad to see Breyer’s go down this path. It’s funny that you found my blog today– was just having a conversation about this with my dad yesterday!
Cinnamon is a wonderful addition to so many things but I had never added it to ice cream. I will try that! Little Sis and I were thinking we should at least send Breyer’s a letter because clearly they are not in touch with their market as they sure are making a lot of their previously loyal customers angry!
Let us face facts folks. ANY prepared commercial food is likely to have unhealthy ingredients. MAKE FOOD AT HOME FROM REAL INGREDIENTS and you will control the quality. You say that you are too busy? Then do not whine about inferior food in markets. Please see my blog “the thing about documentaries” for films like Food, Inc.– every human should watch. My creed is “know your ingredients!”
I agree with you that making food at home from real ingredients is indeed the BEST solution. I do not think telling people to stop whining is very helpful. Many of my readers are exploring changing the way they eat. Some are already ‘on the band wagon’ so to speak, but this particular instance of a company including nasty ingredients is especially disturbing because it is a company that made it’s name and did a lot of advertising claiming to provide a product with all natural ingredients. Due to the reputation of Breyer’s, I made the mistake of not reading the ingredients. This is indeed a mistake that I will not make again. There are definitely choices we all have to make about how much time we devote to eating food that is healthy for us and for the environment. Conversations about these discoveries with other people might save them from making the same mistake and might help folks on the journey towards healthier foods realize how important it is to know our ingredients. I also agree that Food, Inc. is a great place to improve one’s knowledge of the food industry and that everyone should watch it.
Remember that the word natural means absolutely nothing.
There is nothing wrong with wanting the ability to buy products ready to eat that are not full of junk ingredients. Frankly while I make 75% or more of our food from scratch base ingredients, it is highly time consuming ( I bake bread daily, etc) and many just don’t have the time to do it – I am fortunate to be a SAHM mom with the know how, time and money. So it is disheartening to have a “back-up brand” change their ingredients. It isn’t whining either to say this!!
Indeed. The word ‘natural’ is meaningless in packaging now.
@Sarah – It is awesome that you can make 75% from scratch. That is really an achievement – and I agree with you it would be SO NICE to be able to rely on some companies to provide us with relatively healthy alternatives to homemade.
I am from Philadelphia, where Breyers was founded. Breyers was always the brand of choice in Philly. It was a quality product–I know because I make my own ice cream. Their dairy dessert, however, is horrible. Even Consumer Reports has noted that it does not fall within the current FDA definition of standardized ice cream. I went to write an email complaint to Unilever (Breyer’s parent company) but had another major complaint–they required way more personal information than they need. Turkey Hill puts out a very good ice cream that tastes like the original Breyers and doesn’t have extraneous junk in it. It is labelled “All Natural Ice Cream” and comes in a black carton rather than their usual one. The only problem is that it comes in just a six flavors.
Hi Jim! So they’ve even alienated the neighbors, eh? It is hard to understand their reasoning. Thanks for the tip on Turkey Hill. My philosophy has always been to buy vanilla and add my own real flavors – high quality chocolate syrup, nuts, bits of homemade cookies, maple syrup, fruit, but I do miss butter pecan! Thanks for your comments!
We switched to Alden’s Ice Cream (we buy it at whole foods) — the downside is the price ($7) but the upside is it is certified organic and amazingly yummy!
Unfortunately that tends to be the downside – a high price. I’m planning on making sorbets in my Vita Mix this summer. That’ll take care of the frozen treat longing for awhile! Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve been really disappointed with the ingredients list on Breyer’s, too. It’s quite disappointing to see what gets put under the label all-natural. Perhaps an ice cream maker will be put on my appliance wish list soon! Thanks for sharing your experiences so I can pay closer attention, too!
I hate being the bearer of bad news, but as Little Sis says… “Let the buyer be-freaking-ware.” It’s a pain to be vigilant, but apparently necessary. Thanks for stopping by!
Didn’t Breyers used to run commercials showing people trying to pronounce the ingredients lists on other brands of ice cream? They would stumble over words like carageenan and dextrose, then read stuff like cream, sugar and eggs off the Breyers carton. Now there’s no difference, it seems. They have all the same stuff.
Sad.
If you have a Costco membership, check out their Kirkland brand. It only comes in vanilla and you have to buy a gallon at a time, but it’s close to what Breyers used to be. The ingredients are cream, skim milk, sugar, pasteurized egg yolks, natural vanilla, carob bean gum and guar gum.
Funny I had forgotten that commercial. Pretty incredible, isn’t it? The very thing they built their reputation on they are now flouting. Hard to understand. Thanks for the tip about Kirkland vanilla!!
I was wondering what happened??? I just had my favorite Breyers cookies n cream last night and noticed it didn’t taste the same….gooey, sticky, and gross! I decided to google the subject and happened upon this blog! So disappointed in them….
Indeed it is very disappointing. I still haven’t started making my own ice cream – but we are not buying Breyer’s anymore. Can’t fund the deception!! So glad you found us.
You have to start! It is so much fun! I made raspberry frozen yogurt last night, it was amazing!
Mmmmmm. Sounds wonderful
I see that these posts are from a few months ago – I just recently discovered the disgusting goo Breyers calls ‘frozen dairy dessert…I’d bought Breyers Peach – finding it in the All Natural section of our local Food Lion – assuming it was their former delicious Peach Ice Cream. As soon I got home, I opened it for a cup – and after about 2 bites, I spat it out! Tasted like artificial peach-flavored plastic, with a texture to match. Ugh. Then I looked on the carton and discovered the fatal phrase – “frozen dairy dessert’; finally, I read the ingredients, to my shock. And I went into the kitchen yelling dance. Horrible!
I think it’s great that people are taking the initiative to make their own. Fortunately I have other options here in Greensboro, NC – there is an Earth Fare down the road that makes a decent truly all natural ice cream and sells for the same reasonable price of Breyers. Some of their flavors haven’t quite got the succulence of the ‘former’ all natural Breyers Ice cream, but they are still delicious. I also plan, however, to write Breyers and make a stink! Like some of these bloggers I returned the peach junk to the store, trading it for French Vanilla (still true ice cream). When I told the two young black girls at the register that he product tasted like disgusting plastic, they looked quite bewildered. So I invited them to try a taste, and suggested they return it for a refund themselves to Breyers noting an outraged customer complaint.
