Great Ice Cream Minus the Acesulfame K

Throughout my entire childhood, it was common for my family and I to each consume a half-gallon of ice cream per week. This tradition traveled with me to college, and is something I still practice to this day. In my opinion, there are few things better than handmade ice cream. As a culinary nerd, I have jumped on the bandwagon of farmer's markets, organic foods, sustainable agriculture, and all-natural products, which means that I practically broke out my happy dance when I heard about Haagen-Daz Five. The world famous ice cream producer has broken the mold by eliminating artificial flavors, preservatives, corn syrup, or odd named items you have never heard of. For example:

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Ice Cream

Cream, Water, Skim Milk, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Inulin, Polydextrose, Sorbitol, Glycerine, Egg Yolks, Guar Gum, Sucralose (Splenda Brand), Carob Bean Gum, Acesulfame K.

Haagen-Daz Five Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
Skim milk, Cream, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Cocoa Processed With Alkali

With my allergy it is a hassle looking through ingredient lists to see if, by chance, they use chocolate liquor or cocoa butter in their product. I always have to search through a lengthy list, and wonder what all the extra stuff is. However, if more companies followed Haagen-Daz lead, it would be easier for people with allergies to things like lactose and eggs to know if they can purchase the item. Aside from the simplicity of the Five label, the taste of this ice cream is out of this world. After a few days of searching I found this product at Whole Foods Market. I spoke with customer service, and was informed that they were only carrying the mint flavor in order to see how well it would sell. I expected it to taste like mint-chip ice cream, and was surprised when it hardly resembled my bright green expectation. However, this was not a disappointment, for the flavor and texture blew my mind. I will definitely be purchasing this again, and cannot wait for more flavors to arrive.