Ice cream, vanilla
Checked by us One serving: 105 g (about ¾ cup) · 217 kcal
Some riboflavin, vitamin B12 and vitamin A. 2 more nutrients in moderate amounts: see Good for.
A lot per serving: saturated fat. Worth knowing: dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (105 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- Some
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.25 mg in one serving: 19% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 23% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0.41 µg in one serving: 17% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
124 µg in one serving: 14% of the 900 µg a day men need, 18% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
134 mg in one serving: 13% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Listed amount only. 1 absorption study of this nutrient is on file for this food, but none is quoted yet. Each one is in The numbers, with the reason. See the studies
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
184 mg in one serving: 12% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 17% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
17 more nutrients at a little or less
- A little
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.72 mg in one serving: 7% of the 11 mg a day men need, 9% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
3.67 g in one serving: 7% of the 56 g a day men need, 8% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
209 mg in one serving: 6% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 8% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
0.91 mg in one serving: 6% of the 16 mg a day men need, 7% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
27.3 mg in one serving: 5% of the 550 mg a day men need, 6% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.05 mg in one serving: 4% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
14.7 mg in one serving: 4% of the 400 mg a day men need, 5% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.04 mg in one serving: 3% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 4% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
1.89 µg in one serving: 3% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0.31 mg in one serving: 2% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
0.73 g in one serving: 2% of the 38 g a day men need, 3% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0.21 µg in one serving: 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
5.25 µg in one serving: 1% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
3.15 mg in one serving: 1% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0.63 mg in one serving: 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, 1% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
0.09 mg in one serving: 1% of the 8 mg a day men need, 1% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
0.31 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
Watch out
How we counted this
An average adult is already at or past the limit from other food.
Learn more
Flagged for women who are or may become pregnant and for breastfeeding women; no cap for other adults. EFSA's 2026 tolerable weekly intake for dioxins and PCBs is 0.6 pg/kg body weight/week, 42 pg for 70 kg. The data are for frozen dairy desserts, not labelled ice cream (46 CFIA samples). On the upper-bound mean (0.0693 pg/g), about 606 g a week eaten alone would reach it. A 188 mL serving (105 g) is 17.32% of the weekly limit, and a daily one 121.2%, above the limit on its own. It adds 12.8% to 38.6% to the average adult's weekly exposure, short of doubling it. The two bounds are four times apart, so neither is the figure.
1 other measurement of this food, same verdict
An average adult is already at or past the limit from other food.
Learn more
Flagged for women who are or may become pregnant and for breastfeeding women; no cap for other adults. EFSA's 2026 tolerable weekly intake for dioxins and PCBs is 0.6 pg/kg body weight/week, 42 pg for 70 kg. The data are for frozen dairy desserts, not labelled ice cream (46 CFIA samples). On the lower-bound mean (0.0167 pg/g; 75.6% of congener results were below detection), about 2,508 g a week eaten alone would reach it; non-detects count as zero, so the true amount could be lower. A 188 mL serving (105 g) is 4.18% of the weekly limit, and a daily one 29.3%, adding 3.1% to 9.3% to the average adult's weekly exposure, far from doubling it.
Checked for nickel, cadmium, aluminum and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Nickel
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 43 servings in a day of this food alone to use up what the highest average adult intake we found leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 15.6 µg
How we got this
The highest average adult intake we found already takes up about 26% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 6,100 g a day would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 105 g a day, which stays within the 4,500 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: nickel is rated against EFSA's tolerable daily intake of 13 µg/kg body weight/day (2020). The average adult already takes in 22-26% of it, under half, so a food would have to reach the limit on its own to matter. Eaten alone, about 6,121 g of ice cream a day would reach it.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 33 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 0.23 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 1.3% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 72% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 81,000 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 734 g a week, which stays within the 24,000 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 2.3% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Aluminum
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 53 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 188 µg
How we got this
39,000 g a week reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg a week for 70 kg. Eaten alone, about 39,013 g (39 kg) of ice cream a week would reach it. A 105 g serving carries 188.22 µg, 0.269% of the weekly limit.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need more than 100 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 0.8% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.28 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: a 105 g serving adds 0.2753 µg, 0.79% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The mean is a lower bound (1 of 17 composites was a non-detect).