I thought I’d reached heaven when I realized I’d moved a few blocks from the Bakersfield Dryers/Bryers (Unilever) factory in Bakersfield CA. 1.5 quarts of Dryers often go on sale for as little as $3.99 due to minimal local distribution costs. Then as I settled down to my 2nd bowl I noticed the stuff didn’t melt…it just turned to slimy foam. “EWWW” I said to myself….this isn’t the Bryers I remember……Sure enough, an ingredient I had to look up on the internet…Tara Gum (which brought me here.) If I want a poofy ice cream full of fillers that won’t even melt like decent ice cream….I’ll just get the 5 quart “bucket ‘O chemicals” ice cream at Wal Mart! Shame on Unilever for ruining the last widely available “real” ice cream!
I just went through the exact same thing, including yelling like a crazy person. I had noticed that my beloved Breyers butter pecan and cherry vanilla flavors were tasting more like Safeway Select, and wondered what was wrong with my taste buds. Then I noticed the ingredients! Yell, yell, yell! I wrote them an angry letter because I am, in fact, angry about it. I am no longer a Breyers snob, because I won’t be eating their ice cream anymore. Looks like I’ll be making my own now.
I hear ya! Also astounded that nobody has stepped in to take up the customers like the many, many people who have responded to this post. Doesn’t somebody want to make some money selling real ice cream that doesn’t cost a bloody fortune? Good luck making your own! I’m sure it will be wonderful and won’t taste like Safeway Select!
Thanks! If nothing else, it will save my waistline because I’ll be too lazy to make ice cream very often.
I heard about a company called Turkey Hill that makes natural ice cream (as well as unnatural ice cream, but never mind that, I guess). These are the Vanilla ingredients from their website: Cream, Nonfat milk, Sugar, Vanilla, Vanilla bean. Maybe they sell it where you live, though I don’t know what their prices are like. Unfortunately for me, they don’t sell it in my area! Ah, well.
If you’re looking for a store bought vanilla (or other basic such as chocolate, strawberry), go for Turkey Hill All Natural…Not the regular turkey hill stuff..It’s the black container with all natural plastered all around it — It has all of 5 ingredients (milk, sugar, egg, cream, vanilla), like Breyers USED to. It’s also delicious.
Thank you Evan! My store carries the regular Turkey Hill but I have not seen the black container / all natural version. I will look and request they carry it if they don’t have it! Glad you found our site and shared this.
So disappointed. Not only is the carton of Breyer’s Chocolate Chip (expecting all natural vanilla plus chocolate chips) not “ice cream” anymore, it’s also 1.5 quarts instead of the normal half gallon. But I do get to pay the same price.
In this entire thread no one seems to have researched tara gum at all.
Tara gum IS natural…it’s from a tree.
If you’re bothered by the addition of anything besides cream, milk, sugar, eggs, or if you feel that you don’t like it anymore, I say gripe away, but -for the love of god- please stop referring to tara gum as ‘chemical’ or unnatural’…it certainly is not.
I’m not defending the other ingredients that have been added to the less-traditional Breyers flavors, but people should at least know what they’re hating on…I’m defending tara gum specifically.
I have been a loyal Breyers fan for at least 30 years–absolutely refused. to buy anything else…that is, until today. I feel so betrayed…
Breyers used to have the worst container in the world..impossible to open cleanly, but I stuck with them because of what was inside the terrible container. Now It’s like the death of an old friend……
I was so sad yesterday to see 90% of Breyer’s saying “Frozen dairy dessert” on the front. I thought this term was used for the $1.50 store brand boxes of sweet frozen crap in a carton.
I gotta go homemade – maybe I’ll save some calories beacuse it’s kind of a pain in the butt. Nothing like a homemade custard though.
All I can say is that after30 years of loving only Breyers and even buying stock in the company since we bought so much, we are so disappointed and will never buy it again. It tastes like the cheapest, junkiest kinds and doesn’t really even melt anymore…just foamy glop!,
So many times I am tempted to buy commercial ice cream, the price lures me to it…but then I come to my good sense and tell myself…save the calories for some home-made goodies!
My mom and I just bought our favorite Butter Pecan. We both commented that it tasted strange and completely unlike the butter pecan we could eat in one sitting. After returning to the freezer, as I suspected she mistakenly bought double-churned or some other variation, I saw the Frozen Dairy Dessert. Wow. Their Breyers Pledge should be removed from the carton and replaced with “Not Suitable for Human Consumption.”
Thanks for the info! I hadn’t purchased an actual carton of ice cream in at least three years, usually preferring frozen fruit or klondike bars occasionally when they were on sale because my BF and I wouldn’t eat a whole carton of ice cream before it would get all crystally and weird. Two days ago I happened to see Breyers on sale with a whole bunch of new flavors, including Whopper Malted Ball – and couldn’t resist. I didn’t notice the Frozen Dairy Dessert thing until I was actually opening the package. Since I don’t eat lots of frozen dessert, I totally noticed a difference between “F.D.D.” and the way Ice Cream is supposed to taste. It was dense and sticky instead of light and creamy. Anyway, I’m probably just going to throw the whole thing away.
Hopefully, someone at Unilever (who own Breyer’s) is reading these posts and seeing all of the business they are losing by selling this stuff in lieu of ice cream! Thanks for weighing in!
I posted on Breyer’s FB page regarding my discovery of Frozen Dairy Dessert. Within 10 minutes they had removed my post. Guess they don’t want their dirty secrets out there!
No, they don’t. But since we can all taste the difference, they will not be able to keep it a secret!!
I sent an email regarding my displeasure in the changes they have made to their product, and I got the same exact, word by word response that biggsis got. I let them know that I would only buy their ice cream now and then and only the true “ice cream” products.
I asked my husband to bring home ice cream and he brought home Breyer’s. I used to LOVE Breyer’s, but no more. It doesn’t even freeze right. I am very disappointed in this “Frozen Dairy Dessert” crap they’re offering up now. I, too, will be following those making their own ice cream!
Eggs, and other “puffers” have sometimes partially been replaced by ‘gums’… such as guar, tara, xanthan, and so on. These are all products from natural beans. For example, Tara gum is also known as carob, and comes from the “algarrobo tree” which grows in various parts of the world… If you search for these you’ll get more information, of course.
So as far as “natural” goes, unless you doubt the process to extract the gum (endosperm) from the bean. The endosperm is a substance that ‘feeds’ the germ, until it’s ready to be released into the ground for germination.
Thanks for this info! I did not know that tara gum and carob were the same. Another reader cautioned us about classifying tara gum as being ‘chemical’ or ‘un-natural’ and I am glad to know that is not suspect, assuming as you point out, that the extraction process does not leave anything suspect behind. Breyer’s (Unilever) did reply to an email I sent expressing my concerns with a list of the flavors that will remain ‘ice cream’, and most of those – coffee being an exception as it has caramel color in it – do not have other objectionable ingredients. Thanks for your input.
