Blue Bell Ice Cream Confirms Major Recipe Changes

(KMDL-FM) If you've spent more than a few minutes enjoying the summertime temperatures the Gulf South is famous for this year, then chances are you've had some Blue Bell Ice Cream. Otherwise, there is no way to "enjoy" triple-digit heat indices and humidity levels that would give a rainforest the cotton mouth.

When it comes to ice cream around these parts, whether you're in a big city like New Orleans or Houston or a smaller community like Natchitoches in Louisiana or Nacodoches in Texas, you can appreciate the culinary artistry of the ice cream connoisseurs at the little creamery in Brenham, Texas, where they make Blue Bell.

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My favorite Blue Bell flavors are Pecan Pralines and Cream and Moo-llennium Crunch. I think the reason I like those flavors is that they both start with Blue Bells' very rich vanilla ice cream as a base. I am sure you've got your favorites too, and depending on what your favorites are, they might not be created the same way ever again.

Why Is Blue Bell Making Changes to Its Ice Cream?

Blue Bell and many other creameries around the world are members of the International Dairy Foods Association. That trade group announced last week that many ice cream manufacturers around the world would be eliminating the use of certain artificial colors in their frozen treats.

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The colors that were specifically mentioned were Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. The pledge that IDFA members signed off on suggested that artificial colors would be removed from all recipes by the end of 2027. Blue Bell, in a recent announcement, confirmed it will be participating along with other IDFA members in making that change.

What Blue Bell Flavors Will Be Affected By Recipe Changes?

The flavors that are available year-round for consumers that will be affected by this change include the very popular Milk Chocolate and Banana Nut. Other specialty flavors that will have a "remix" without the artificial colors include Bride's Cake and Southern Blackberry Cobbler.

The move comes as the federal government is stepping up attention to artificial dyes and ingredients via the Make America Healthy Again initiative. Also, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation last month that would require changes in the labeling of products that include or use some 44 different food additives or dyes. We should note that some of the language in that legislation was found to be inaccurate, so there could be revisions forthcoming.

The short answer is probably not. Most of the ingredients that are being removed have to do with color and not so much with flavor. So, you can still expect your Blue Bell Ice Cream to taste just like the summers of your youth, and perhaps because they're making the change, you'll have a few more summers on the planet to enjoy your ice cream.