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sodium and saturated fat
One 105 g serving, as a share of the label’s daily value: sodium 84 mg (4%) · saturated fat 7.1 g (36%)
Learn more
We name one of these whenever a serving gives 20% or more of its daily value on Health Canada’s Table of Daily Values (sodium 2,300 mg, saturated and trans fat together 20 g), the same 20% that reads “a lot” under Good for. The same rule applies to every food. Daily values are what labels count against, not limits. No trans fat figure is held for this food, so its saturated fat is counted alone.
Source: Health Canada, Table of Daily Values (nutrition labelling)
Sugar
22 g of sugar in a 105 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also measured in it
Figures from the dataset. None has a limit to be rated against, so none is a verdict.
Lactose: 3.8–5.1 g per 100 g, so about 3.99–5.35 g in a 105 g serving. · McCance and Widdowson, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset · grade B
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 2
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Context only, never scored.
Shown as context, not rated: CFIA found no Listeria monocytogenes in any of 1,186 retail samples of multi-serve dairy ice cream, so the Canadian retail occurrence is zero. The concern is real, though: a 2015 US outbreak linked to Blue Bell Creameries products reached 10 people in 4 states, all 10 were hospitalized and three died in Kansas. CFIA classes ice cream as Category 2B, where Listeria does not grow through the shelf life, but multi-serve tubs that are repeatedly frozen and thawed may support its growth.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 105 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
More riboflavin
Maple syrup1.33 mg in 105 g (this food: 0.25 mg) · but less vitamin B12 and vitamin A
More vitamin B12
Milk chocolate0.79 µg in 105 g (this food: 0.41 µg)
Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat0.79 µg in 105 g (this food: 0.41 µg) · but less vitamin A
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For vitamin A: Processed cheese slices would lead, in the same 105 g, but is left out (portions too different to compare by weight).
More nutrients per serving, counted together
The other dairy foods or sweets we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.
- Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat
- More vitamin B12 (0.79 µg vs 0.41 µg)
- More selenium (10.2 µg vs 1.89 µg)
- More protein (10.7 g vs 3.67 g)
- Less vitamin A (1.05 µg vs 124 µg)
- Less omega-3: ALA (1.05 mg vs 184 mg)
Cottage cheese- More protein (12.2 g vs 3.67 g)
- More selenium (10.2 µg vs 1.89 µg)
- More vitamin B12 (0.69 µg vs 0.41 µg)
- Less omega-3: ALA (17.8 mg vs 184 mg)
2 foods out of the 10 other dairy foods or sweets we’ve checked and could compare give clearly more nutrients per serving.
Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Skim milk- 36 kcal in 105 g (this food: 217)
- Less omega-3: ALA (1.05 mg vs 184 mg)
- Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat
- 62 kcal in 105 g (this food: 217)
- More vitamin B12 (0.79 µg vs 0.41 µg)
- More selenium (10.2 µg vs 1.89 µg)
- More protein (10.7 g vs 3.67 g)
- Less vitamin A (1.05 µg vs 124 µg)
- Less omega-3: ALA (1.05 mg vs 184 mg)
Kefir, low-fat- 45 kcal in 105 g (this food: 217)
- Less omega-3: ALA (6.29 mg vs 184 mg)
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g.
- Milk chocolate7.7 g protein · 535 kcal per 100 g
Dark chocolate5.1 g protein · 550 kcal per 100 g
Parmesan35.8 g protein · 392 kcal per 100 g
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Processed cheese slices (portions too different to compare by weight).
Left out: Oat drink, unsweetened, fortified (what it would be picked for may be added to it, and the amount depends on the brand).