Very cool. Thanks so much for sharing this. I unfortunately read too late to participate, but that’s not really the point. The point is somebody sued a company for misrepresenting ‘all-natural’ And they essentially won! How inspiring is that?
I hear you. It stinks to lose a last stand. Others have suggested that Turkey Hill has an all-natural brand, and that Harris Teeter stores have an in-store brand modeled after the GOOD Breyer’s of old.
Just read the blog and thread. I purchased this crap while shopping w my college-aged son. I tried it last night, and was immediately, repulsed. Had to research this morning, and saw this. Vile. Returning it today.
Just opened the “frozen desert” by Breyers today. Needless to say, it was an unpleasant surprise. Don’t know when they changed it from all natural ice cream to this but in my opinion it was a dumb move. I won’t be buying breyers again. Edy’s is claiming to be ice cream.
It really is a disappointment. Don’t know if you have it in your neck of the woods, but Turkey Hill has started making a line of all-natural ice creams that come in a black container and feature short, simple ingredient lists, similar to the old Breyer’s.
Edy’s isn’t an option. They started switching to fake “frozen dairy dessert” about 10 years ago. I had the same experience with them– bit into the stuff and thought, “Uh oh…”
It is a shame because they had a good product for awhile as well.
Know for natural ingredients Too bad that isn’t. Important anymore
Great article. My girlfriend recently purchased some new Breyers Chips Ahoy concoction from our local supermarket because it was on sale. This is the first time I noticed Breyers had changed to a frozen dairy dessert. The ice cream appeared to really bother her breathing after eating (she has asthma), and after reading the ingredients I knew why. Their “ice cream” now contains propylene glycol, of all things! I’ll be writing Breyers a nice, long letter. They’re gonna end up killing someone with this crap if they haven’t already. I’m sure they could care less though, as profits are their only concern. Here’s a link to an interesting article on propylene glycol in ice cream: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/antifreeze-in-your-ice-cream-2/
Yikes! It goes from bad to worse. Unilever has killed a fine product. So glad you are going to let them know how you feel! For other ideas about healthier eating I invite you to check you and your girlfriend to check out the rest of our site! Have a great day.
I found you in my own angry Google search after getting scammed by Breyers the other night. I took one bite of Butter Pecan and knew immediately I wasn’t eating what I expected to eat. YUCK!!! This crap doesn’t even taste good anymore. I feel betrayed. They must think we are STUPID. Edy’s pulled the same stunt quite a few years ago and I experienced it the same way; bought Girl Scout Thin Mint ice cream that I had enjoyed annually for several years, only to take one bite and realize this was plastic foam yuck. I wrote to them. They sent me a coupon for another free gallon. Couldn’t bear to purchase it. Never did. Never will again either. Breyers has just joined the pile of floating pollution in the middle of my mental ocean.
I’m so sorry I missed this comment earlier – “the pile of floating pollution in the middle of my mental ocean” may well be one of the best phrases I’ve ever heard. The whole Breyer’s thing really is hugely disappointing. I wish they recognized that they’re losing some loyal fans.
No way I could have kept it to finish it. As soon as I realized I had been duped by ice creams that were no long ice cream, the full cartons went right into the trash. Oh hell no! It doesn’t even taste good. I might have been able to convince myself to finish it if it tasted any good, but these products are nasty.
I did the same – complain to Breyers about a gross switch-a-roo in their oreo ice cream sandwiches to “lite” ice cream and then not labeling it in an obvious manner (tiny print in the corner!( They claimed this crap had passed consumer testing, and gave me some coupons. I never used them. The switch to “Frozen Dairy Dessert” just sealed the deal for me. I won’t even buy Breyers now. at all.
Great post, very informative. I’m not too picky about the garbage I put in my stomach, but this stuff is no good IMO. I almost called leasing to check my fridge until I saw on YouTube that this stuff doesn’t mealt. Apparently, it maintains consistency in and out of the freezer. The ripoff of Americone gets a yellow film instead of freezer burn (caramel dye?). I’m tossing it all. I can eat a brown mushy banana raw, but I cannot eat this frozen yucky mush!
That is very scary that it doesn’t melt. My mother bought ‘low-fat’ margarine once and when it wouldn’t melt in boiling water for a recipe, she decided it was inedible. This as well, eh? Thanks for stopping by!
Why not return the crappy frozen dairy dessert? That’s what I did at Kroger tonight and they gave me cold hard cash and an apology. Breyers is making a big mistake sacrificing their reputation for quality for lower cost of goods sold. That’s what happens when good hearty American brands get bought by European pencil pushers like Unilever.
Hello. Karen on April 17th, 2013 mentioned a youtube video where Breyers doesn’t even melt properly. In case you’re curious, I suspect this is the video she means. I found this video fairly recently myself.
As an aside, their frozen dairy desserts/frozen desserts actually contain more corn syrup then cream. Or to put it another way, the second or third ingredients in any of the “FDD” Breyers flavors is HFCS, as opposed to cream. It’s truly became an appaling product.
Thanks for finding and sharing this Evan. It is really a damn shame that Unilever has totally trashed what was a fine product. Appalling is the right word!
I have an intolerance to fructose-hfcs..and breyers was a treat i could get now and again when it went on sale. I just had 1/2 c. of the coffee the other day and i was cramping bad all night. I used coupons and got 2 cartons of the coffee and I too am a cheapskate and hate to throw it away but i am SCARED to eat it. I read the ing. like you and was very upset. I am a label reader but this one used to be ok so I ‘trusted’. WOW. If they are not the premium ice cream anymore they need to lose the premium price they try to charge for their garbage too. We dont have money to throw away but im afraid that is what im going to do with this crap.
A great point that they are still charging a premium price for crap ingredients. Stupid people. Soon people who like the crap ingredients will realize it can be had cheaper and all their loyal good ingredient fans will be gone. Just stupid. Thanks for stopping by!
Wife wanted Dryers but found Breyers, but finding milk on the label, she bought it (peach). It was soft and mushy. Took awhile to find the name of the product, I kept turning the package over & over and couldm’t find the words Ice cream anywhere. Remember when “ice milk” first arrived? That was the first sneaky trick, but now they have gone too far!
Hi! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a
quick shout out and say I truly enjoy reading through your posts.
Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects?
Thanks for your time!
Hi Eugenia! So glad you enjoy our posts. If you’d like to try some others you can check out the blogs where we’ve been featured (scroll down and look on the right side). For great vegan cooking you can check out anunrefinedvegan.com and vedgedout.com For sustainable living check out oceannah.wordpress.com and for more healthy cooking ideas try http://mycookinglife.com/ A lot of other health food bloggers comment on our recipes as well, so check out some of the other comments and look for links to follow. Happy healthy hunting!
