OUkosher.org
Ice Cream & Frozen Novelties
Monday, May 14, 2007
Life Is A Bowl Of Perry’s (Ice Cream)
The Perry’s ice cream story began back in 1918 when H. Morton Perry purchased the Akron milk route in Western New York, which he named Perry’s Dairy. In 1932, Morton began using his mother’s family recipe to make ice cream and thus, Perry’s Ice Cream was born.
Almost 90 years later, the regional company still thrives as the number one ice cream brand in Western New York – producing and distributing a wide variety of products, including premium ice cream, light ice cream, no sugar added and fat free ice cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt, novelties and frozen custard.
All Perry’s products are manufactured onsite in the 90,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility – located just 25 miles from Buffalo – that produces over 11 million gallons of ice cream annually. Perry’s is synonymous with quality; the company’s reputation is recognized across the industry for its high standards.
“My great-grandfather set the standard for Perry’s when he founded the company,” said Brian Perry, executive vice president and vice-chairman. “I feel very fortunate to be part of our fourth-generation company and I take great pride in continuing his dedication to quality and innovation today.”
Perry’s established its relationship with the OU in 1984.“We wanted to become a kosher manufacturer to expand our territory and meet our customers’ needs,” said Perry. “Customer commitment is our top priority, which is why we chose to partner with the most recognized kosher organization – the Orthodox Union.”
Perry’s has an outstanding relationship with OU’s rabbinical field representative, Rabbi Moshe Heimowitz, and rabbinic coordinator, Rabbi Michael Coleman. “The rabbis’ industry knowledge and our mutual trust have helped us establish a very strong partnership,” said Robin Waite, senior food technologist.
Over 90 percent of Perry’s products are OU certified. “The OU symbol represents another layer of safety for our products,” said Waite. “It’s a vital part of our production process that we take very seriously to ensure we maintain a kosher facility.
“Each time we begin pasteurization, we start with a kosherization process,” said Waite. “We use the highest temperatures possible during this process, while also maintaining our safety standards.”
Perry’s uses modern equipment to produce ice cream the old-fashioned way. The company uses a slow-cooking process to make its ice cream one batch at a time. Perry’s produces over 75 mouthwatering premium ice cream flavors that delight the palates of children and adults of all ages. Some of the most popular flavors among consumers include standbys like Vanilla, Chocolate and Neapolitan, as well as more daring flavors like Panda Paws, Peanut Butter Cup and Piece of Cake.
Calorie-counting consumers can indulge in Perry’s line of light ice cream, including Light Crème Brulee, Peanut Butter Cup, Mint Chocolate Chip and Panda Paws.
The latest flavor to hit the Perry’s lineup, Buffalo Sabres Top Shelf Sundae, has scored big with hockey fans. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of Top Shelf Sundae benefit the Buffalo Sabres foundation, a non-profit foundation that is committed to enhancing the quality of life across the Western New York region.
While Perry’s strategizes on a more global scope, the company maintains its regional roots in Western New York. Perry’s supports local dairy farmers and hundreds of New York State businesses to do its part in contributing to the economic growth of the region. Perry’s also gives back to the community by proudly supporting numerous organizations throughout the year.
As Perry’s continues to grow and evolve, one thing remains constant – its commitment to old-fashioned values and its internal “Believe, Foresee, Achieve” philosophy. “We have a versatile, talented team that represents our family name very well,” said Perry. “We all continue to give 110%,we put customers first and we strive to raise the bar every day. It’s exciting to watch people as they enjoy eating our ice cream. Seeing the red Perry’s logo on our products assures consumers that a great experience is inside. Life is a bowl of Perry’s!”
Ice Cream & Frozen Novelties • OU Companies Speak • Company Profiles • (0) Comments •
Pierre’s Ice Cream With French Vanilla Leading The Way Is Truly Magnifique
Pierre’s Ice Cream Company has been dishing up gourmet products for seventy-five years! Dedicated to manufacturing and distributing the highest quality ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbet and novelties, Pierre’s commitment to quality remains unchanged.
The Pierre’s Ice Cream Shop opened its doors in 1932 in Cleveland at a chic E. 82nd St. and Euclid Ave. location. Its
gourmet ice creams were prepared fresh each day in the back of the store and sold by the cone, cup or hand packed for take home. The company founder, Alexander “Pierre” Basset, dreamed of marketing a premium ice cream which would be unsurpassed. Thus the name “Pierre’s,” and the creamy, indulgent recipe that is still used today.
