Virginia Law

A. Ice cream is the food prepared by freezing, while stirring, a pasteurized mix composed of one or more of the optional ingredients specified in subsection C of this section, sweetened with one or more of the optional sweetening ingredients specified in subsection D of this section. One or more of the optional characterizing ingredients specified in subsection B of this section and one or more of the optional ingredients specified in subdivisions 5 to 10 of subsection D may be used to characterize the ice cream. One or more of the optional caseinates specified in subsection E and one or more of the optional ingredients specified in subsection F of this section may be used, subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth. The mix may be seasoned with salt, and may be homogenized. The kind and quantity of optional dairy ingredients used, as specified in subsection C of this section, and the content of milk fat and nonfat milk solids therein, are such that the weights of milkfat and total milk solids are not less than 10% and 20%, respectively, of the weight of the finished ice cream; but in no case shall the content of milk solids not fat be less than 6.0%, except that when one or more of the bulky optional ingredients as specified in subdivisions 3 to 8 of subsection B, inclusive, of this section, are used, the weights of milkfat and total milk solids (exclusive of such fat and solids in any malted milk used) are not less than 10% and 20%, respectively, of the remainder obtained by subtracting the weight of such optional ingredients, modified as prescribed in this subsection, from the weight of the finished ice cream; but in no case is the weight of milkfat or total milk solids less than 8.0% and 16%, respectively, of the weight of the finished ice cream. The optional caseinates specified in subsection E of this section are not deemed to be milk solids. In calculating the reduction of milkfat and total milk solids from the use of bulky optional ingredients, chocolate and cocoa solids used shall be considered the bulky ingredients of subdivision 3 of subsection B of this section. In order to make allowance for additional sweetening ingredients needed when bulky ingredients are used, the weight of chocolate or cocoa solids may be multiplied by 2.5; the weight of fruit or nuts used may be multiplied by 1.4; and the weight of partially or wholly dried fruits or fruit juices may be multiplied by appropriate factors to obtain the original weights before drying and this weight multiplied by 1.4. The finished ice cream contains not less than 1.6 pounds of total solids to the gallon and weighs not less than 4.5 pounds to the gallon; except that when the optional ingredient microcrystalline cellulose specified in subdivision 6 of subsection F of this section is used, the finished ice cream contains not less than 1.6 pounds of total solids to the gallon and weighs not less than 4.5 pounds to the gallon exclusive, in both cases, of the weight of the microcrystalline cellulose. Artificial flavoring in any chocolate, cocoa, confectionary, or other ingredient used is an optional ingredient of the finished ice cream. Coloring, including artificial coloring, may be added.

B. The optional characterizing ingredients referred to in subsection A. of this section are:

1. Ground spice, ground vanilla beans, infusion of coffee or tea, or any natural food flavoring.

2. Artificial food flavoring.

3. Chocolate or cocoa, which may be added as such or as a suspension in sirup, and which may contain disodium phosphate or sodium citrate in such quantity that the finished ice cream contains not more than 0.2% by weight of disodium phosphate or sodium citrate. For the purposes of this section, the term "cocoa" means one or any combination of two or more of the following: Cocoa, breakfast cocoa, lowfat cocoa, and the unpulverized residual material prepared by removing part of the fat from ground cacao nibs.

4. Mature fruit or the juice of mature fruit, either of which may be fresh, frozen, canned, concentrated, or partially or wholly dried. The fruit may be whole, shredded, or comminuted; it may be sweetened, thickened with pectin or with one or more of the ingredients named in subdivision 2 of subsection F of this section, subject to the restriction on the total quantity of such substances in ice cream prescribed in that subdivision, and it may be acidulated with citric acid, ascorbic acid, or phosphoric acid. The fruit is prepared by the removal of pits, seeds, skins, and cores, where such removal is used in preparing that kind of fruit for consumption as fresh fruit. In the case of fruit or fruit juice from which part of the water is removed, the substances contributing flavor volatilized during water removal may be condensed and reincorporated in the concentrated fruit or fruit juice. In the case of the citrus fruits the whole fruit, including the peel but excluding the seeds, may be used, and in the case of citrus juice or concentrated citrus juice, cold-pressed citrus oil may be added in an amount not exceeding that which would have been obtained if the peel from the whole fruit had been used. For the purposes of this section the flesh of the coconut shall be considered a fruit.

5. Nut meats, which may be roasted, cooked in an edible fat or oil, or preserved in sirup, and which may be salted.

6. Malted milk.

7. Confectionary. For the purposes of this section, the term "confectionery" means candy, cakes, cookies, and glaced fruits.

8. Properly prepared and cooked cereal.

9. Distilled alcoholic beverage, including liqueurs or wine, in an amount not to exceed that required for flavoring the ice cream.