ARGH! It is frustrating that “natural” really is just an advertising buzz word. It doesn’t actually mean that the ingredients are natural — as in grown and/or processed-less-so-that-it-actually-resembles-the-plant-it-came-from. Lately we have been having “banana dessert”. I just put frozen bananas in my Blendtec and blend it. I add a little bit of milk and we have a fruit soft serve. So good. Sigh, it is almost like we have to read the label of a product EVERY TIME we buy it, because “food” manufacturers are so good at adjusting recipes without any indication.
The read the label everytime was certainly my take away on this incident! We also love fruit soft serve – We sometimes do chocolate by adding some cocoa powder and a little maple syrup and enough almond milk to make it go round 😉 Thanks for stopping by and it’s always great to hear from others who are fighting back!
I’ve had my blender for awhile, since I bought it for making GREEN smoothies, I hadn’t thought to make a fruit soft serve. (Duh!) It took me a while!
LOL – I can’t say I did it right away either – although my Vita Mix came with some sorbet recipes – but a bit too much sugar in them!
Sad, but true. My son told me a few months ago that Breyers was no longer allowed to have the words “ice cream” on its packages. Recently checked, and couldn’t find a single one that said ice cream. Fortunately, I’m in a city that has Graeter’s. Expensive, but made with real cream and ‘french pot’ method that hasn’t changed in over 100 years. I noticed it’s much heavier than grocery store “ice cream”, and only eat about 1/4th or 1/5th size serving than I used to. Very good, but very filling. For anyone out there who’d like to try an all natural ice CREAM (literal), they sell it online, shipped in dry ice overnight. Graeters.com …worth it! (Not an employee, just frustrated disabled vet who happens to eat a lot of ice cream.)
Thanks for sharing Andrew! I’ll have to check out Graeter’s. I’m astounded by how many people have been upset by this change Breyer’s has made and can’t help but think that they are foolishly losing lots of loyal customers!
my sister's pantry 
I was disappointed to find that my favorite ice creams (Starbucks) also contain the dreaded caramel dye. Going homemade!
Total Bummer. I have to see what kind we bought during the last Breyer’s stock up sale… In the meantime I’ll continue experimenting with my blender, frozen bananas, fronzen berries, honey and some almond milk. Fruity soft-serve goodness sans crap!
Yes the blender experiments are good! I am going to post about our kale smoothie adventures beginning of next week. Cole has consumed every one I’ve made so far!!
SUPERLIKE!!!
OMG!! This has been the topic of conversation today between my father and I!! I had no idea!!! Most startling- Breyers should be fined.
Isn’t it awful? I certainly wasn’t in one of the focus groups that told Breyer’s to sell out and try to compete with all the other dealers of chemicals in the ice cream aisle! Thanks for stopping by!
Just disgusting, and so contrary to the reputation they’ve held for so many years… Such a shame.
I just realized that the Frozen Dairy Dessert existed! I have only bought Natural Vanilla and Neopolitan in the past, but my husband happened to bring home Rocky Road when I noticed the label, and ingredients! I posted this on Breyers FB, hopefully they keep it on the site!
Reblogged this on gardensunshine and commented:
I don’t know what re-blogging etiquette is but I have to share this because this was just recently brought to my attention. I am so disappointed in Breyers. It’s obvious that they only care about themselves and not us the consumers.
Thanks for passing it along! I will say that there is some difference region to region about which of their flavors are ice cream and which are ‘frozen dairy dessert,’ but that they would do it at all, to any of us is indeed very disappointing.
Breyer’s Frozen Dairy Dessert is really bad… I am disappointed with having something like this with the Breyer’s name.
It’s nice to hear so many other people outraged about this. I really did yell when I saw the words on the container as I was standing at my freezer. My poor son. Although he was mostly concerned about getting to eat his ice cream. Breyer’s will definitely not get any more of my money! Thanks for stopping by!
You won’t regret getting an ice cream maker. I love mine…..and if you keep the core in a deep freezer you can quickly make some, anytime! Soft serve in 30 minutes! And it tastes so much better.
Thanks Sarah! I particularly love soft serve, but who knows what’s in there?!! So glad you stopped by.
I live on the east coast. My first bite of Breyer’s cherry vanilla (my fav) was bad, looked at the label an found it was frozen dairy dessert. I emailed Breyer’s and they replied they had to change the name because this concoction of poor ingredients, chemicals, and artifical flavors does not meet FDA requirements to be called ice cream. Hello? I am reading the labels carefully as some are still ice cream. Shame on Breyer’s for reducing the quality and integrity of their product to save cost. I’ve told everyone to read the label carefully. Very pleased to find this post.
I’m glad you found us as well : ) It is especially disappointing for a company like Breyer’s that bragged about the natural character of its products to start slipping so much gunk in that it no longer qualifies as the original product. Don’t you think? I expect this kind of thing from Frito-Lays.
I just tried my first bite of black cherry frozen dairy dessert and it tastes like cough syrup. This is dreadful and I trusted the Breyers name for so many years.
It is dreadful isn’t it? So gummy…
I guess I’m a little behind the times too. I’ve been a Breyers fan since I was a little boy, but things have been going down hill since merging with Good Humor. I guess this what happens when you go down the slippery slope of multinational corporate ownership…
I just noticed the “Frozen Dairy Desert” on my Mint Oreo Blast, and found you blog… Yeah.. I think I’ll be looking for a new Ice Cream ( … maybe one that comes in a 1/2 gallon size… do they still exist?)
I think you are right about the slippery slope of joining up with a multinational. We have not had a whole lot of luck finding an affordable new ice cream yet, but hope to do so…. and they do keep shrinking in size while growing in price, don’t they? So glad you found our blog! Hope you’ll stop by again : )
After about 45 years I’ve given up on Breyers now that they’ve worsened their product beyond an acceptable level. I was happy to see that Blue Bunny still makes an all natural vanilla ice cream, and it’s excellent. Still 1.75 quarts too (sad that it’s now a plus for ice cream to be sold in 1.75 quart containers!). They also have a very good pistachio-almond, but that one does have some of the “extra” ingredients like the gums that Breyers now also uses.
Good to know about Blue Bunny! Thanks for sharing. Certainly I am not as surprised when there is extra stuff in a complicated flavor… but it would be nice if someone would make some all natural flavors. Thanks for stopping by!
I always read the ingredient list when buying a new product, even if it is just a different flavour of the same brand I usually buy– but sometimes they are sneaky and change things, so it is good to check! I recently bought some Open Nature vanilla bean ice cream (available at Safeway)– milk from cows not treated with rBST
no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup. But homemade is better.