Popularity for Pierre’s delicious products grew rapidly. The little shop quickly began cranking out its specialty ice creams for restaurants, country clubs, and gourmet markets. It didn’t take long for Pierre’s to outgrow its small space on Euclid Ave.
Sol J. Roth acquired Pierre’s Ice Cream in 1960 and led the company through numerous expansions and relocations,
each time into larger, more efficient manufacturing facilities. With each move, though, Pierre’s always chose to remain within three miles of its original location… right in the heart of Cleveland, as part of its commitment to
the community.
The first retail product that Pierre’s produced was its pint. French Vanilla, Swiss Chocolate and Strawberry comprised the entire assortment, and were sold through local grocery stores. An updated version of the original, eye-catching design is still used today to remind consumers that Pierre’s is dedicated to upholding the high quality recipes developed at the original ice cream shop.
Pierre’s assortment of products has grown through the years. Presently, there are over 235 different products/flavors that bear the Pierre’s name. The company also manufactures private label lines, and distributes many of the national
brands of ice cream.
Producing kosher products was always a priority at Pierre’s, and in the early 1980’s the company sought
the supervision of the Orthodox Union.
“OU certification has played an important role at our company, contributing to our reputation for high
quality and customer service,” declared Laura Hindulak, Director of Marketing. “Rabbi Benjamin Stein has worked with our company since the early days of our supervision, and has been extremely helpful through the years. We also enjoy our dealings with Rabbi Michael Coleman and Rabbi Moshe Heimowitz,” remarked Shelley Roth, Pierre’s president. Shelley was recruited by her father to join the company in 1979; she became President in 1991, giving Sol Roth the opportunity to semi-retire.
Pierre’s original, classic recipes are daily reminders of the company’s dedication to quality, explains Ms. Hindulak. That dedication influences the company’s focus on the future as it develops new business opportunities and continues to be innovative and sensitive to consumers’ changing needs. Unique flavors, delicious healthful ice cream alternatives such as Pierre’s Sorbet (pareve), soft frozen yogurt, Slender® No Sugar Added Reduced Fat Ice Cream sweetened with Splenda®, sherbet and specialty items like Frosted Smoothies® are ways for Pierre’s to express its creativity, talents, and leadership.
“Given our size, we have the ability to come to market a lot faster than some of our competitors,” says John Pimpo, Pierre’s brand development manager. “In 2001, we created Pierre’s Slender®, a line of no-sugar-added (NSA) products. The focus was not only to address the growing ‘waist watcher’ community and folks who wanted to eat healthier,” Mr. Pimpo says of the Slender® NSA products, which have 30 to 50 percent less fat than the brand’s premium ice cream. “There are 17 million diabetics out there. It’s so refreshing to get letters from consumers who have said, “I have never been able to eat an ice cream product in my life.To be able to enjoy your product in moderation has been a godsend.”
In addition to its Slender and frozen yogurt products, Pierre’s plays the wellness card with its Pure Fruit Sherbet, Naturally Fat Free Sorbet and specialty items like Frosted Smoothies®.
Pierre’s Sorbet, available in six flavors of quarts (Lemon, Peach, Raspberry, Strawberry, Passion Fruit and Chocolate) is a special line of products that has great appeal in the kosher community because it is pareve. The sorbets are premium products, prepared with pure fruit purees and rich, dark cocoas.
The company attended Kosherfest for the first time in November of 2006 where it sampled the sorbets to over 8,500
attendees. At the show, Pierre’s Peach Sorbet won “Best New Dessert.” Pierre’s sales team is currently following up on leads from the show, and hopes to have Pierre’s Sorbet in distribution in many more states and countries in 2007.
Of course, leading the pack is still the Pierre’s Premium Ice Cream line, which has grown from its original three flavors to more than 35.The line is anchored by French Vanilla, which has consistently remained the company’s most popular flavor. Butter Pecan, Neapolitan, Chocolate, Strawberry and Cherry Vanilla hold true to tradition, while concoctions like Everything but the Kitchen Sink®, Ice Cream Sandwich and Nuts about Buckeyes satisfy consumers’ quests for variety.
