Can ice cream still be eaten after one year?

Summer is here, the weather is getting dry and hot, and people's favorite ice cream is also on the market. In the hot summer, the most pleasant thing is to eat ice cream. Now you can buy ice cream of various colors and flavors on the market. These ice creams are sweet and attractive, so they are very popular. But we should also pay attention when buying ice cream, because some ice cream has been stored for a long time, and eating it may have an impact on the body. So do you know if ice cream can still be eaten after a long time? How long can it be stored?

How long does ice cream last?

Generally, homemade ice cream can be stored in the freezer for five months. The shelf life of different brands of ice cream varies, with the maximum difference being 4 times. The shelf life of ice cream produced by Wall's and Nestle is 24 months; the shelf life of brands such as Mengniu and Yili is 18 months; the shelf life of brands such as Tianbing is 12 months; and the shelf life of some local brands is 6 months. The shelf life depends on the main ingredients of ice cream and popsicles. Generally, products with milk as the main ingredient have a longer shelf life of more than 1 year. Popsicles with fruit juice as the main ingredient have a shorter shelf life, usually less than one year.

my country's latest food shelf life catalogue does not stipulate the shelf life of frozen foods such as ice cream and popsicles. The reason is that products such as ice cream and popsicles can be divided into different types due to the different cream and protein content, and factors such as product packaging also affect the shelf life of the product. The shelf life of the product is determined by the manufacturer through shelf testing based on production processes and technical standards.

Can you eat aged ice cream?

Theoretically, there will be no problems with popsicles within their shelf life, but it is difficult to monitor whether low temperatures can be maintained during transportation and storage. Spoiled cold drinks can easily cause abdominal pain and diarrhea, trigger gastroenteritis, and in severe cases, cause infections in other parts of the body. The labels of many ice creams and soft serve ice creams mention that they should be stored at -22°C. However, the refrigerator temperature in many small shops and even supermarkets is difficult to reach -22°C, which will breed certain microorganisms. Therefore, consumers are advised not to eat aged ice cream. The ice cream you buy should be eaten as soon as possible and not kept in the refrigerator for too long.

When food is stored in a frozen state, the rate of bacterial reproduction is only reduced, not that there is no bacterial reproduction. Therefore, even if they are frozen, some foods that are more prone to spoilage cannot be stored for a long time, and the same goes for cold drinks. Moreover, problems during the production and transportation process may also cause the colony count of frozen foods to exceed the standard. The temperature of the freezer compartment of a household refrigerator should be adjusted to below minus 16 degrees Celsius. If it is higher than this temperature, some foods that are more prone to spoilage, such as seafood, are still prone to spoilage. It is safer to consume cold drinks within the shelf life.

The shelf life of ice cream is generally within one year. If it is old, do not eat it as it may endanger your health.

1. What happens if you eat too much ice cream?

1. Damage to the stomach and intestines

The temperature of ice cream is generally around 0℃, while the normal human body temperature is 37℃. Such a huge temperature difference is a great stimulation to the human stomach and intestines. It will cause the gastrointestinal blood vessels to contract and reduce the secretion of digestive juices. If you eat too much ice cream in a day and the cold stimulation is frequent, it will cause gastrointestinal diseases.

Most children who eat too much ice cream often suffer from vomiting and diarrhea, which can also damage their teeth. Cold drinks are generally 20℃ to 30℃ lower than the temperature inside the stomach. When the gastric mucosa is stimulated by excessive cold, the mucosal blood vessels contract strongly and the gastric endocrine system is disrupted. The secretion of gastric acid and gastric enzymes decreases sharply, which greatly reduces the stomach's digestion, sterilization and immune abilities. If the food eaten at this time is not strictly disinfected, it may cause vomiting and diarrhea.

2. Headache

Eating a lot of ice cream can also cause "ice cream headache". The scientific name of "ice cream headache" is "sphenopalatine ganglion neuralgia". When you eat cold food, your palate will cool down quickly. There is a nerve center at the back of your palate. At this time, the nerve group in the nerve center will send signals to the brain to change body temperature. But when the temperature drops too quickly, these nerve groups become overstimulated and send erroneous signals to the brain, indicating that the temperature has dropped too much, which in turn causes a rapid constriction of blood vessels in the brain.

3. Gaining weight

The sugar contained in ice cream is refined sugar, so it is not advisable to eat too much. Nutrition experts recommend that it is best for people to consume about 30 grams of sugar a day. If a child eats several cartons of ice cream a day, plus the sugar contained in milk, soda or other foods, the amount of sugar consumed per day will be far more than 30 grams. The fat and sugar in ice cream can easily lead to excessive calories in the body, thus causing obesity.