Thank you Jillian! I love to know about brands that are still natural so I can find them… and because it makes me feel better that they still exist!
Yes but what you didnt mention is that the new improved FROZEN DAIRY DESSERT tastes like polyester. I got a new carton of CHERRY VANILLA which looks ilk the same ole CHERRY VANILLA Breyers I have buying since 1975 (37 YEARS), served it up took a bite and nearly gagged it tasted like artificial cake frosting from a can, might as well have been eating polyester. You may have gone ahead and eaten yours, but I took mine right back to KROGERS for a refund. I”M NOT FINISHED COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS INJUSTICE. IT GOES ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE, TWEETER ACCOUNT LETTERS TO THE EDITTERS….POWER TO THE PEOPLE……
Right on Dale! You go! I confess that I did not eat any of the cherry vanilla, but as mentioned in the article I decided to let my 11 year old consume the rest of it. But guess what? It sat in my freezer for a very long time as he doesn’t really like it either! Carry on with the fight against injustice and letting others know about this crazy trend towards poisoning the people!
I got the Rocky Road… see my link below in comments with photos of how deceptive Breyers is being. I was so angry that I brought it back to the grocery store, got my money back, and notified as many people in the store as I could, employees and customers, about this FRAUD.
Thanks for sharing this. Amazing the 2 types were right next to each other in the freezer case. I can only hope that Breyer’s has lost more business than it has gained due to the sneaky change in formula!
My favorite is vanilla bean with cinnamon added to it. Simple, but so yummy! Sad to see Breyer’s go down this path. It’s funny that you found my blog today– was just having a conversation about this with my dad yesterday!
Cinnamon is a wonderful addition to so many things but I had never added it to ice cream. I will try that! Little Sis and I were thinking we should at least send Breyer’s a letter because clearly they are not in touch with their market as they sure are making a lot of their previously loyal customers angry!
Let us face facts folks. ANY prepared commercial food is likely to have unhealthy ingredients. MAKE FOOD AT HOME FROM REAL INGREDIENTS and you will control the quality. You say that you are too busy? Then do not whine about inferior food in markets. Please see my blog “the thing about documentaries” for films like Food, Inc.– every human should watch. My creed is “know your ingredients!”
I agree with you that making food at home from real ingredients is indeed the BEST solution. I do not think telling people to stop whining is very helpful. Many of my readers are exploring changing the way they eat. Some are already ‘on the band wagon’ so to speak, but this particular instance of a company including nasty ingredients is especially disturbing because it is a company that made it’s name and did a lot of advertising claiming to provide a product with all natural ingredients. Due to the reputation of Breyer’s, I made the mistake of not reading the ingredients. This is indeed a mistake that I will not make again. There are definitely choices we all have to make about how much time we devote to eating food that is healthy for us and for the environment. Conversations about these discoveries with other people might save them from making the same mistake and might help folks on the journey towards healthier foods realize how important it is to know our ingredients. I also agree that Food, Inc. is a great place to improve one’s knowledge of the food industry and that everyone should watch it.
Remember that the word natural means absolutely nothing.
There is nothing wrong with wanting the ability to buy products ready to eat that are not full of junk ingredients. Frankly while I make 75% or more of our food from scratch base ingredients, it is highly time consuming ( I bake bread daily, etc) and many just don’t have the time to do it – I am fortunate to be a SAHM mom with the know how, time and money. So it is disheartening to have a “back-up brand” change their ingredients. It isn’t whining either to say this!!
Indeed. The word ‘natural’ is meaningless in packaging now.
@Sarah – It is awesome that you can make 75% from scratch. That is really an achievement – and I agree with you it would be SO NICE to be able to rely on some companies to provide us with relatively healthy alternatives to homemade.
I am from Philadelphia, where Breyers was founded. Breyers was always the brand of choice in Philly. It was a quality product–I know because I make my own ice cream. Their dairy dessert, however, is horrible. Even Consumer Reports has noted that it does not fall within the current FDA definition of standardized ice cream. I went to write an email complaint to Unilever (Breyer’s parent company) but had another major complaint–they required way more personal information than they need. Turkey Hill puts out a very good ice cream that tastes like the original Breyers and doesn’t have extraneous junk in it. It is labelled “All Natural Ice Cream” and comes in a black carton rather than their usual one. The only problem is that it comes in just a six flavors.
Hi Jim! So they’ve even alienated the neighbors, eh? It is hard to understand their reasoning. Thanks for the tip on Turkey Hill. My philosophy has always been to buy vanilla and add my own real flavors – high quality chocolate syrup, nuts, bits of homemade cookies, maple syrup, fruit, but I do miss butter pecan! Thanks for your comments!
We switched to Alden’s Ice Cream (we buy it at whole foods) — the downside is the price ($7) but the upside is it is certified organic and amazingly yummy!
Unfortunately that tends to be the downside – a high price. I’m planning on making sorbets in my Vita Mix this summer. That’ll take care of the frozen treat longing for awhile! Thanks for stopping by!
Wow… I’m pretty disappointed, too! Thanks for putting the word out!
No problem. I put lots of words out the night I made the discovery 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150909801939983.416810.543199982&type=1
Good information. Thank you!
You’re very welcome!
How about how it doesn’t come out in scooped balls, but in chunks. What a sad state Breyers has been reduced to.
Yeah – I just don’t get it. Why ruin a perfectly wonderful reputation?!
I’ve been really disappointed with the ingredients list on Breyer’s, too. It’s quite disappointing to see what gets put under the label all-natural. Perhaps an ice cream maker will be put on my appliance wish list soon! Thanks for sharing your experiences so I can pay closer attention, too!
I hate being the bearer of bad news, but as Little Sis says… “Let the buyer be-freaking-ware.” It’s a pain to be vigilant, but apparently necessary. Thanks for stopping by!
Didn’t Breyers used to run commercials showing people trying to pronounce the ingredients lists on other brands of ice cream? They would stumble over words like carageenan and dextrose, then read stuff like cream, sugar and eggs off the Breyers carton. Now there’s no difference, it seems. They have all the same stuff.
Sad.
If you have a Costco membership, check out their Kirkland brand. It only comes in vanilla and you have to buy a gallon at a time, but it’s close to what Breyers used to be. The ingredients are cream, skim milk, sugar, pasteurized egg yolks, natural vanilla, carob bean gum and guar gum.
Funny I had forgotten that commercial. Pretty incredible, isn’t it? The very thing they built their reputation on they are now flouting. Hard to understand. Thanks for the tip about Kirkland vanilla!!
I was wondering what happened??? I just had my favorite Breyers cookies n cream last night and noticed it didn’t taste the same….gooey, sticky, and gross! I decided to google the subject and happened upon this blog! So disappointed in them….
