THELASTMILE Logistics Outside the Box
Ice Cream Logistics... Licked
When it comes to frozen desserts, ice cream tops the list for U.S. consumers. Here’s how ice cream makers keep churning it out.
MORE THAN 1.3 BILLION GALLONS The amount of ice cream U.S. manufacturers produced in 2021. WE SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM The average American consumes approximately 23 pounds of frozen desserts per year. Ice cream outscoops them all, accounting for 20 pounds of this consumption or about 4 gallons per American per year.
JUST THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE The temperature at the final retail location—a supermarket’s freezer case—should not be above 10°F. The optimum temperature is 0°F or colder. The ideal serving temperature range for ice cream is between 6°F and 10°F, when it’s easy to dip your spoon. DIPPIN' DOTS: WHERE CRYOGENICS MEETS ICE CREAM In 1988, microbiologist Curt Jones applied his knowledge of cryogenic technology to invent beaded ice cream, or Dippin’ Dots : • Temperature at which the beads are frozen: -320°F • Temperature at which they must be maintained in transport: -40°F • U.S. locations that sell Dippin’ Dots: More than 22,000 • Number of beads in a small cup: 2,000
FROM HOT TO COLD While ice cream makers have their own unique recipes, the basics of ice cream production follow a mold, starting with blending the ingredients in a mixing tank and then heating them in a pasteurizer. ⊳ The hot mixture is then piped into a homogenizer that applies pressure—on average around 2,000 pounds per square inch—to ensure the mixture stays smooth and creamy. ⊳ The mix is quick-cooled to about 40°F, sits for 4 to 8 hours, and then is frozen in batches. ⊳ After bulky flavorings—nuts, fruits, or chocolate chips—are added, the ice cream is packaged in containers, cups, or molds. It is then moved to a hardening room, where it reaches a temperature of -10°F—its final state for storage and distribution.
Sources: Dippin’ Dots; International Dairy Foods Association
64 Inbound Logistics • December 2022
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