Your Ice Cream Products Thawed Out! Bad News.

Never put even partially thawed ice cream back in the display for customers to buy.

Discarding product is the last thing you want to do, but there are times when, for the sake of customer satisfaction, you need to bite the bullet.

Ice cream requires the same precautions as other dairy products.  If it thaws, even if you refreeze it, ice cream can result in:

• Food poisoning due to bacterial contamination.

That means customers experiencing fever, nausea, cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea can trace the bad experience back to your business.

And these symptoms can last hours or even days.

This is why good retail ice cream freezers are worth every dollar invested. Quality, reliable freezers limit, even eliminate, ice cream throwaway – saving your business thousands of dollars every year.

But maybe I can just refreeze it this one time?

Refreezing thawed ice cream:

• Changes its texture, resulting in a grainy and crystallized texture any informed consumer can pinpoint.
• Introduces lasting bacterial contamination issues. Although refreezing the ice cream will slow down the growth-rate of the bacteria, it will not kill it. If you want your customers to trust your product, you need to stock only well-frozen units.

What you DON’T want to happen

A customer rushes to the freezer, opens the door and grasps the ice cream container like a prize.

As they bring the container to the counter, they begin to salivate. Oh the sweetness is only moments away!

Then they flip the lid off and notice a layer of crusty ice crystals.

The product may go straight to the garbage, the customer may ask for a refund. Not a huge deal.

But will they shop at your store or buy the product from you again?

Freezer burn can be the result of the ice cream coming in contact with air, improper packaging/sealing, or may even have to do with the temperature of your freezer.

The best way to store ice cream in your grocery store, convenience store or similar

Let’s take a look at some measures you can take to ensure your ice cream stays the way it’s intended to.

• Make room: Ice cream should be evenly spaced within the freezer, allowing some air flow below and above each shelf.
• Cover up: Ensure the plastic sealer hasn’t been broken by performing regular product checks. The seal helps ice cream products resist thawing from uneven temperatures.
• Quality assurance: Though ice cream can be stored up to four months, fluctuating temperatures from opening and closing freezers can affect the product. Monitor your freezers and be sure customers aren’t leaving freezer doors open.

Helpful tips to monitor the quality of your ice cream products

A quick check can ensure your products are in selling condition. Here are a few few easy checks to perform every few days.

• Make sure it is actually frozen by squeezing the packaging.
• Check the container: Is it sticky? Frosted? This might indicate the ice cream previously thawed and refroze.
• Make intelligent purchasing decisions: Don’t stock more ice cream than you can possibly move before the expiration date.

Our freezers will keep your ice cream products in selling condition for months while using a fraction of the energy older refrigerators use.

Contact us today to make the smartest investment you can in ice cream sales.