Indeed it is very disappointing. I still haven’t started making my own ice cream – but we are not buying Breyer’s anymore. Can’t fund the deception!! So glad you found us.
You have to start! It is so much fun! I made raspberry frozen yogurt last night, it was amazing!
Mmmmmm. Sounds wonderful
I see that these posts are from a few months ago – I just recently discovered the disgusting goo Breyers calls ‘frozen dairy dessert…I’d bought Breyers Peach – finding it in the All Natural section of our local Food Lion – assuming it was their former delicious Peach Ice Cream. As soon I got home, I opened it for a cup – and after about 2 bites, I spat it out! Tasted like artificial peach-flavored plastic, with a texture to match. Ugh. Then I looked on the carton and discovered the fatal phrase – “frozen dairy dessert’; finally, I read the ingredients, to my shock. And I went into the kitchen yelling dance. Horrible!
I think it’s great that people are taking the initiative to make their own. Fortunately I have other options here in Greensboro, NC – there is an Earth Fare down the road that makes a decent truly all natural ice cream and sells for the same reasonable price of Breyers. Some of their flavors haven’t quite got the succulence of the ‘former’ all natural Breyers Ice cream, but they are still delicious. I also plan, however, to write Breyers and make a stink! Like some of these bloggers I returned the peach junk to the store, trading it for French Vanilla (still true ice cream). When I told the two young black girls at the register that he product tasted like disgusting plastic, they looked quite bewildered. So I invited them to try a taste, and suggested they return it for a refund themselves to Breyers noting an outraged customer complaint.
A day of mass returns might get their attention!!
I thought I’d reached heaven when I realized I’d moved a few blocks from the Bakersfield Dryers/Bryers (Unilever) factory in Bakersfield CA. 1.5 quarts of Dryers often go on sale for as little as $3.99 due to minimal local distribution costs. Then as I settled down to my 2nd bowl I noticed the stuff didn’t melt…it just turned to slimy foam. “EWWW” I said to myself….this isn’t the Bryers I remember……Sure enough, an ingredient I had to look up on the internet…Tara Gum (which brought me here.) If I want a poofy ice cream full of fillers that won’t even melt like decent ice cream….I’ll just get the 5 quart “bucket ‘O chemicals” ice cream at Wal Mart! Shame on Unilever for ruining the last widely available “real” ice cream!
I love your last statement. Breyer’s truly was the last widely available, (and affordable) “real” ice cream. It really stinks.
I just went through the exact same thing, including yelling like a crazy person. I had noticed that my beloved Breyers butter pecan and cherry vanilla flavors were tasting more like Safeway Select, and wondered what was wrong with my taste buds. Then I noticed the ingredients! Yell, yell, yell! I wrote them an angry letter because I am, in fact, angry about it. I am no longer a Breyers snob, because I won’t be eating their ice cream anymore. Looks like I’ll be making my own now.
I hear ya! Also astounded that nobody has stepped in to take up the customers like the many, many people who have responded to this post. Doesn’t somebody want to make some money selling real ice cream that doesn’t cost a bloody fortune? Good luck making your own! I’m sure it will be wonderful and won’t taste like Safeway Select!
Thanks! If nothing else, it will save my waistline because I’ll be too lazy to make ice cream very often.
I heard about a company called Turkey Hill that makes natural ice cream (as well as unnatural ice cream, but never mind that, I guess). These are the Vanilla ingredients from their website: Cream, Nonfat milk, Sugar, Vanilla, Vanilla bean. Maybe they sell it where you live, though I don’t know what their prices are like. Unfortunately for me, they don’t sell it in my area! Ah, well.
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If you’re looking for a store bought vanilla (or other basic such as chocolate, strawberry), go for Turkey Hill All Natural…Not the regular turkey hill stuff..It’s the black container with all natural plastered all around it — It has all of 5 ingredients (milk, sugar, egg, cream, vanilla), like Breyers USED to. It’s also delicious.
Thank you Evan! My store carries the regular Turkey Hill but I have not seen the black container / all natural version. I will look and request they carry it if they don’t have it! Glad you found our site and shared this.
So disappointed. Not only is the carton of Breyer’s Chocolate Chip (expecting all natural vanilla plus chocolate chips) not “ice cream” anymore, it’s also 1.5 quarts instead of the normal half gallon. But I do get to pay the same price.
Yes – they threw salt and carageenan and caramel color in the wound, didn’t they?
In this entire thread no one seems to have researched tara gum at all.
Tara gum IS natural…it’s from a tree.
If you’re bothered by the addition of anything besides cream, milk, sugar, eggs, or if you feel that you don’t like it anymore, I say gripe away, but -for the love of god- please stop referring to tara gum as ‘chemical’ or unnatural’…it certainly is not.
I’m not defending the other ingredients that have been added to the less-traditional Breyers flavors, but people should at least know what they’re hating on…I’m defending tara gum specifically.
Educate yourself about tara gum here:
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/50912_what-is-tara-gum
btw: Alkalized cocoa is the ingredient that got Unilever/Breyers kicked out of the all-natural club, but no one has mentioned a word about that.
Thanks for sharing this information. Now someone has mentioned those things on this thread 🙂 The more information the better.
I have been a loyal Breyers fan for at least 30 years–absolutely refused. to buy anything else…that is, until today. I feel so betrayed…
Breyers used to have the worst container in the world..impossible to open cleanly, but I stuck with them because of what was inside the terrible container. Now It’s like the death of an old friend……
I hear you. It is indeed a loss. Something like ice cream holds so many happy memories that a favorite brand does in itself become a comfort.
I was so sad yesterday to see 90% of Breyer’s saying “Frozen dairy dessert” on the front. I thought this term was used for the $1.50 store brand boxes of sweet frozen crap in a carton.
I gotta go homemade – maybe I’ll save some calories beacuse it’s kind of a pain in the butt. Nothing like a homemade custard though.
Sounds like a good plan. I have never tried making custard before, but it’s sounding pretty good right now on this Monday night 🙂
All I can say is that after30 years of loving only Breyers and even buying stock in the company since we bought so much, we are so disappointed and will never buy it again. It tastes like the cheapest, junkiest kinds and doesn’t really even melt anymore…just foamy glop!,
Foamy glop stinks. Not appealing. Not smart on their part. They are losing a lot of us, aren’t they?
So many times I am tempted to buy commercial ice cream, the price lures me to it…but then I come to my good sense and tell myself…save the calories for some home-made goodies!
You are a wise woman. I just finished a batch of cookies – and I know exactly what’s in them! Thanks for your comment.
