Dietitian reveals ‘scary’ chemicals behind Nestle’s Drumstick ice cream that miraculously doesn’t melt

Social media users are baffled by a disturbing video showing a popular ice cream not melting even after being left in the heat for more than a day.

The clip, which has been viewed 20 million times, shows a Drumstick ice cream cone sitting on a stand next to a young woman and has reportedly been left in place for 24 hours.

The woman waves the flame of a lighter around the sweet treat, but even this does not change the consistency of the ice cream or chocolate layer.

Hundreds of viewers took to TikTok to share DIY experiments where they left unwrapped Drumsticks outside in warm temperatures and monitored how quickly the product melted.

Commenters called the stiff, white cream “scary,” while another called the chemicals in the ice cream “poison.”

Now a top dietitian has revealed the long list of artificial additives responsible for this crazy effect.

The video prompted TikTokers to perform “melt tests.” One user, Oliver (left), showed off his ice cream after sitting outside for 22 hours. Another (right) compared the consistency after 24 hours with Cool Whip

Abbey Sharp, a myth-busting dietitian with more than 800,000 TikTok followers, has explained that a mixture of emulsifiers, additives and other chemicals used by food manufacturers is what causes ingredients to bind.

These are common in ultra-processed foods such as microwave meals, white bread and dressings.

“You can find these additives in less premium ice cream products because they help manufacturers use less of the really expensive ingredients like the cream and more air, while keeping everything fluffy and together,” Ms Sharp said.

‘Emulsifiers and gums are especially important for, for example, a pre-formed ice cream cone or an ice cream sandwich, where it must have a specific shape.’

However, Ms. Sharp said that melting ice to see if it holds together “would be a waste of a perfectly good Drumstick.”

Dietitian Abbey Sharp said drumsticks may not melt quickly because they contain additives called emulsifiers, which have been linked to weight changes and diabetes in some studies. Ms Sharp advised moderation and not letting the ‘meltability’ change how healthy the ice cream is

Emulsifiers are additives typically used to help substances such as oil and water mix and hold foods together

‘Unless you have a specific sensitivity to some of these additives such as gums, as we see with some types of IBS, the meltability of your ice cream should not give it a health halo.’

There is some evidence that eating foods with emulsifiers can have adverse health effects.

For example, a Spanish study in mice looked at the emulsifiers carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, which are found in thousands of microwave meals, butters and ice creams.

A group of pregnant female mice were given water with one percent emulsifiers, the maximum allowed by the FDA.

Usually somewhere between 0.25 and 0.8 percent is added to food.

The team found that the mice’s offspring showed unintentional weight loss and anxious behavior when they were 10 weeks old.

Additionally, male mice were more likely to experience weight loss, while females were more likely to experience anxiety.

This is because the emulsifiers disrupted the neural connections in the hypothalamus, a brain structure that acts as the body’s control center.

The hypothalamus produces leptin, a hormone that causes the body to use more energy, leading to weight loss.

And a large French study among 100,000 adults published in The Lancet earlier this month suggested that continued exposure to emulsifiers increased the risk of type 2 diabetes.

“Further research is needed to bring about a re-evaluation of the regulations governing the use of additive emulsifiers in the food industry, with a view to better consumer protection,” the team wrote.

Ms Sharp noted that because of findings like these around processed foods, moderation is key.

‘Ice cream with or without additives is not a health food. You are supposed to enjoy it in moderation because it brings you joy,” she said.

“Choose the ice cream that gives you the most pleasure, and don’t leave it out on the counter overnight.”