Left out: Almond drink, unsweetened, fortified (Aflatoxins: go easy · what it would be picked for may be added to it, and the amount depends on the brand).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Ice cream, vanilla (category row)
How the serving was set: 188 mL (3/4 cup) = 104.9 g (Health Canada TRA E.1, ice cream sold in tubs; grams from CNF 4163, 100 ml = 55.79 g)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.175 g | 0.18 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Calcium | 128 mg | 134.27 mg | 61.84 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 104 mg | 109.1 mg | 50.24 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| 128 mg | 134.27 mg | 61.84 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4163 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 23.6 g | 24.76 g | 11.4 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Choline | 26 mg | 27.27 mg | 12.56 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Energy | 207 kcal | 217.14 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0.003 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Fat | 11 g | 11.54 g | 5.31 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 8.2 g | 8.6 g | 3.96 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Cholesterol | 44 mg | 46.16 mg | 21.26 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 6.79 g | 7.12 g | 3.28 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Fibre | 0.7 g | 0.73 g | 0.34 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.2 g | 0.21 g | 0.1 g | second database · not used · 3.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Folate | 5 µg | 5.25 µg | 2.42 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 6 µg | 6.29 µg | 2.9 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Iron | 0.09 mg | 0.09 mg | 0.04 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.06 mg | 0.06 mg | 0.03 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Magnesium | 14 mg | 14.69 mg | 6.76 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 13 mg | 13.64 mg | 6.28 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 0.866 mg | 0.91 mg | 0.42 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4163 | C |
| Phosphorus | 105 mg | 110.15 mg | 50.72 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 85 mg | 89.17 mg | 41.06 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Potassium | 199 mg | 208.75 mg | 96.14 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 163 mg | 170.99 mg | 78.74 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Protein | 3.5 g | 3.67 g | 1.69 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 3.2 g | 3.36 g | 1.55 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.24 mg | 0.25 mg | 0.12 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.28 mg | 0.29 mg | 0.14 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Selenium | 1.8 µg | 1.89 µg | 0.87 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 1 µg | 1.05 µg | 0.48 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Sodium | 80 mg | 83.92 mg | 38.65 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 63 mg | 66.09 mg | 30.43 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Sugars | 21.22 g | 22.26 g | 10.25 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 22 g | 23.08 g | 10.63 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.041 mg | 0.04 mg | 0.02 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.1 mg | 0.1 mg | 0.05 mg | second database · not used · 2.4× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Vitamin A | 118 µg | 123.78 µg | 57 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.39 µg | 0.41 µg | 0.19 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.5 µg | 0.52 µg | 0.24 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.048 mg | 0.05 mg | 0.02 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.04 mg | 0.04 mg | 0.02 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Vitamin C | 0.6 mg | 0.63 mg | 0.29 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 1 mg | 1.05 mg | 0.48 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 µg | 0.21 µg | 0.1 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.5 µg | 0.52 µg | 0.24 µg | second database · not used · 2.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Vitamin E | 0.3 mg | 0.31 mg | 0.14 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.49 mg | 0.51 mg | 0.24 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Vitamin K1 | 0.3 µg | 0.31 µg | 0.14 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Water | 61 g | 63.99 g | 29.47 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 64.9 g | 68.08 g | 31.35 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Zinc | 0.69 mg | 0.72 mg | 0.33 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.3 mg | 0.31 mg | 0.14 mg | second database · not used · 2.3× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 19 µg | 19.93 µg | 9.18 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Copper | 0.023 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.02 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Ash | 0.9 g | 0.94 g | 0.43 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Energy | 868 kj | 910.53 kj | 419.32 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Fluoride, F | 15.4 µg | 16.15 µg | 7.44 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 421 iu | 441.63 iu | 203.38 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 8 iu | 8.39 iu | 3.86 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) | 0.2 µg | 0.21 µg | 0.1 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Folate, food | 5 µg | 5.25 µg | 2.42 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 5 µg | 5.25 µg | 2.42 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.045 g | 0.05 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Threonine | 0.146 g | 0.15 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Isoleucine | 0.195 g | 0.2 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Leucine | 0.316 g | 0.33 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Lysine | 0.258 g | 0.27 g | 0.