My mom and I just bought our favorite Butter Pecan. We both commented that it tasted strange and completely unlike the butter pecan we could eat in one sitting. After returning to the freezer, as I suspected she mistakenly bought double-churned or some other variation, I saw the Frozen Dairy Dessert. Wow. Their Breyers Pledge should be removed from the carton and replaced with “Not Suitable for Human Consumption.”
I am so with you. And butter pecan was always one of my favorite flavors as well.
Thanks for the info! I hadn’t purchased an actual carton of ice cream in at least three years, usually preferring frozen fruit or klondike bars occasionally when they were on sale because my BF and I wouldn’t eat a whole carton of ice cream before it would get all crystally and weird. Two days ago I happened to see Breyers on sale with a whole bunch of new flavors, including Whopper Malted Ball – and couldn’t resist. I didn’t notice the Frozen Dairy Dessert thing until I was actually opening the package. Since I don’t eat lots of frozen dessert, I totally noticed a difference between “F.D.D.” and the way Ice Cream is supposed to taste. It was dense and sticky instead of light and creamy. Anyway, I’m probably just going to throw the whole thing away.
Hopefully, someone at Unilever (who own Breyer’s) is reading these posts and seeing all of the business they are losing by selling this stuff in lieu of ice cream! Thanks for weighing in!
I posted on Breyer’s FB page regarding my discovery of Frozen Dairy Dessert. Within 10 minutes they had removed my post. Guess they don’t want their dirty secrets out there!
Hi Karen. I hope they keep it on there as well! I wrote a letter to Unilever, the large multi-national that now owns Breyer’s, and put it in another post. If you want to see it… https://mysisterspantry.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/back-to-the-changes-in-breyers/
and their response (so far) …https://mysisterspantry.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/breyers-frozen-dairy-dessert-reply/ Check it out and send them an email!!
No, they don’t. But since we can all taste the difference, they will not be able to keep it a secret!!
I sent an email regarding my displeasure in the changes they have made to their product, and I got the same exact, word by word response that biggsis got. I let them know that I would only buy their ice cream now and then and only the true “ice cream” products.
Good for you for emailing them! You never know who might be paying a little bit of attention. We can only hope that revenues are down for Breyer’s!
I asked my husband to bring home ice cream and he brought home Breyer’s. I used to LOVE Breyer’s, but no more. It doesn’t even freeze right. I am very disappointed in this “Frozen Dairy Dessert” crap they’re offering up now. I, too, will be following those making their own ice cream!
I’m with you RitaB. It’s a sorry excuse for dessert!
Eggs, and other “puffers” have sometimes partially been replaced by ‘gums’… such as guar, tara, xanthan, and so on. These are all products from natural beans. For example, Tara gum is also known as carob, and comes from the “algarrobo tree” which grows in various parts of the world… If you search for these you’ll get more information, of course.
So as far as “natural” goes, unless you doubt the process to extract the gum (endosperm) from the bean. The endosperm is a substance that ‘feeds’ the germ, until it’s ready to be released into the ground for germination.
Thanks for this info! I did not know that tara gum and carob were the same. Another reader cautioned us about classifying tara gum as being ‘chemical’ or ‘un-natural’ and I am glad to know that is not suspect, assuming as you point out, that the extraction process does not leave anything suspect behind. Breyer’s (Unilever) did reply to an email I sent expressing my concerns with a list of the flavors that will remain ‘ice cream’, and most of those – coffee being an exception as it has caramel color in it – do not have other objectionable ingredients. Thanks for your input.
http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/2361-breyers-all-natural-ice-cream-class-action-settlement-?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Top+Class+Actions+%26+Legafi+Newsletter+…&utm_source=YMLP&utm_term=BreyersAll+Natural+Ice+Cream+…
Very cool. Thanks so much for sharing this. I unfortunately read too late to participate, but that’s not really the point. The point is somebody sued a company for misrepresenting ‘all-natural’ And they essentially won! How inspiring is that?
Well of course nobody was notified or knew to file until after the deadline… I’m sure that was done on purpose!
I am sooooo disapointed with Breyers. It was my last stand with ice cream. Crud.
I hear you. It stinks to lose a last stand. Others have suggested that Turkey Hill has an all-natural brand, and that Harris Teeter stores have an in-store brand modeled after the GOOD Breyer’s of old.
just made the discovery myself, today. my grandmother would roll over in her grave. sad 😦
Indeed. A lot of folks who enjoyed Breyer’s for years are rolling over.
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Thanks for the link. It’s amazing to me that Breyer’s hasn’t turned around on this with all the outcry we’ve seen as a result.
Just read the blog and thread. I purchased this crap while shopping w my college-aged son. I tried it last night, and was immediately, repulsed. Had to research this morning, and saw this. Vile. Returning it today.
It really is awful, isn’t it? So glad you are returning it. I sure hope they are seeing their sales decline!
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Just opened the “frozen desert” by Breyers today. Needless to say, it was an unpleasant surprise. Don’t know when they changed it from all natural ice cream to this but in my opinion it was a dumb move. I won’t be buying breyers again. Edy’s is claiming to be ice cream.
It really is a disappointment. Don’t know if you have it in your neck of the woods, but Turkey Hill has started making a line of all-natural ice creams that come in a black container and feature short, simple ingredient lists, similar to the old Breyer’s.
Unfortunately seeing a lot of Edy’s as well that is no longer ice cream. 😦
Edy’s isn’t an option. They started switching to fake “frozen dairy dessert” about 10 years ago. I had the same experience with them– bit into the stuff and thought, “Uh oh…”
It is a shame because they had a good product for awhile as well.
Know for natural ingredients Too bad that isn’t. Important anymore
Unfortunately it is not for most food manufacturers, but we are trying to overcome that at home! Glad you stopped by.
Great article. My girlfriend recently purchased some new Breyers Chips Ahoy concoction from our local supermarket because it was on sale. This is the first time I noticed Breyers had changed to a frozen dairy dessert. The ice cream appeared to really bother her breathing after eating (she has asthma), and after reading the ingredients I knew why. Their “ice cream” now contains propylene glycol, of all things! I’ll be writing Breyers a nice, long letter. They’re gonna end up killing someone with this crap if they haven’t already. I’m sure they could care less though, as profits are their only concern. Here’s a link to an interesting article on propylene glycol in ice cream: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/antifreeze-in-your-ice-cream-2/
Yikes! It goes from bad to worse. Unilever has killed a fine product. So glad you are going to let them know how you feel! For other ideas about healthier eating I invite you to check you and your girlfriend to check out the rest of our site! Have a great day.
