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In case you didn’t, a woman named Christie Watson found a Walmart ice cream sandwich, abandoned 12 hours prior, unmelted on her patio outside. Dan Collins of KIKN radio station in Sioux Falls decided to make a video demonstrating this same result and this naturally [see what I did there?] resulted in another massive attack of chemophobia.

Well there is good news for you terrified ice-cream-sandwhich-eaters out there: this ice cream is supposed to not melt. The same binding ingredients that prevent the ice cream sandwich from becoming a dripping mess all over your fingers are the same ingredients that prevent the ice cream from becoming a puddle in the sun.

WCPO thankfully followed up with their original fear-mongering story with a little real research by interviewing nutritional scientist Grace Yek who helped the world make sense again. According to Yek, Walmart uses the plant-based stabilizers guar gum and cellulose gum to prevent the ice cream from becoming gross and crunchy. Yek explained, “they do serve a purpose in that they give even high-quality ice cream that mouth feel, that creamy texture, and the minimization of ice crystals,”

If the FDA approval of guar gum and cellulose gum doesn’t assuage your anxiety, consider this:
Guar gum is made from a legume called a guar bean, ground into a powder.
Cellulose gum is made from tree pulp and cotton linters, also no big deal. Gums like these are used in lots of foods that you eat every day. Geek.com delved into this subject a bit deeper. Brian Whitwam describes how a third ingredient, calcium sulfate traps moisture and works with the guar gum to create the perfect ice cream texture for the ice cream sandwich. Science: It works, bitches. And it is also delicious.

Since I’ve proved that ice cream sandwiches are basically vegetables, I’m off for a late night snack. Thank goodness Walmart is open 24/7.

EvilHorace wrote:Just because things like that are sold as food doesn't mean that it's a good idea to eat it.
What about types of "meat" like those giant summer sausages that are sold at all sorts of stores and also not refrigerated? Apparently there must be so many preservatives in that stuff that it just doesn't go bad in room temp. or higher whereas real meat would.