C. The optional dairy ingredients referred to in subsection A of this section are: cream, dried cream, plastic cream (sometimes known as concentrated milkfat), butter, butter oil, milk, concentrated milk, evaporated skim milk, condensed skim milk, superheated condensed skim milk, sweetened condensed skim milk, sweetened condensed part skim milk, nonfat dry milk, sweet cream buttermilk, condensed sweet cream buttermilk, dried sweet cream buttermilk, skim milk that has been concentrated and from which part of the lactose has been removed by crystallization, skim milk in concentrated or dried form which has been modified by treating the concentrated skim milk with calcium hydroxide and disodium phosphate, concentrated cheese whey, and dried cheese whey. Water may be added, or water may be evaporated from the mix. The sweet cream buttermilk and the concentrated sweet cream buttermilk or dried sweet cream buttermilk, when adjusted with water to a total solids content of 8.5%, has a titratable acidity of not more than 0.17%, calculated as lactic acid. The term "milk" as used in this section means cow's milk. Any concentrated cheese whey and dried cheese whey used contribute not more than 25% by weight of the total nonfat milk solids content of the finished food. Dried cheese whey is uniformly light in color, free from brown and black scorched particles, and has an alkalinity of ash, not more than 225 milliliters 0.1N HC1 per 100 grams, a bacterial count of not more than 50,000 per gram, and, as adjusted with water to a total solids content of 6.5%, a titratable acidity of not more than 0.16%, calculated as lactic acid. Concentrated cheese whey has an alkalinity of ash, not more than 115 milliliters 0.1N HC1 per 100 grams, a bacterial count of not more than 50,000 per gram, and as adjusted with water to a total solids content of 6.5%, calculated as lactic acid. The modified skim milk, when adjusted with water to a total solids content of 9%, is substantially free of lactic acid as determined by titration with 0.1N NaOH and it has a pH value in the range of 8.0 to 8.3.

D. The optional sweetening ingredients referred to in subsection A of this section are:

1. Sugar (sucrose) or sugar sirup.

2. Dextrose.

3. Invert sugar (in paste or sirup form).

4. Corn sirup, dried corn sirup, glucose sirup, dried glucose sirup.

5. Maple sirup, maple sugar.

6. Honey.

7. Brown sugar.

8. Malt sirup, maltose sirup, malt extract.

9. Dried malt sirup, dried maltose sirup, dried malt extract.

10. Refiner's sirup.

11. Molasses (other than black strap).

12. Lactose.

13. Fructose.

E. The optional caseinates referred to in subsection A of this section which may be added to ice cream mix containing not less than 20% total milk solids are: casein prepared by precipitation with gums, ammonium caseinate, calcium caseinate, potassium caseinate, and sodium caseinate. Caseinates may be added in liquid or dry form, but must be free of excess alkali.

F. Other optional ingredients referred to in subsection A of this section are:

1. Liquid eggs, frozen eggs, dried eggs, egg yolks, frozen egg yolks, and dried egg yolks. Any egg ingredient used is added to the mix before it is pasteurized. The total weight of egg yolk solids in the finished ice cream from one or a combination of two or more such ingredients is less than the minimum prescribed for frozen custard by 2VAC5-510-50 (1.4%).

2. Agar-agar, algin (sodium alginate), calcium sulfate, gelatin, gum acacia, guar seed gum, gum karaya, locust bean gum, oat gum, gum tragacanth, carrageenan, salts of carrageenan, furcelleran, salts of furcelleran, lecithin, psyllium seed husk, sodium carboxymethylcellulose. The total weight of the solids of any such ingredient used singly or of any combination of two of more such ingredients used (including any such ingredient and pectin added separately to the fruit ingredient) is not more than 0.5% of the weight of the finished ice cream. Such ingredients may be added in admixture with dextrin, propylene glycol, or glycerin.

3. Monoglycerides or diglycerides or both of fat-forming fatty acids. The total weight of such ingredients is not more than 0.2% of the weight of the finished ice cream. If the preparation used is one having a high proportion of monoglycerides (over 90%), it may be preblended with edible fat, but the amount of such fat does not exceed 20% by weight of the blend, and the total amount of the blend used does not exceed 0.2% of the weight of the finished ice cream.

4. Polysorabate 65, polysorbate 80, or both may be used, with a limit on either, used separately or both used in combination, of not more than 0.1% by weight of the finished frozen dessert.

5. Propylene glycol alginate limit of not more than 0.5% by weight of the finished frozen dessert.

6. Microcrystalline cellulose, in a quantity not to exceed 1.5% by weight of the finished frozen dessert.

7. When one or more of the optional thickening ingredients in subdivision 2 or 5 of this subsection are used, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate may be used in a quantity not in excess of 0.5% by weight of such ingredients.

8. a. Sodium citrate, disodium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, or any combination of two or more of these; but the total quantity of the solids of such ingredients (exclusive of any disodium phosphate or sodium citrate present in chocolate or cocoa, as permitted by subdivision 3 of subsection B of this section) is not more than 0.2% by weight of the finished ice cream.

b. Calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, or any combination of two or more of these; but the total quantity of the solids of such ingredients is not more than 0.04% of the weight of the finished ice cream.

