Jeni’s Ice Cream

Awarded 3 out of 5 green leaves, Jeni’s Ice Cream Dark Chocolate Truffle positions itself in the middle ground of the cleaner food options spectrum. This product has made some strides towards better ingredients but falls short in key areas that are vital for a higher rating on our scale.

Starting with the positives, Jeni’s Ice Cream incorporates coconut cream, an alternative to dairy, and uses cocoa powder and extracts for flavoring. These choices reflect an effort to provide a product with recognizable and less processed components. The inclusion of sunflower lecithin as an emulsifier, sea salt, and carob bean gum as a thickener also aligns with cleaner food practices, avoiding more controversial synthetic additives.

However, the product does not carry an organic certification, which results in a lower score due to the increased possibility of exposure to pesticides and other chemicals during the ingredients’ cultivation. Additionally, the absence of a non-GMO verification further impacts the score, as genetically modified organisms are a concern for many consumers seeking cleaner food items.

The presence of added sugars, specifically cane sugar, contributes to the reduction in score. While sugars are commonplace in ice cream, the product’s cleaner food aspiration is compromised by not choosing organic or less processed sweeteners. This choice detracts from the product’s potential to be a leader in the clean food market.

Jeni’s Ice Cream Dark Chocolate Truffle is an attempt to provide a treat that is more conscious of ingredient quality than many conventional options. It avoids some of the most harmful additives but does not fully embrace the principles of organic and non-GMO sourcing, nor does it eliminate the reliance on added sugars. As such, it represents an average choice for consumers looking to indulge while still considering the quality of their food intake.