Shelley Roth has her own thoughts about why her family’s company is special. “I think it’s a pretty amazing story that the company started as an ice cream shop. Now it produces multimillions of gallons of ice cream and distributes millions of gallons and scoops and dozens of novelties,” she says. “We’ve done the right things at the right time. We’ve invested in our people and our facilities, and our technology. And most of all, we have never shied away from our most important feature, which is quality. Throughout our company – it is quality products, quality
people, quality dealings. I think that’s pretty incredible.”
Ice Cream & Frozen Novelties • OU Companies Speak • Company Profiles • (0) Comments •
Hello Dolly (Madison) – The Cold Facts About Kosher Ice Cream
Ice Cream is an age-old Dessert Favorite. Historical annals and popular anecdotes date the invention or discovery of ice cream (or something like it!) back thousands of years.
It is reported that the Roman emperor, Nero (37-68), consumed ice with fruit toppings (ancient sorbet?), and that the Chinese King Tang (618-697) made ice and milk blends. Rumors have it that ice cream as we know it originated in China and made its way to Europe via Marco Polo (1254-1324), where it was developed for Italian and French royalty as a specialized and sophisticated treat. Later, the French chef of British King Charles I introduced ice cream to England in the early 1600’s.
In America, Philip Lenzi advertised in New York City that he would sell ice cream as part of his confectionary offerings, and Dolley Madison served ice cream in 1813 to guests at the inaugural ball of her husband, United States President James Madison. (The ice cream brand named after her dropped the “e” in the spelling of Mrs. Madison’s name.) Ice cream has taken off as a beloved sweet on these shores ever since, although it took about a century until it was popularized and mass-produced in an economical fashion, as inventors worked hard to manufacture and improve special ice cream processing and freezing equipment.
As this is an OU Kosher publication, let’s digress from the history and examine the manufacture and kosher issues relating to ice cream and frozen desserts in modern times.
What exactly goes into certifying kosher ice cream? How is the OU able to design kosher programs of the highest caliber that are equally flexible to meet the needs of our client companies? Let’s take a look at the basics of ice cream and frozen dessert certification for some insight.
All ice cream and frozen dessert production can be divided into two phases: pre-pasteurization and post-pasteurization.
The pre-pasteurization phase is where the base is manufactured. In the case of ice cream, the base includes cream and very often non-fat milk (to lower fat content), as well as whey, sweetener, stabilizers and sometimes emulsifiers. Non-dairy frozen dessert base – used for sorbet,water ices and twin pops – also consists of sweetener and stabilizers and may contain emulsifiers, but the bulk of the base is water rather than cream and dairy additives.
Although many of the above ingredients would seem to be innocuous from a kosher perspective, they are in reality potential hazards. Cream can be sourced from cheese plants, where often non-kosher whey cream (a by-product of cheese-making) may be blended in with outgoing cream shipments. Non-fat dry milk can be spray-dried on equipment shared with all types of materials, very feasibly rendering otherwise kosher product processed on this equipment as non-kosher. Stabilizers often contain gelatin sourced from pigs or from cows which are not kosher-processed, and emulsifiers can derive from beef tallow or be manufactured on equipment common to beef tallow production. Thus, all components of ice cream and frozen dessert base clearly need reliable kosher verification.
To the surprise of most kosher consumers, the majority of ice cream and frozen dessert operations which manufacture kosher products are not fully-kosher facilities. This poses many serious challenges for kosher certification, especially at the prepasteurization phase of production.
OU policy is that the ice cream and frozen dessert bases produced in these “mixed” kosher/non-kosher plants must always be kosher in order for the plants to merit certification. There are two reasons for this: Firstly, non-kosher ingredients that are pasteurized will compromise the kosher status of the pasteurization equipment, thereby impeding or grossly complicating kosher certification of other products in the plant. Secondly, it is almost impossible and highly impractical to segregate kosher and non-kosher base ingredients, as they are normally totally compatible and interchangeable. Cream is cream, whey is whey, and so forth; these raw materials are basically generic.To authorize the use of kosher and non-kosher sources of these commodity materials is asking for trouble – at least from the standpoint of the OU and responsible kosher certification.
