Zhong Xue Gao, Chicecream Photo: VCG

Dubbed the "Hermes of ice cream" or the "ice cream overkill" due to its surprisingly high price, Chinese ice cream brand Zhong Xue Gao, or Chicecream, had to defend its adherence to food safety and quality standards again on Wednesday. The new controversy faced by the ice cream company was caused by a video circulating online since Tuesday that shows one of its star products resisting the flame of a lighter without melting. The video has led consumers to question the possibly excessive use of artificial thickeners and additives in the production of the ice cream.

In a statement issued on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, the company said that its Salt Coconut ice cream, which has caught public attention due to the video, is mainly made of milk (35.8 percent), light cream (19.2 percent), coconut milk (11.2 percent), sweetened condensed milk (7.4 percent) and whole milk powder (6 percent). It contains more than 40 percent solid matter, which is 20 percent higher than the national standard.

As to the thickener Carrageenan, which the public expressed concern about, it is a natural extract of red algae and is widely used in ice cream and beverages production to help the stability of the milk proteins in these products. The amount of Carrageenan in the Salt Coconut ice cream is 0.032 grams and is in accordance with the national standards, read the statement.

Food safety is a major issue and  Zhong Xue Gao always upholds high quality as a core value. 

Market supervision authority told media that they had noted the video and reported it to the related authorities. 

The customer service of Zhong Xue Gao told the media that their ice cream normally melts in 3-5 minutes. It is the first time that the staff hears of an ice cream not melting when burnt. The staff declared they have recorded the issue and an official response will be given at a later time, media reported. 

In the statement, Zhong Xue Gao vows to cooperate with related authorities in the investigation.

Before this controversy, the company has already faced criticism because of a few videos showing that their ice cream would not melt after being placed at a room temperature of 31C for about one hour or being baked by a flamethrower that produces fire at about 1,500 C degrees.           

In a statement on Weibo on July 2, Zhong Xue Gao said that among their products there was no ice cream that would not melt. The Salt Coconut ice cream seemed not to melt in the temperature of 31 C because it contains a high percentage of solid matter, soinstead of completely melting in a puddle of liquid, it just becomes a sticky blob.  

Since its foundation in 2018, Zhong Xue Gao has become famous and has been quite controversial for its high prices. In the historically hot summer this year, many Chinese netizens flooded to social media platforms complaining over the growing prices of ice cream and suggesting that cheaper brands are just as good. 

The Salt Coconut mentioned above is sold at a retail price of 17 yuan ($2.5) at the brand's flagship shop in Taobao. 

The most expensive product of the company was called Ecuador Pink and it was sold in 2018 at a retail price of 66 yuan.   

In an interview with Beijing TV in April 2021, the company's founder Lin Sheng defended his products' high prices explaining that it was due to the high-quality materials used in their production. 

Taking the Ecuador Pink as an example, Lin said it was mainly made of pink cocoa powder extracted from a plant growing in South American countries and Japanese shaddock juice and its production cost was almost 40 yuan.

Lin said its gross profits were just "a little bit higher" than those of traditional ice creams.

Heated debate over the high prices of ice creams was recently revived on Chinese social media platforms as many netizens complained about the "ice cream overkill": many describe how they often casually pick up an ice cream from the freezer at a shop only to find out the unexpectedly high prices of the product.  

Some netizens flooded to social media platforms to remind the public of traditional ice cream with cheaper prices and less addictive marketing tactics.

A Beijing resident surnamed Yang told the Global Times that she once bought a box of Zhong Xue Gao ice cream when it was on offer. "It really tasted good but I would not have bought it if it hadn't been discounted. There are many other options at much lower prices that are just as good," Yang said.

Some others try to defend the high prices of ice creams. "The price and the cost of a normal Zhong Xue Gao ice cream is similar to that of one cup of milk tea, so why do people criticize the prices of Zhong Xue Gao when they'd readily spend the same money for a cup of milk tea?" a Weibo user commented. 

"If you think it is too expensive, you can choose not to buy it. But, of course, I oppose ice 'cream overkill', also the sellers should mark the prices clearly," said another.

Global Times