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What makes ice cream from New Zealand so good? Why do New Zealanders
eat so much of it, and why is it exported to so many countries?
The local market
At 23 litres per capita per annum, New Zealanders are amongst the biggest eaters
of
ice
cream
in the world, and most recent figures put
us
at
the
very
top,
ahead
of
Australia and the USA. Ice cream and edible ices account for about $1 of every
$44 spent
on
food
by
New
Zealand households (Statistics New Zealand).
This is not only testament to the quality
of ice cream produced here over many years, but evidence of a discriminating
local consumer base - New Zealanders love their dairy products and know their
ice cream! As a result, the ice cream market is historically very innovative
and extremely competitive for its size.
Ice cream has always been very affordable in this country - ice cream prices
over
the
three
decades to 2010 are shown in The
chilling facts about ice
cream:
tracking prices in the CPI, by Statistics New Zealand.
The ingredients
New Zealand is world-famous for the quality of its dairy products, which are
in turn the result of a clean environment, year-round grazing on outdoor pasture,
a technologically advanced dairy industry, and strict quality and hygiene standards.
New Zealand ice cream is made from the best and freshest dairy ingredients available
anywhere.
The manufacturing technology
 A
combination of an open and highly competitive
marketplace,
and
historical
distance from equipment suppliers, has helped to build ice cream manufacturing
technology
and engineering infrastructure to a level that allows local manufacturers to
successfully
hold
their
own
against
multinational competition.
Technological
breakthroughs such as Tip Top's world-first mass production of
a
multi-chocolate-coated,
marshmallow-injected premium
ice
cream stick
novelty
prove that New Zealand ice cream manufacturing technology is up there with the
best:
 Memphis
Meltdown Rocky Road 
The quality standards
Our world famous manufacturing dairy industry has provided an environment that
the ice cream industry has benefited from - strict quality and hygiene standards,
a tight regulatory structure,and excellent training facilities.
New Zealand is free of most animal diseases, and our large agricultural-based
export industries depend on the country maintaining this clean status.
Manufacturing,
export quality and hygiene regulations are administered by the Ministry
for Primary Industries (MPI).
The ice cream industry has
been proactive in setting up its own Guidelines for Ice Cream,
prescribing minimum food safety standards from farm to supermarket. Both MPI
(MAF/NZ Food Safety Authority)
and the Ministry of Health were involved in the development of this Code, previously
administered
by MPI.
These Guidelines are now owned and administered by The New Zealand Ice
Cream
Manufacturers' Association (Inc) (NZICA).
New Zealand ice cream
manufacturers are determined that they will maintain and build on their reputation
for producing some of the best ice cream in the world. |
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Since 2002 New Zealand ice cream has
been defined under the Joint
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, administered by Food
Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
Ice Cream is defined as a sweet frozen
food made from cream or milk products or both, and other foods, generally
aerated, and consisting of not less than 100g/kg of milk fat, and not less than
168g/litre
of food solids. (Standard 2.5.6)
There are separate definitions for lower fat products,
or products where the fat comes from another source such as coconut oil, under
Reduced Fat Ice Cream, Low Fat Ice Cream, and Frozen
Confection:
Reduced Fat Ice Cream: 25% less fat than standard ice cream.
Low Fat Ice Cream: Not more than 3.0 grams fat per 100 g ice cream.
Frozen Confection covers frozen desserts with
no regulated fat content. |
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Ice cream consumption: Per
capita consumption of ice cream and related products is estimated
to be 22-23 litres per annum. New
Zealanders are amongst the biggest consumers of ice
cream in
the world - most recent figures put
us
at
the
very
top,
just ahead
of
Australia and the USA.
Ice cream exports: New Zealand exports approximately
12,000 tonnes of ice cream each year, at a value of around
NZ$70 million (FOB).
Ice
cream export/import statistics |
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 From
importing American lake-harvested ice in the 1860s, and importing
American ice cream recipes and parlour designs in the 1920s
and 30s,
the New Zealand ice cream industry has today come full circle,
exporting New Zealand-branded ice cream, flavours and retailing
concepts to countries all around
the world.
More ... |
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