The post-pasteurization phase of manufacture is simpler as regards kosher issues but more complex in terms of production. Subsequent to pasteurization and cooling, the ice cream mix settles, is flavored as it passes through a flavor tank, is partially frozen in a barrel freezer while air is whipped into it, and is finally filled into containers or molded on to sticks, after which it is hardened in an arctic-deep freeze. The best thing about all of this from a kosher perspective is that no heat is used, and equipment is therefore not likely to become non-kosher if non-kosher ingredients come into play at this stage.
The result is that the OU can certify plants which manufacture both kosher and non-kosher rocky road ice cream, for example. Non-kosher rocky road usually contains marshmallow bits derived from non-kosher gelatin sources, while the kosher version typically uses vegetable-based marshmallow ribbon. “Mixed” kosher/non-kosher facilities also sometimes utilize kosher and non-kosher colorants (such as natural red – otherwise known as carmine – derived from beetle extract) as well as kosher and non-kosher flavors and variegates. In all such cases, the OU does its best to enable plant flexibility and the maximization of OU certification, developing advanced kosher systems to deal with all scenarios, in an effort to accommodate clientele as best as possible.
This involves the OU rabbinic field representative (RFR) reviewing formulas, clean-out procedures and production logs in order to carefully track the kosher integrity of certified product, as well as the plants’ profile specifications of each ingredient and product including a kosher designation status.
Non-dairy frozen desserts are usually manufactured in plants and on lines that are primarily dedicated to ice cream (dairy) production. This means that a pasteurization system, which is in dairy mode most of the time, will also process nondairy dessert base.The problem is that many companies wish for their non-dairy products to be kosher-certified as pareve – meaning non-dairy.This means that the equipment cannot bear a dairy status under kosher specifications. How does the OU certify non-dairy frozen desserts processed on dairy equipment?
The answer is by kosherizing the pasteurization equipment, meaning that this equipment is sanitized in a manner that renders it pareve according to kosher regulations.
Kosherization involves a) allowing the equipment to be down for 24 hours after cleaning, or treatment with caustic solution, and b) a scalding fresh water rinse. Because the requisite temperatures for the caustic and fresh water steps are usually somewhat higher than the average CIP, these procedures need to be carefully reviewed and implemented in consultation with the OU’s senior staff to assure a reliable system. This can entail kosherization with an on-site RFR, or – if the plant can accommodate it – kosherization can be accomplished by programming the CIP system to always function at kosherization temperatures, with the RFR reviewing Taylor charts to verify this upon his regular visits.
The OU is proud to be the premiere kosher certifier of the finest and most diverse array of ice cream and frozen desserts, from traditional and historic brands such as Dolly Madison, Bresler’s, Schrafft’s and Eskimo Pie; to contemporary favorites such as Dreyer’s Grand/Edy’s, Haagen Dazs, Well’s Dairy, Nestle and Safeway; to specialties and novelties such as Tropicana Fruit Bars, Sharon’s Sorbet, FrozFruit and Snapple On Ice.
The OU is privileged to be on the front lines in certifying the world’s finest ice cream and frozen dessert companies, and we are ready to work with our clients to develop systems that assure unquestionable kosher quality while providing the personal and professional service for which we are renowned.
Ice Cream & Frozen Novelties • OU Companies Speak • Company Profiles • (1) Comments •
Friday, March 16, 2007
At Dreyer’s They Know, OU is the Symbol That Sells
Earning the prized packaging symbol declaring OU kosher certification can be a daunting challenge and a rigorous process for a business as complex as Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc. At Dreyer’s, the product line is extensive, the ingredient list is long, suppliers are many, and products are made at six plants in five states. But Dreyer’s knows that once it has earned the right to apply the OU symbol to its packaging, consumers will take note. And, when consumers take note, so too do grocery stores buyers.
“There are more than 11 million kosher customers in the US,” said Ed Trujillo, Dreyer’s Kosher Champion and Regulatory Compliance Manager. “That’s three percent of the ice cream consumers who search out kosher certification before they buy.”
Dreyer’s commitment to kosher certification is more than a focus on cash registers. “It’s also about social responsibility. We care about how our products fit the diverse needs of our consumers, ”Trujillo said.
Kosher certified products began rolling off the production line in 1991.Today, more than 90 percent of Dreyer’s 450 products are OU kosher certified, and every plant meets kosher standards. “We start with the idea that every new product will earn certification.
