‘Hermes of ice cream’: Ice cream that won’t melt even when baked with blowtorch

A Chinese company that was formerly known as the "Hermes of ice cream" has come under fire after Internet users claimed that some of its products do not melt, even when toasted with a blowtorch.

Videos of the company's (known as Chicecream) ice creams showing how the latter did not melt even when placed under a very hot flame or in a room with a temperature of 31 degrees celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) went viral on the Internet, alarming many consumers. Consumers were prompted to question the company's exorbitant prices and whether the products were overly laden with additives, the news agency AFP reported.

The costliest item from Chicecream costs 66 yuan ($10) and is referred to as "Zhong Xue Gao" in Chinese.

On Wednesday, the company issued a statement, claiming that its products complied with national laws governing food safety. In a Weibo post that received over 168,000 likes, the company stated, "We believe that it is not scientific to judge the quality of ice cream by baking, drying or heating ice cream." AFP couldn’t independently verify the video.

Stabilisers, which are said to be used in the products, are known to be food additives that have received widespread approval, including from the US Food and Drug Administration. They are used frequently in mass-produced ice creams and are intended to maintain the structural integrity of consumer products. Senior national food inspector Wang Silu also maintained that the ingredients used to thicken the ice cream were safe.

The Chinese ice cream brand Chicecream has positioned itself as a Chinese rival to Western brands like Magnum and Haagen-Dazs with its purportedly natural ingredients and regionally-inspired product designs.

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