Eight in Ten (80%) Say They Feel Cheated by Frozen Desserts Appearing to be Ice Cream

Toronto, ON - Eight in ten (80%) residents of Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax agree that they feel like they're being `cheated by companies that appear to be selling ice cream when they're not', according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

In fact, while nearly two thirds (63%) say they're aware that in Canada a product that is labelled as ice cream must be made from milk or cream, but that there are other products that appear to be ice cream but are labelled as frozen dessert as they're made from edible vegetable oil. Among those who were not originally aware, most (81%) say that they will now pay more attention to the type of product that they're buying in the future.

Furthermore, a majority (55%) of respondents agree that they're `sometimes confused about which ice cream products are made from milk or cream and which are not'. Despite the apparent confusion among many, most (86%) agree that they can `taste a difference between ice cream and other frozen desserts', and nine in ten (92%) agree that their `preference is to eat ice cream made from milk'.

Three quarters (77%) of respondents believe that there is a big difference between the products when a product is labelled 'ice cream', and another is labelled 'frozen dessert'. While most say they can taste a difference and have a preference to eat ice cream made from milk, many (16%) are swayed to purchase frozen desserts instead of ice cream mainly because they are familiar with the brand on the package.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between May 16 to 23, 2011, on behalf of the Dairy Farmers of Canada. For this survey, a sample of 1,600 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online, including 400 from each of Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics composition within each city to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to national Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in these cities been polled. The margin of error for the individual cities is +/- 4.9 percentage points. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Associate Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
416.572.4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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