G. 1. The name of the food is "ice cream."

2. a. If the food contains no artificial flavor, the name on the principal display panel or panels of the label shall be accompanied by the common or usual name of the characterizing flavor, e.g., "vanilla," in letters not less than one-half the height of the letters used in the words "ice cream."

b. If the food contains both a natural characterizing flavor and an artificial flavor simulating it, and if the natural flavor predominates, the name on the principal display panel or panels of the label shall be accompanied by the common name of the characterizing flavor, in letters not less than one-half the height of the letters used in the words "ice cream," followed by the word "flavored," in letters not less than one-half the height of the letters in the name of the characterizing flavor, e.g., "VANILLA flavored," or "PEACH flavored," or "VANILLA flavored STRAWBERRY flavored."

c. If the food contains both a natural characterizing flavor and an artificial flavor simulating it, and if the artificial flavor predominates, or if artificial flavor is used alone, the name on the principal display panel or panels of the label shall be accompanied by the common name of the characterizing flavor, in letters not less than one-half the height of the letters used in the words "ice cream," preceded by "artificial" or "artificially flavored," in letters not less than one-half the height of the letters in the name of the characterizing flavor, e.g., "artificial VANILLA," or "artificially flavored STRAWBERRY" or "artificially flavored VANILLA and artificially flavored STRAWBERRY."

3. a. If the food is subject to the requirements of subdivision 2 b of this subsection or if it contains any artificial flavor not simulating the characterizing flavor, the label also shall bear the words "artificial flavor added" or "artificial ______ flavor added," the blank being filled with the common name of the flavor simulated by the artificial flavor in letters of the same size and prominence as the words that precede and follow it.

b. When the optional ingredient microcrystalline cellulose specified in subdivision 6 of subsection F of this section is used, the label shall bear the statement "microcrystalline cellulose added" or "with microcrystalline cellulose."

c. When two or more of the optional ingredients specified in subdivision 2 of subsection B and subdivision 6 of subsection F of this section are used, such words may be combined; for example, "microcrystalline cellulose and artificial flavor added."

d. Wherever the name of the characterizing flavor appears on the label so conspicuously as to be easily seen under customary conditions of purchase, the words prescribed by this subparagraph shall immediately and conspicuously precede or follow such name, in a size reasonably related to the prominence of the name of the characterizing flavor and in any event the size of the type is not less than 6-point on packages containing less than one pint, not less than 8-point on packages containing at least one pint but less than one-half gallon, but less than one gallon, and not less than 12-point on packages containing one gallon or over; however, that where the characterizing flavor and a trademark or brand are presented together, other written, printed, or graphic matter that is a part of or is associated with the trademark or brand, may intervene if the required words are in such relationship with the trademark or brand as to be clearly related to the characterizing flavor: And provided further, that if the finished product contains more than one flavor of ice cream subject to the requirements of this subparagraph, the statements required by this subparagraph need appear only once in each statement of characterizing flavors present in such ice cream, e.g., "VANILLA flavored, CHOCOLATE and STRAWBERRY flavored, artificial flavors added."

4. If the food contains both a natural characterizing flavor and an artificial flavor simulating the characterizing flavor, any reference to the natural characterizing flavor, except as otherwise authorized by this subsection, shall be accompanied by a reference to the artificial flavor, displayed with substantially equal prominence, e.g., "strawberry and artificial strawberry flavor."

5. An artificial flavor simulating the characterizing flavor shall be deemed to predominate:

a. In the case of vanilla beans or vanilla extract used in combination with vanillin if the amount of vanillin used is greater than one ounce per unit of vanilla constituent.

b. In the case of fruit or fruit juice used in combination with artificial fruit flavor, if the quantity of the fruit or fruit juice used is such that, in relation to the weight of the finished ice cream, the weight of the fruit or fruit juice, as the case may be (including water necessary to reconstitute partially or wholly dried fruits or fruit juices to their original moisture content) is less than 2.0% in the case of citrus ice cream, 6.0% in the case of berry or cherry ice cream, 10% in the case of ice cream prepared with other fruits.

c. In the case of nut meats used in combination with artificial nut flavor, if the quantity of nut meats used is such that, in relation to the finished ice cream, the weight of the nut meats is less than 2.0%.

d. In the case of two or more fruit or fruit juices, or nut meats, or both, used in combination with artificial flavors simulating the natural flavors and dispersed throughout the food, if the quantity of any fruit or fruit juice or nut meat is less than one-half the applicable percentage specified in subparagraphs b or c of this paragraph. For example, if a combination ice cream contains less than 5.0% of bananas and less than 1.0% of almonds it would be "Artificially flavored banana-almond ice cream." However, if it contains more than 5.0% of bananas and more than 1.0% of almonds it would be "Banana-almond flavored ice cream."

6. If two or more flavors of ice cream are distinctively combined in one package, e.g., "Neapolitan" ice cream, the applicable provisions of this subsection shall govern each flavor of ice cream comprising the combination.

H. Optional ingredients other than those included in subsections B, C, D and F may be used when permitted for use in ice cream by the Federal Food and Drug Administration.