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Methionine | 0.081 g | 0.08 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Cystine | 0.029 g | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.157 g | 0.16 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.155 g | 0.16 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Valine | 0.217 g | 0.23 g | 0.1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Arginine | 0.125 g | 0.13 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Histidine | 0.088 g | 0.09 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Alanine | 0.121 g | 0.13 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 0.25 g | 0.26 g | 0.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 0.681 g | 0.71 g | 0.33 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Glycine | 0.093 g | 0.1 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Proline | 0.326 g | 0.34 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Serine | 0.177 g | 0.19 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.36 g | 0.38 g | 0.17 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.21 g | 0.22 g | 0.1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.12 g | 0.13 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.28 g | 0.29 g | 0.14 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.31 g | 0.33 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 1.13 g | 1.19 g | 0.55 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 3.06 g | 3.21 g | 1.48 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 1.316 g | 1.38 g | 0.64 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 20:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 2.763 g | 2.9 g | 1.33 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.275 g | 0.29 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.175 g | 0.18 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 22:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.206 g | 0.22 g | 0.1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.003 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 2.969 g | 3.11 g | 1.43 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.452 g | 0.47 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 15:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 17:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 24:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| SFA 13:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Manganese | 0.008 mg | 0.01 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 0.116 mg | 0.12 mg | 0.06 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 0.2 mg | 0.21 mg | 0.1 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.581 mg | 0.61 mg | 0.28 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 1.05 mg | 1.1 mg | 0.51 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C | |
| Retinol | 116 µg | 121.68 µg | 56.04 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167575 | C |
| 91 µg | 95.46 µg | 43.96 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #12-508 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Absorption studies
Studies of how much of a nutrient gets in; those done in animals are marked. This page quotes a figure only from a study that passes our screen: adults, graded A, of this food in this preparation, with a test dose on record and a source that has passed our evidence check. The exception is calcium on our calcium card: its figure comes from the card’s own study, checked with the card, and is marked “used” even where that study misses a step of this screen. The others are listed so nothing is hidden, each with the first check it fails.
No study of this food passes the screen yet, so no absorption figure is quoted.
| Study | Nutrient | Absorbed | Test dose | People | Grade | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| van der Hee 2009: calcium-fortified ice cream, 60 g, low-fat (3% butterfat), with a light standard breakfast calcium-fortified with milk minerals; 3% butterfat or 9% coconut oil · experimental ice cream fortified with milk minerals (0.93% or 1.22% wt/wt), 60 g portion, made at the Unilever R&D site in Colworth UK, labelled extrinsically with 44Ca, stored at -25 C, consumed with a light standard breakfast (white bread, margarine, jam, 125 mL water) full text read | Calcium | 26 % | 227 mg | 16 | B | Not used: not graded A, so not a direct human study of this food and preparation. |
| van der Hee 2009: calcium-fortified ice cream, 60 g, 9% coconut oil, with a light standard breakfast calcium-fortified with milk minerals; 3% butterfat or 9% coconut oil · experimental ice cream fortified with milk minerals (0.93% or 1.22% wt/wt), 60 g portion, made at the Unilever R&D site in Colworth UK, labelled extrinsically with 44Ca, stored at -25 C, consumed with a light standard breakfast (white bread, margarine, jam, 125 mL water) full text read | Calcium | 28 % | 224 mg | 16 | B | Not used: not graded A, so not a direct human study of this food and preparation. |
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Aflatoxin M1 · Context · Context only, never scored. · PubMed 40332654 · B
