When we launched WhiteCub Vegan Foods we followed the law to the letter.
Our first parlour signage proudly read: โWhiteCub Frozen Desserts.โ
Because thatโs what the regulation required.
And as someone who had consumed premium soy, almond, and coconut-based Ice Creams labelled as โFrozen Dessertโ in Europe, I saw no issue.
But in India, โfrozen dessertโ had become synonymous with oil-based, cheap substitutes.
The term didnโt reflect what we were offeringโice creams made with soy milk, almond milk, coconut cream, real fruit pulp and authentic cocoa.
And so, customers judged the phrase, thus overlooking the ingredients.
Some even questioned the pricing, assuming it was โoil-based stuff.โ
We tried to fix this by writing โDairy-Free Ice Creamโ with both words equally bold. The intent of writing โDairy Free โas big as โIceCream โwas to convey we werenโt there to wrongfully ' poachโ customers wanting only dairy-based ones.
This got us an FSSAI notice- because if itโs not made from animal milk, you canโt legally use the term โice cream.โ
๐ฆ๐ผ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป. ๐ข๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐
We removed the word DairyFree IceCream and resorted to
only a product image. Logic being very desi: Just chuck away the thing of writing what we are; instead, we display what all we have inside and an image of our product.
But we were soon guided by our labelling advisors towards our mistake.
And I own the big blunder in decision making made during that phase by us. I assumed that our clients were โlabel readersโ and so anyone who would pick up the tub would certainly check the ingredients as well.
But I was wrong. No one was bothering to even flip the tub after reading Frozen Dessert on the front side.
They rarely read ingredients.
They just saw โfrozen dessertโโฆ and assumed the worst.
Lately, I noticed a competitor displaying the term Frozen Dessert elsewhere on the pack.
This gave me the impetus to yet again make a small tweak.
We have now decided to start mentioning โfrozen dessertโ on the back panel, on the same side as the ingredients. (The new labels may hopefully soon start rolling out. )
Because if someone has a moment to glance there, theyโll also see premium almond milk, coconut cream, soy milk, and health-conscious sweeteners.
So now onwards, do rememberย - not all frozen desserts are oil-flavour-sugar combinations.
โฆfeeling hot by now after writing so much!
Let me grab a WhiteCub ice creamโฆoops, frozen dessertโฆmight as well in private call my ice cream an ice cream only!
I hope the regulators arenโt watching :)
PS. In the image is yet another attempt at maligning the phrase "frozen desserts". Read my response to it. At times, even the label influencers need awareness
indiaspioneeringveganbrand readthelabel veganicecreamtruth
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