We relinquish that only if the formulation prohibits it, such as products with gelatin derived from pork and those containing grapes, such as Dreyer’s Fruit Bars. Grapes have an important role in Jewish= ritual and cannot be associated with regular foods,” he explained. If the company decides to change the process or ingredients in a product, taking the extra time and effort to recertify is a given.
Trujillo recalled when Dreyer’s bought The Skinny Cow® product line in 2004. “They’d been certified by a different rabbinical agency, and because we wanted to keep all Dreyer’s products with one agency, we migrated the products to OU. It offers the most internationally accepted seal of approval. Kosher consumers trust it – they know the rigor and supervision that stand behind the label.”
For the last two decades, Rabbi Michael Morris, OU Rabbinic Coordinator, has managed Dreyer’s certification. “I’ve watched the company grow from a single plant to a $2 billion company with worldwide distribution. I deal with a lot of big companies, and I get the most pleasure working with Dreyer’s. They have a great attitude about all that’s involved in certification and they’re always ready with the information we need.”
Before coming to Dreyer’s,Trujillo was the manager of kosher certification at Nestlé, which in 2006 became the parent company of Dreyer’s. Nestlé began seeking certification in the mid-1990s. There,Trujillo worked with Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, OU’s Senior Rabbinic Coordinator and Vice President – Communications & Marketing. Rabbi Safran’s praise runs high both for Nestlé and Dreyer’s. “When I first started working with Nestlé, I quickly realized that here was a top-of-the-line company seeking excellence in the way they go about all facets of their operation—raw materials, production and facility. Nestlé approached its OU certification process the very same way, seeking the best of all kosher certifications and responding to the kosher requirements with the same sense of excellence. Dreyer’s shares those same high standards and commitment.”
When a new product is in development, an early step is to select suppliers for each ingredient. “We can’t achieve certification for the final product until every single ingredient is certified.We reject suppliers whose ingredients aren’t certified wherever we have a choice,” says Trujillo. While this adds a layer of challenge to the vendor selection process, it also results in some suppliers seeking certification in order to sell to Dreyer’s. All six Dreyer’s plants operate under kosher standards and are inspected monthly by an OU field representative. Passing these inspections is critical to maintaining certification, and Dreyer’s takes pride in consistently scoring high marks. Trujillo explains: “OU field reps come at any time, unannounced. We’re always ready for them.
If a problem comes up, it’s usually small, such as a supplier’s box of ingredients in the warehouse missing its certification symbol. I go back to the supplier to straighten it out and forward the documentation to OU when it’s fixed.
” Nestlé and its subsidiary Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream have achieved major success in the US market by deploying proprietary technologies to produce significant innovations. Earning kosher certification is always part of the design process, built in at the front end, not as an afterthought.
Current examples include the development of Dreyer’s Slow Churned® Light Ice Cream, Dreyer’s Dibs® bite sized ice cream snacks and Häagen-Dazs® Extra Rich Light Ice Cream. Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc., and its subsidiaries manufacture and distribute a full spectrum of ice cream and frozen dessert products. Brands of frozen dessert products currently manufactured or distributed by Dreyer’s in the United States include Grand, Slow Churned®, Dibs®, Häagen-Dazs®, Nestlé® Drumstick®, Nestlé Crunch®, Nestle® Butterfinger®, Nestlé® Toll House®, Nestlé® Carnation®, Nestlé® Push-Up®, Frosty Paws®, Fruit Bars, Starbucks® and The Skinny Cow®. The company’s premium products are marketed under the Dreyer’s brand name throughout the Western states and Texas, and under the Edy’s® brand name throughout the remainder of the United States. Internationally, the Dreyer’s brand extends to select markets in the Far East and the Edy’s brand extends to the Caribbean and South America. For more information on the company, visit http://www.dreyersinc.com.
The Starbucks trademark is owned by Starbucks U.S. Brands, LLC and is licensed to the Starbucks Ice Cream Partnership, a joint venture partnership between Dreyer’s and Starbucks Holding Company.
In the U.S. the Häagen-Dazs trademark is sub-licensed to Dreyer’s by Nestlé.
Rabbi Michael Morris serves as Orthodox Union rabbinic coordinator for Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc.
Ice Cream & Frozen Novelties • OU Companies Speak • Company Profiles • (2) Comments •