I found you in my own angry Google search after getting scammed by Breyers the other night. I took one bite of Butter Pecan and knew immediately I wasn’t eating what I expected to eat. YUCK!!! This crap doesn’t even taste good anymore. I feel betrayed. They must think we are STUPID. Edy’s pulled the same stunt quite a few years ago and I experienced it the same way; bought Girl Scout Thin Mint ice cream that I had enjoyed annually for several years, only to take one bite and realize this was plastic foam yuck. I wrote to them. They sent me a coupon for another free gallon. Couldn’t bear to purchase it. Never did. Never will again either. Breyers has just joined the pile of floating pollution in the middle of my mental ocean.
I’m so sorry I missed this comment earlier – “the pile of floating pollution in the middle of my mental ocean” may well be one of the best phrases I’ve ever heard. The whole Breyer’s thing really is hugely disappointing. I wish they recognized that they’re losing some loyal fans.
No way I could have kept it to finish it. As soon as I realized I had been duped by ice creams that were no long ice cream, the full cartons went right into the trash. Oh hell no! It doesn’t even taste good. I might have been able to convince myself to finish it if it tasted any good, but these products are nasty.
I did the same – complain to Breyers about a gross switch-a-roo in their oreo ice cream sandwiches to “lite” ice cream and then not labeling it in an obvious manner (tiny print in the corner!( They claimed this crap had passed consumer testing, and gave me some coupons. I never used them. The switch to “Frozen Dairy Dessert” just sealed the deal for me. I won’t even buy Breyers now. at all.
We have switched to Turkey Hill all natural. I can only hope that Breyer’s has lost LOTS of business.
Great post, very informative. I’m not too picky about the garbage I put in my stomach, but this stuff is no good IMO. I almost called leasing to check my fridge until I saw on YouTube that this stuff doesn’t mealt. Apparently, it maintains consistency in and out of the freezer. The ripoff of Americone gets a yellow film instead of freezer burn (caramel dye?). I’m tossing it all. I can eat a brown mushy banana raw, but I cannot eat this frozen yucky mush!
That is very scary that it doesn’t melt. My mother bought ‘low-fat’ margarine once and when it wouldn’t melt in boiling water for a recipe, she decided it was inedible. This as well, eh? Thanks for stopping by!
Why not return the crappy frozen dairy dessert? That’s what I did at Kroger tonight and they gave me cold hard cash and an apology. Breyers is making a big mistake sacrificing their reputation for quality for lower cost of goods sold. That’s what happens when good hearty American brands get bought by European pencil pushers like Unilever.
Good move. Glad to hear that Kroger took it back! I hope they’re not selling much of the horrible stuff!
Hello. Karen on April 17th, 2013 mentioned a youtube video where Breyers doesn’t even melt properly. In case you’re curious, I suspect this is the video she means. I found this video fairly recently myself.
As an aside, their frozen dairy desserts/frozen desserts actually contain more corn syrup then cream. Or to put it another way, the second or third ingredients in any of the “FDD” Breyers flavors is HFCS, as opposed to cream. It’s truly became an appaling product.
Thanks for finding and sharing this Evan. It is really a damn shame that Unilever has totally trashed what was a fine product. Appalling is the right word!
I have an intolerance to fructose-hfcs..and breyers was a treat i could get now and again when it went on sale. I just had 1/2 c. of the coffee the other day and i was cramping bad all night. I used coupons and got 2 cartons of the coffee and I too am a cheapskate and hate to throw it away but i am SCARED to eat it. I read the ing. like you and was very upset. I am a label reader but this one used to be ok so I ‘trusted’. WOW. If they are not the premium ice cream anymore they need to lose the premium price they try to charge for their garbage too. We dont have money to throw away but im afraid that is what im going to do with this crap.
A great point that they are still charging a premium price for crap ingredients. Stupid people. Soon people who like the crap ingredients will realize it can be had cheaper and all their loyal good ingredient fans will be gone. Just stupid. Thanks for stopping by!
Wife wanted Dryers but found Breyers, but finding milk on the label, she bought it (peach). It was soft and mushy. Took awhile to find the name of the product, I kept turning the package over & over and couldm’t find the words Ice cream anywhere. Remember when “ice milk” first arrived? That was the first sneaky trick, but now they have gone too far!
Indeed George – it’s just another sneaky trick to substitute cheap crap for real food!
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Hi! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a
quick shout out and say I truly enjoy reading through your posts.
Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects?
Thanks for your time!
Hi Eugenia! So glad you enjoy our posts. If you’d like to try some others you can check out the blogs where we’ve been featured (scroll down and look on the right side). For great vegan cooking you can check out anunrefinedvegan.com and vedgedout.com For sustainable living check out oceannah.wordpress.com and for more healthy cooking ideas try http://mycookinglife.com/ A lot of other health food bloggers comment on our recipes as well, so check out some of the other comments and look for links to follow. Happy healthy hunting!
ARGH! It is frustrating that “natural” really is just an advertising buzz word. It doesn’t actually mean that the ingredients are natural — as in grown and/or processed-less-so-that-it-actually-resembles-the-plant-it-came-from. Lately we have been having “banana dessert”. I just put frozen bananas in my Blendtec and blend it. I add a little bit of milk and we have a fruit soft serve. So good. Sigh, it is almost like we have to read the label of a product EVERY TIME we buy it, because “food” manufacturers are so good at adjusting recipes without any indication.
The read the label everytime was certainly my take away on this incident! We also love fruit soft serve – We sometimes do chocolate by adding some cocoa powder and a little maple syrup and enough almond milk to make it go round 😉 Thanks for stopping by and it’s always great to hear from others who are fighting back!
I’ve had my blender for awhile, since I bought it for making GREEN smoothies, I hadn’t thought to make a fruit soft serve. (Duh!) It took me a while!
LOL – I can’t say I did it right away either – although my Vita Mix came with some sorbet recipes – but a bit too much sugar in them!
Sad, but true. My son told me a few months ago that Breyers was no longer allowed to have the words “ice cream” on its packages. Recently checked, and couldn’t find a single one that said ice cream. Fortunately, I’m in a city that has Graeter’s. Expensive, but made with real cream and ‘french pot’ method that hasn’t changed in over 100 years. I noticed it’s much heavier than grocery store “ice cream”, and only eat about 1/4th or 1/5th size serving than I used to. Very good, but very filling. For anyone out there who’d like to try an all natural ice CREAM (literal), they sell it online, shipped in dry ice overnight. Graeters.com …worth it! (Not an employee, just frustrated disabled vet who happens to eat a lot of ice cream.)
Thanks for sharing Andrew! I’ll have to check out Graeter’s. I’m astounded by how many people have been upset by this change Breyer’s has made and can’t help but think that they are foolishly losing lots of loyal customers!