HOUSTON – Blue Bell, the third largest ice cream company in the country, is being called out for using low-quality ingredients in its ice creams, according to KSAT News.
Ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, cellulose gum and vegetable gums in the Homemade Vanilla flavor were listed as reasons for the low score, according to Eat This, Not That, a publication focused on food, nutrition and health.
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The publication recently compiled a list of nine ice cream brands, including Blue Bell, that use the lowest quality ingredients. Apparently, Blue Bell ranked No. 9.
According to the report, other Blue Bell flavors add in modified food starch, artificial colors, mono and diglycerides, and more.
Here are the following reasons why the ingredients Blue Bell use are low ranking:
- High Fructose Corn Syrup - High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener in sodas and fruit-flavored drinks, according to Mayo Clinic. It’s chemically similar to table sugar but Mayo Clinic states that there is currently insufficient evidence to say that high-fructose corn syrup is any less healthy than other types of sweeteners.
- Cellulose Gum - This is essentially a thickening agent and it’s used in an array of food products. According to Healthline, it comes from the cell walls of plants like wood pulp and cottonseeds. It’s considered a safe food additive but may cause you to experience loose bowel movements.
- Vegetable Gum - Persistence Market Research states that vegetable gums are used as thickeners in food products. They don’t alter flavor, taste, color or texture and are obtained from certain modified food starches. Side effects of eating too much of these gums are abdominal bloating and gas.
What do you think of the ranking? Tell us in the comments below.