At a research and development facility near Bedford, UK, the world's largest publicly traded ice cream company, Magnum, is pushing the boundaries of what a frozen dessert can be. Among the latest creations is a glow-in-the-dark lolly, designed for clubbers in Ibiza, which uses naturally luminescent vitamin B2 to shine under UV lights.

Innovation is critical in a market marked by intense competition from giants like Froneri, owner of Häagen-Dazs, and Baskin-Robbins, as well as a growing number of artisan producers. The industry faces unpredictable commodity prices and energy costs, a challenge highlighted by Georgia Rose, principal analyst at Kantar Retail IQ, who noted five years of volatility driven by the war in Ukraine, Covid, and the cost-of-living crisis, with new disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz.

Magnum, spun off from Unilever last year with a market capitalization of around £8bn, is investing in technology to mitigate these pressures. Its three million fridges, built by third parties, are being upgraded with cameras and AI that can identify products and estimate stock levels, reducing empty space and improving supply efficiency. The company's chief research, design & innovation officer, Zbigniew Lewicki, said freezers are now 40% more efficient than those in 2010, a key step toward long-term resilience.

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Lewicki points to Asia as the epicenter of ice cream creativity, with markets in Japan, Korea, and China driving intense innovation. This influence has led to products like Volcanics, a chocolate-covered bar with a caramel lava center, described as "four dimensional." Neil Yan, a Shanghai-based researcher at MMR, said ice cream in China has become a lifestyle staple, not just a summer treat, fueling experimentation with flavors like ham, pickled garlic, tahini, stinky tofu, and even vodka, foie gras, and apple combinations.

Beyond flavor, health-focused options are gaining traction. Honorata Jarocka, associate director at Mintel, noted that protein-enriched ice creams are popular for their satiety benefits, especially among users of GLP-1 weight loss drugs. Products like David Protein bars, with 20g of protein, are priced higher but attract consumers willing to pay more for added benefits, as they spend less on other groceries.

Back in Bedford, researchers are using a robot named Eric to perfect the chocolate viscosity on Magnum bars, collecting data around the clock to achieve the ideal crunch.

Source: BBC News