- Aluminum · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg a week for 70 kg. Eaten alone, about 39,013 g (39 kg) of ice cream a week would reach it. A 105 g serving carries 188.22 µg, 0.269% of the weekly limit. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 2.3% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · Worth knowing · Flagged for women who are or may become pregnant and for breastfeeding women; no cap for other adults. EFSA's 2026 tolerable weekly intake for dioxins and PCBs is 0.6 pg/kg body weight/week, 42 pg for 70 kg. The data are for frozen dairy desserts, not labelled ice cream (46 CFIA samples). On the lower-bound mean (0.0167 pg/g; 75.6% of congener results were below detection), about 2,508 g a week eaten alone would reach it; non-detects count as zero, so the true amount could be lower. A 188 mL serving (105 g) is 4.18% of the weekly limit, and a daily one 29.3%, adding 3.1% to 9.3% to the average adult's weekly exposure, far from doubling it. · CFIA dioxins survey (2014–2019) · B
- Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs · Worth knowing · Flagged for women who are or may become pregnant and for breastfeeding women; no cap for other adults. EFSA's 2026 tolerable weekly intake for dioxins and PCBs is 0.6 pg/kg body weight/week, 42 pg for 70 kg. The data are for frozen dairy desserts, not labelled ice cream (46 CFIA samples). On the upper-bound mean (0.0693 pg/g), about 606 g a week eaten alone would reach it. A 188 mL serving (105 g) is 17.32% of the weekly limit, and a daily one 121.2%, above the limit on its own. It adds 12.8% to 38.6% to the average adult's weekly exposure, short of doubling it. The two bounds are four times apart, so neither is the figure. · CFIA dioxins survey (2014–2019) · B
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: a 105 g serving adds 0.2753 µg, 0.79% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The mean is a lower bound (1 of 17 composites was a non-detect). · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Listeria · Context · Shown as context, not rated: CFIA found no Listeria monocytogenes in any of 1,186 retail samples of multi-serve dairy ice cream, so the Canadian retail occurrence is zero. The concern is real, though: a 2015 US outbreak linked to Blue Bell Creameries products reached 10 people in 4 states, all 10 were hospitalized and three died in Kansas. CFIA classes ice cream as Category 2B, where Listeria does not grow through the shelf life, but multi-serve tubs that are repeatedly frozen and thawed may support its growth. · CFIA 2017–2020 · A
- Milk allergy · Worth knowing · Flagged for people with a milk allergy: milk is a Health Canada priority allergen; ice cream is a listed source. · Health Canada, Milk - a priority food allergen · A
- Nickel · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: nickel is rated against EFSA's tolerable daily intake of 13 µg/kg body weight/day (2020). The average adult already takes in 22-26% of it, under half, so a food would have to reach the limit on its own to matter. Eaten alone, about 6,121 g of ice cream a day would reach it. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- lactose: 5.1 g/100 g (CoFID 12-508 Ice cream, dairy, vanilla, soft scoop; 10 samples, 7 products) g/100 g · as listed per 100 g · Ice cream, dairy, vanilla, soft scoop (UK compiled table; fat 8.2 g/100 g, total sugars 22.0 g) · grade B · McCance and Widdowson, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset
- lactose: 3.8 g/100 g (CoFID 12-511 Ice cream, dairy, luxury, with chocolate/caramel; 10 samples, 7 products) g/100 g · as listed per 100 g · Ice cream, dairy, luxury with chocolate/caramel (UK compiled table; fat 13.9 g, total sugars 28.4 g) · grade B · McCance and Widdowson, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset
Sources
- CFIA, Food Safety Action Plan Targeted Survey: Dioxins and Dioxin-like Compounds in Selected Foods 2014-2019 (data and 2-page overview PDF; report page inspection.canada.ca)
cfia-dioxins-2014-2019· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - CFIA, Bacterial pathogens in dairy ice cream, targeted survey April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020
cfia-ice-cream-pathogens-2017-2020· full text read · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright) - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - McCance and Widdowson, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset
cofid· dataset · licence not recorded - Public Health England, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021
cofid-2021· dataset · Open Government Licence v3.0 - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Health Canada, Milk - a priority food allergen
hc-milk-allergen· page · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright) - Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites)
hc-tds-trace-elements· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - van der Hee RM, Miret S, Slettenaar M et al. Calcium absorption from fortified ice cream formulations compared with calcium absorption from milk. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109(5):830-835 · doi:10.1016/j.jada.2009.02.017 · PMID 19394469
pmid:19394469· full text read · CC BY (Europe PMC licence field, PMC2832736) - Nazari F, Ebrahimi M et al. The occurrence and human health risk assessment of aflatoxin M1 in ice cream collected from Iranian market. Mycotoxin Res 2025 · PMID 40332654
pmid:40332654· abstract only · licence not recorded
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.